America made great again with clean sweep of cups

FoR only the second time this century, the Ryder, Solheim and Walker Cups are all in American hands following a fearful 19-7 dusting for Britain and Ireland’s leading amateurs in the latter competition in Los Angeles on Sunday.

In the foothills of hollywood, the leading men were virtually all from the host nation with the lone exception of englishman Jack Singh Brar, who valiantly contributed three points to the visitors’ meagre total from his four matches.

American captain John ‘ Spider’ Miller spoke for many traditionalists on the eve of the contest when he said he wished the Walker Cup was played over three days rather than two, but the one- sided edition that unfolded hardly supported the argument.

Amateur champion harry ellis and open silver medallist Alfie Plant lost the opening foursomes by a record 8&7 margin and that shellacking, sadly, rather set the tone for what followed.

It meant the three principal trophies played against the Americans have all been lost in less than 12 months, and all by comfortable margins as well.

The only spot of good news for supporters on this side of the Atlantic is all three teams from this continent will have home advantage as they seek to win them back — and how important that has become.

eleven of the last 13 Walker Cups have been won by the home side while no American team have prevailed on european soil in the Ryder Cup since Tom Watson captained his side to victory in 1993.

It will be the Ryder Cup that provides the first opportunity to get back to winning ways and you can be sure the fairways will be tighter than many of the long- hitting American team would like, and the greens slower than those to which they’re accustomed.

Those are the sort of cards Thomas Bjorn will have up his sleeve in Paris this time next year and he will need them, for you do feel we’re on the cusp of another golden era for American golf.

The hardest task of all, though, is the next one: can they breach the european fortress and win an away Ryder Cup for the first time in 25 years? If they do that, with all their formidable young talents and resources, the American momentum in these cherished matches will take on a truly ominous hue.