SHEBOYGAN, WIS. —
The Individuals received again the Ryder Cup and maybe a complete lot extra Sunday, sending a robust message to Europe with a robust efficiency from their youngest group in historical past.
Scottie Scheffler, one in all six Ryder Cup newcomers for the Individuals, took down the No. 1 participant on the earth with a 4-and-3 victory over Jon Rahm because the scoreboards round Whistling Straits shortly full of American pink.
The ultimate blow got here from Collin Morikawa, at 24 the youngest participant on the group and already a two-time main champion. He holed a 3-foot birdie putt on the seventeenth gap that assured the Individuals at the least the 14 1/2 factors they wanted.
The celebration was on, even because the American have been nonetheless protecting rating.
“I wakened this morning and I used to be making an attempt to inform the blokes, `Let’s get to twenty factors,’ as a result of that is going to be the subsequent period of Ryder Cup group for the U.S. facet,” Patrick Cantlay stated, ending an unbeaten week with a win over Shane Lowry.
“We have got a number of younger guys. I feel they are going to be on groups for a very long time, and I needed to ship a message.”
With two matches nonetheless on the course, the Individuals already have been assured of their most lopsided victory over Europe.
Tony Finau had stated on the eve of those matches that this was “the large one” as a result of Europe had received 9 of the final 12, and the Individuals had so many recent faces with none lasting scars from watching Europe have a good time a lot through the years.
The large one turned one large rout.
The gallery saved one in all its loudest cheers for U.S. captain Steve Stricker, the Wisconsin native who has been on the helm of blowouts within the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup.
“It is a new period for USA golf,” Stricker stated. “They’re younger. They arrive with a number of ardour, a number of vitality, a number of sport. They’re simply so good.”
The outdated man — Dustin Johnson at 37 — was fairly good, too.
Johnson turned the primary American since Larry Nelson in 1979 to go 5-0, finishing his good week by beating Paul Casey.
The Individuals have been younger, sure, and superb, with 4 of the highest 5 on the earth rating. They lastly performed prefer it. These 4 gamers — Johnson, Morikawa, Cantlay and Xander Schauffele — mixed for a 14-1-2 file.
Stricker wasn’t the one one in tears.
Rory McIlroy, who didn’t win any of his three group matches, led Europe off once more and gave Schauffele his first lack of the week. It wasn’t almost sufficient. All day alongside the shores of Lake Michigan, the result was inevitable.
McIlroy teared up in his interview when speaking about how a lot the Ryder Cup means to him.
“I’ve by no means actually cried or bought emotional over what I’ve performed as a person. I could not give an (expletive),” he stated on NBC. “However this group … to see Sergio (Garcia) break information, to see Jon Rahm come into his personal this week, to see one in all my finest mates, Shane Lowry, make his Ryder Cup debut, all that. It is phenomenal.
“I am disenchanted that I did not contribute extra this week,” he stated. “However in two years’ time, we’ll go once more and provides it one other so. Sorry for swearing, as nicely.”
As a lot as this was a couple of new technology of Individuals, this an growing old group of Europeans. They introduced successful expertise, however not almost sufficient type.
Paul Casey, one in all 4 Europeans in his 40s, didn’t earn a degree in 4 matches this week. Ian Poulter beat Finau and stays unbeaten in singles in his six Ryder Cups. He crouched on the sixteenth inexperienced after successful his match, questioning if this could be his final one.
His ideas additionally turned to Padraig Harrington, the European captain.
“That is going to be exhausting, as a result of Paddy goes to be questioned, and that is not honest,” Poulter stated.
There was little Europe may have performed. This U.S. group was loaded and performed prefer it.
“They’d a mission this week,” Stricker stated. “You may inform.”
The following step is successful on the street, which the Individuals have not performed since 1993. Europe nonetheless has an 11-9-1 benefit for the reason that Ryder Cup was expanded in 1979 to incorporate the continent.
