Ryder Cup message sent with U.S. win
Europeans, take notice. Surely, the top European players who were competing in the British Masters this week in England had an eye on what was taking place in the Presidents Cup at Liberty National.
Surely, they noticed the utter U.S. dominance over the International Team by a 19-11 margin that was not even as close as the final score indicated.
The Europeans have a score to settle with the Americans at next year’s Ryder Cup in France. The Americans’ victory over Europe last year at Hazeltine still stings many of the European players who had become so accustomed to winning.
And the way the U.S. — which has won 10 of the 12 Presidents Cups played while losing only once and tying once — showed itself this week as a talented and united team has to have sent a message across the pond that France isn’t going to be so easy in 2018.
For years, the Europeans used their tight-knit bonding as teammates as their strength. Now the Americans, with so many young players who are buddies, vacationing together and pulling for each other at tournaments, possess that magic intangible the Europeans always had.
“I’ve played on some close-knit teams, but this might be the closest of them all,’’ U.S. captain Steve Stricker said Sunday. “These guys are really close, have known each other for awhile and have a lot of fun together.’’
It’s difficult to have more fun as a team than the U.S. had this week, owning a talented International Team, which entered Sunday down 14 ½ to 3 ½ before winning the singles session 7 ½ to 4 ½, as if they were playing 12 players from the old Hooters Tour.
“It was a fun ride,’’ Stricker said. “They played well all year long and they came here with a lot of confidence. They continued it right through this tournament.’’
Matt Kuchar, a veteran of both Ryder Cup teams and Presidents Cup teams, called this group “the strongest team I’ve been a part of.’’
“We’ve got so many rookies that are so good,’’ Kuchar said. “They have such a desire to make the Ryder Cup team. It’s going to be tough to be part of because it’s so deep and so strong.’’
Here’s a sampling of what some of the U.S. youngsters did this week: Justin Thomas went 3-1, Jordan Spieth 3-1-1, Patrick Reed 3-1-1, Rickie Fowler 3-0-1 and Kevin Kisner went 2-1-1.
Another rookie, Daniel Berger, who secured the clinching point for the Americans when he defeated Si Woo Kim in the fourth match out Sunday, went 2-1.
“I’m speechless right now,’’ Berger said. “Captain Stricker came up to me on 16 and told me that we had clinched it. What a feeling. You dream of moments like this.’’
For the Internationals, it was a weeklong bad dream.
“Disappointing week for us getting our butts handed to us like that,’’ Marc Leishman said.
For the Americans, the week raised their already-lofty expectations for the Ryder Cup in France in 2018. They served notice this week to the International team, and to the Europeans, too.