Oct 2, 2016; Chaska, MN, USA; The USA Ryder Cup team pose for a picture during the closing ceremonies after the single matches in 41st Ryder Cup Hazeltine National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
It was a wild three days of competition at the Ryder Cup, but Team USA ultimately came away with the victory.
The fastest and most fun three days in golf came to a thrilling conclusion Sunday afternoon thanks to some top-quality performances by players from both sides of the Atlantic. In the end, the Americans hoisted the Ryder Cup for the first time in eight years, discarding the Europeans by the widest margin since 1981.
Coming into the Sunday singles session of the event, Team USA carried a three-point advantage over their European foes. It wasn’t the widest margin, but it was certainly a cushion that gave the Americans room to play comfortably through the end.
Backed by a rowdy home crowd, American darlings Patrick Reed and Rickie Fowler set the emotional tone early on with masterful performances over a red-hot Rory McIlroy and Olympic gold medalist Justin Rose, respectively. Top European competitors Henrik Stenson and Thomas Pieters held their own while trying to mount a comeback, but their performances came up short in the end. Team Europe will now reflect on what could have been, as well as how to top the USA once more in France in 2018.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the five biggest takeaways from the Ryder Cup.
Oct 2, 2016; Chaska, MN, USA; Patrick Reed of the United States reacts to a putt on the 12th green during the single matches in 41st Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports
The Patrick Reed-Rory McIlroy Matchup Exceeds the Hype
Never have we seen such emotional performances from two competitors at the top of their games. Patrick Reed and Rory McIlroy, running on the steam from their outstanding FedEx Cup performances, went blow-for-blow with each other in a singles battle for the ages on Sunday.
As the first pairing to tee off on Sunday, both men were responsible for setting the emotional tone for the day. Fist pumps, screams, finger wags and visible “shhhh’s” were all part of the repertoire of emotion that these two brought to the table.
The matchup hit its peak on the par 3 eighth hole. After hitting an average tee shot onto the green, McIlroy drained a 50-foot putt for birdie. His celebration was emphatic, but short-lived. Reed responded with a cold-blooded 25-footer for the half, then proceeded to wag his finger in the direction of McIlroy, saying, “Not so fast.” The two would combine for eight birdies and an eagle on the front nine alone.
Reed eventually dealt the knockout punch, sinking a 12-foot birdie putt to clinch his 1-Up win and giving the Americans their first singles point. Reed improved his overall Ryder Cup record to 6-1-2, as well as 3-1-1 on the week, and served McIlroy with his first-ever Ryder Cup singles loss.
It’s safe to say that this matchup will go down as one of the greatest in Ryder Cup history, and it could even challenge the legendary Mickelson-Stenson Open Championship duel from earlier this year as one of the best of all-time.
Oct 2, 2016; Chaska, MN, USA; Ryan Moore of the United States chips on the ninth hole during the single matches in 41st Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Ryan Moore Proves His Place as Team USA’s 12th Man
What a week it was for Ryan Moore. Seven days after he went toe-to-toe with Rory McIlroy in a playoff battle for the TOUR Championship, Moore was the American lucky enough to clinch his country’s first Ryder Cup victory since 2008.
Moore received the call from USA captain Davis Love III to join the team after placing second to McIlroy last Sunday. Despite his hot performance, Moore’s inclusion was a head-scratcher for many, especially with Ryder Cup veteran Bubba Watson in contention for the pick.
After getting off to a shaky start on Friday afternoon with partner J.B. Holmes, Moore was able to find a rhythm over the final two days of play. This rhythm came in handy when the going got tough near the end of his singles match with Lee Westwood. 1-down entering the par 5 16th hole, Moore rifled a fairway wood to within 10 feet of the pin. He sank the eagle putt to even the match, birdied 17 to go 1-Up and clinched the 15th point with a par on 18 to give the Americans a Ryder Cup victory.
Sep 27, 2016; Chaska, MN, USA; Team USA vice-captain Tiger Woods and Matt Kuchar of the United States stand on the fourth green during a practice for the 41st Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports
Team USA Was More Than 12 Men Deep
The Americans told countless stories about how much of a team effort was put into this Ryder Cup. Whether it was Tiger Woods and Bubba Watson patrolling the course and giving bits of advice throughout the week or Phil Mickelson’s leadership in the team room, the Americans put in a unified effort.
Most importantly, this effort translated into points on the course. For the first time since 1975, when Arnold Palmer’s Americans bested Great Britain and Ireland 21-11 at Laurel Valley, all 12 members of Team USA had a hand in winning at least one match during the week. In fact, this feat was completed by the end of Saturday afternoon’s session, and was three-fourths completed after the first session on Friday morning.
One of the main factors in having such a deep squad was Davis Love’s use of his captain’s picks. The four wildcard selections paid off big time for the Americans, with Rickie Fowler (2-1-0), J.B. Holmes (1-2-0), Matt Kuchar (2-2-0) and Ryan Moore (2-1-0) combining for a 7-6-0 record. Their performances set the tone for many of the players who played their way onto the squad, all while setting the record for the most combined wins from captain’s picks in a single Ryder Cup.
Sep 27, 2016; Chaska, MN, USA; Matthew Fitzpatrick of England follows his shot off the 9th tee during a practice for the 41st Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports
Europe’s Youth Experiment Didn’t Pay Off
Team Europe’s total of six rookies raised some red flags heading into the week at Hazeltine. This represented the largest rookie contingent for an away match since 1999, when the USA won at Brookline.
Despite Clarke backing up his men in the presser, some of his rookies failed to back him up on the course. When it counted most on singles day, the rookies went 2-4-0, far below the standard necessary to challenge the Americans.
Danny Willett (0-3-0) was disastrous, 22-year-old Matthew Fitzpatrick (0-2-0) failed to make crucial putts, Andy Sullivan (0-2-0) hid from the spotlight and Chris Wood (1-1-0) remained in the background. The only two (very) bright spots for the Europeans were Rafa Cabrera-Bello (2-0-1) and Thomas Pieters (4-1-0), who proved to be two of the team’s strongest players throughout the tournament.
Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
The 2018 Ryder Cup Will Be Exciting
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In 2018, the Ryder Cup will return to continental Europe for only the second time in its history. Le Golf National in France, around 20 miles southwest of Paris, will host the tournament on the L’Albatros course, known as a tough challenge for golfers. We just might be in for a Ryder Cup for the ages.
One reason will be the pro-Europe crowd. The fans at Hazeltine were loud and obnoxious all week, and you get the feeling that many European fans will want to stick it back at Team USA. As far as outcomes go, it will do nothing but increase the passionate intensity on the course and increase the status of the Ryder Cup.
Not only will the crowds be raucous — so too will the players. This year’s Ryder Cup saw a slew of young golfers put on impressive performances in conjunction with some of the game’s brightest stars. Cabrera-Bello, Pieters, Reed, Spieth, Fowler and Koepka will all look to improve on their strong performances at Hazeltine. Add in the fact that Europe’s week at Hazeltine was one of its most embarrassing performances in recent years, and 2018 Ryder Cup can’t get here soon enough.
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