2006 Ryder Cup, K Club, Ireland Courtesy: K Club

It took awhile to count the money but Ireland was a big winner at last year's Ryder Cup.

According to Ryder Cup director, Richard Hills, the biennial tournament injected roughly 200 million dollars U.S. into the Irish economy.

The Ryder Cup was staged at the K Club just outside Dublin and was, of course, won by the European team.

There was an astonishing figure amongst the financial statistics released this past week: apparently spectators spent an average of between $460 and $600 U.S. per person each day of the tournament!

They must have been charging a fortune for beer and sandwiches.

Speaking of the winning European side, this week's world rankings for the men provide the explanation for Europe's seeming dominance of the event.

Tiger Woods is firmly in the number one spot, unassailed; Jim Furyk is still number 2 (where's he been lately?) and Phil Mickelson has a slight edge on Ernie Els for 4th spot (maybe that will change in the months to come with new swing coach, Butch Harmon).

Aussie Adam Scott holds down number 3.

But after that there isn't another American golfer until Zach Johnson pops up at number 15.

In between Mickelson at #4 and Johnson at #15 are, in order: Ernie Els (South Africa), Henrik Stenson (Sweden), Vijay Singh (Fiji), Retief Goosen (South Africa), Geoff Ogilvy (Australia), Padraig Harrington (Ireland), Luke Donald (England), Trevor Immelman (South Africa), Paul Casey (England) and Sergio Garcia (Spain).

The PGA money list is a different story with American golfers scattered heavily throughout the top ten. But then, not all of the above-mentioned international players are playing full-time on the PGA Tour.

America's female golfers fare better in the world rankings. Despite the heavy international presence on the LPGA, American women hold down 4th through 7th respectively. Leading the list are Annika Sorenstam and Mexico's Lorena Ochoa.

They also hold three of the top four spots on the money list. And that is significant since most of the top international women are playing the LPGA full-time.

There is no doubt, as has been said before, that the game is truly international.

And so is the talent playing the game. That is the way it is and the way it is going to stay.