There was talk about a miracle American comeback like the one at Brookline in 1999, but the Europeans were having none of it.
The Euros dominated Sunday singles by a 7½ to 4½ count to claim a lopsided 17½ to 10½ victory over the United States in the 42nd Ryder Cup at Le Golf National Golf National on the outskirts of Paris.
The Americans have not won the event on European soil since 1993 at The Belfry (https://www.thebelfry.co.uk/golf) in England.
The U.S. leads the series, 26-13-2, but the Europe has won nine of the last 12. It was the Europeans most one-sided victory since they won, 18½-9½, in 2006 at The K Club (https://www.kclub.ie/home-us) in Ireland.
“You could see on Monday when we got together, it wasn’t ending up any other way,” said Francesco Molinari of Italy, the only player on either team to finish the week at 5-0 after he claimed a 4-2 victory over Phil Mickelson, who finished at 0-2. “I’ve been part of another two winning teams where I didn’t bring full points, and I’m glad after I’ve been carried on the shoulders by some of these guys to give something back.
“But it’s about every one of these guys, the vice captains … it’s just the best team I’ve ever been part of by miles.”
The Americans started fast in singles, with Justin Thomas beating Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, 1 up, to go 4-1 for the week; Brooks Koepka halving his match with Paul Casey of England, and Webb Simpson downing Justin Rose of England, 3 and 2.
Jon Rahm of Spain gave Europe its first point of the day and a huge psychological lift by dropping Tiger Woods to 0-4 for the week, 2 and 1, but Tony Finau kept U.S. hopes alive with a 6-and-4 rout of Tommy Fleetwood of England, who went 4-0 alongside Molinari in doubles play.
However, the Euros put things away quick after that, winning the next four matches and six of the next seven.
“The whole team has been part of this,” European Captain Thomas Bjorn of Sweden said. “And I think it’s very easy to sum it up: Some play five matches and some play two matches, but they all contribute.
“We got it right this week. We worked as a team and we knew we were up against very strong opponents, but we went out on the golf course and believed in ourselves, and what we stand for as a team.
“We never, ever looked toward their team and what they were about. We were about us as a team and what we do. This is the best team room I’ve ever been in. It was calm. It was determined. It was focused. It was fun.”
Ryder Cup ace Ian Poulter of England downed top-ranked Dustin Johnson, 2 up; Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark polished off Jordan Speith, 5 and 4; Sergia Garcia of Spain beat Rickie Fowler of Murrieta, 2 and 1, and Molinari stuck in the dagger with his victory over Mickelson.
Other European winners were Henrik Stenson of Sweden, 5 and 4, over Bubba Watson, and Alex Noren of Sweden, 1 up, over Bryson DeChambeau of Clovis. Patrick Reed earned the last American point, 3 and 2, over Tyrrell Hatton of England.
“It’s disappointing because I went 0-4, and that’s four points to the European team,” Woods said. “And I’m one of the contributing factors to why we lost the Cup, and it’s not a lot of fun.
“It’s frustrating because I thought we were all playing pretty well, and I just didn’t perform at the level that I had been playing, and just got behind early in the matches and never got back.”
U.S. Captain Jim Furyk said: “Thomas was a better captain, and their team out-played us.’’
The biennial event will be played next at Whistling Straits Golf Course Whistling Straits Golf in Kohler, Wis., on Sept. 25-27, 2020.
For complete results, visit: https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2018/ryder-cup/leaderboard.html
