Americans look to snap winless streak in majors

SANDWICH, England — Tiger Woods is back home, nursing a sore leg. The rest of American golf isn’t doing so well, either.

The U.S. is mired in its longest drought of the modern Grand Slam era, having gone five straight majors without a victory.

Phil Mickelson was the last American to capture a title, more than a year ago at the 2010 Masters. Since then, it’s been two golfers from Northern Ireland, two from South Africa and one from Germany.

While most players describe the U.S. slump as nothing more than cyclical, Nick Watney concedes that it’s getting a bit bothersome. As he puts it, “You never want to hear you’re inferior.”

Coming into the British Open, Europeans hold the top four spots in the world rankings. Steve Stricker is the highest American at No. 5.