Rory McIlroy’s emotions poured out at the end of an unsuccessful Ryder Cup for Europe where he and his team-mates suffered a record-breaking defeat at the hands of the United States. McIlroy won only one point out of a possible four, although it came with a stellar performance to defeat Xander Schauffele in the first singles match of the final day.
However, not even McIlroy’s brilliance was enough to stop Padraig Harrington’s men falling to a 19-9 defeat at Whistling Straits. The Northern Irishman was steadfast in his belief that Europe would respond and insisted on his determination to put the Ryder Cup back in their hands in 2023 in Italy.
The USA are backed in the latest golf odds at 1/2 to win the competition in Europe, although no side from the States has won on the continent since 1993 at the Belfry. On that occasion, Tom Watson’s men staged a thrilling comeback to snatch the cup away from the Europeans. It has been all one-way traffic on home soil for Europe, enjoying routine victories more often than not.
The Americans always had elite talent in their ranks with Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Davis Love III, Jim Furyk and Bubba Watson at their disposal. But, the States always struggled for cohesion working in tandem in the fourballs and foursomes. Whereas Europe flourished working with their team-mates, and although they lacked the major titles of their opponents, their matchplay skills under pressure were phenomenal. Even when the USA won tournaments in 2008 and 2016, there were always elements of individualism, with their less-heralded stars taking centre stage.
Steve Stricker made a number of bold decisions in preparation for the tournament. Patrick Reed was one of the most talented golfers on the PGA Tour and boasted an excellent Ryder Cup record. Reed’s abrasive personality has seen him make more than a few adversaries on the tour, which Stricker believed was counterintuitive to the States’ hopes of winning the crown. Daniel Berger and Scottie Scheffler were selected ahead of the 2018 Masters winner, and produced on the grand stage.
Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau have become synonymous for their feud on the PGA Tour, taking cheap shots at one another on social media with regularity. However, Stricker managed to get the two players on the same page and locked in on the task at hand. Their performances along with those of Dustin Johnson, who won all five of his games, were a huge part of their success.
It seems that the USA have finally managed to put ego and personal differences aside, which is a major concern for Europe ahead of the tournament in 2023. If the USA can combine the brilliance of their individuals with a unbreakable team spirit, then the Europeans will be facing a mammoth challenge and another heavy defeat even after the rallying call of McIlroy.
Europe’s depth of talent was exposed at Whistling Straits as Harrington was accused of heading to the veteran well of Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter one time too many. The USA looked primed and ready for an era of success with their triumph at Whistling Straits the beginning of a dominant run.
