John:
I don't know about the JOY factor. I do subscribe to the notion that team bondedness, which Europe seems to have more of than the US generally at the Ryder Cup (borne of what I've read and heard described as a closer-knit Euro tour among their players than on the US tour, and several Euro players are regulars on the Euro tour) plays something of a role, although I wouldn't say it's the defining one.
Local knowledge, as you suggest, may play some role, but -- again -- I'm not sure it's the defining one. Helpful, yes; but I'm not sure it's the key reason.
I think, generally, most American golf fans aren't willing to subscribe to the notion that Euro golfers are nearly the equal in talent and ability to the US players, as I believe they are, world rankings be da.....Talent played out over a season, or even the crucible of a 72-hole major, brings us Tiger Woods. Talent confined to match-play, with partners, in matches sometimes lasting only 16 holes, brings us close matches, as we've seen this week.
But what gives us Donald and Garcia and Casey and Monty constantly trumping Woods and Furyk and Mickelson and Toms? I remain convinced the Euro guys simply get match-play, and how different it is -- in the pressure that is the Ryder Cup -- than stroke play. One of the non-major US players (Henry? Cink?) was being interviewed after one of his matches Friday, and talked about "getting used to this match-play thing, and it was different, but, we did all right," or words to that effect. I can't imagine a single Euro player ever uttering the words "getting used to" in the context of playing match-play. It's a much, much more common game in Europe -- at all levels of play -- and US players just seem uncomfortable in the team format of it, especially (singles records are nearly even between Euro and US since '85, further evidence that the talent level between the two is relatively minor).
Toms and Taylor, both of whom were driving on the 15th tee with their matches even, both dunked their balls in the water in foursomes play, losing those holes and essentially costing their team the chance at a win. I can't ever recall a Euro player in the last 20 years of the Ryder Cup making that kind of mistake -- getting outplayed, yes, but that kind of mistake in foursomes? I would argue the strategy of team match-play is a somewhat nuanced thing -- the importance of getting a lead early, when to take chances and when not to, who you have putting and who you have hitting approaches in foursomes -- and Euro just seems to get that in ways the US didn't.
Oh, and they putt a lot better, too -- probably 75 percent of the reason for their success. Check Euro tour putting stats against US tour putting stats for Ryder Cup players this year; Euro statistically has a ton of great putters. We have Chad Campbell and Stewart Cink.