They were the betting favourites heading into the tournament, and they made sure the world knew why when all was said and done Sunday. The youngest team the US has ever fielded in Ryder Cup competition handed Europe its worst loss in tournament history, defeating them 19-9.
Dustin Johnson went 5-0, Bryson DeChambeau was driving greens again, and the European team, led by world number 1 Jon Rahm, never seemed able to get their feet underneath them at Whistling Straits. Prior to this weekend, Europe had been in the driver’s seat in the transAtlantic rivalry, having won 9 of the last 12 meetings. Unfortunately, a team which captain Padraig Harrington labelled as “experienced” prior to the tournament, simply looked “old” against the upstart American squad.
The lone bright spot for the European side was Sergio Garcia setting the Ryder Cup record with 25 career match victories. Aside from that, the outcome was never really in doubt as the weekend wore on. The US team’s youth movement paid off in a big way and gave the raucous home crowd plenty to cheer about in Wisconsin.
The six American rookies combined to go 14-4-3 across all formats. Conversely the three European rookies posted a paltry 1-8-2 record. Overall, 9 of the 12 American players would post winning records, with only Jordan Spieth, Harris English, and Tony Finau failing to crack the .500 mark on the weekend.
The Ryder Cup moves back to Europe in 2023, with the next installment taking place at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Italy. Yet winning away from home has been something the States have struggled with in recent history. The US hasn’t won a Ryder Cup outside the US since the 1993 match in England. However, if this year’s showing is any indication, that home course advantage may not be enough to slow down this new look American team.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner