Ominous Ryder Cup warning for Europe

For decades, the Americans have looked far too strong on paper for the Europeans in the Ryder Cup.

Yet on many occasions, Europe overcame the odds for dramatic victories, highlighted by the “Miracle in Medinah”.

However, there were no miracles forthcoming at Whistling Straits last weekend. Instead, we had what the Daily Telegraph called a “Slaughter By The Water”.

This year, the form on paper was transferred to the course in no uncertain terms as the US outplayed Europe in just about every department leading to a crushing 19-9 score, the biggest margin in Ryder Cup history.

With the Americans having eight of the world’s top-10 players and six major winners in their ranks, it was always going be a tough ask for the Europeans who apart from world No.1 Jon Rahm fielded players ranked from 14 to 63.

They only had three players higher than the lowest-ranked American.

On the opening day, it soon became clear that Europe were on the ropes and they were not helped by potential talisman Rory McIlroy being in such wretched form, although he did eventually rescue a point in the singles.

The American players were simply too good, especially with their outstanding putting which the Europeans could not match. US captain Steve Stricker called them the “greatest team of all time” and he might be right.

Attempts to blame Europe captain Padraig Harrington are misguided. His team were simply outclassed. It did not help that in addition to McIlroy, few of them rose to the occasion.

Harrington’s captain’s picks — Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Shane Lowry — put in a passable showing. Garcia in fact was the best performer picking up three points while the other two had a point apiece.

There was a time Europe could shrug off a heavy defeat as being just one of those things.

But what is a worry is that with so many young players in the US team compared to the ageing European squad, this could be the start of an era when the US really dominate proceedings.

Europe simply do not have outstanding young players around at the moment.

As always, there have been complaints about the American crowd behaviour, although it did not seem much worse than on previous occasions.

Unfortunately, the event will always attract a certain element who think it is clever to shout “in the water” or “fore” when a European tees off. And of course there are the tiresome shouts of “get in the hole”.

Golf is a rare sport in which good behaviour and etiquette is still entrenched.

It extends to the fans who around the world are generally well behaved.

Go to any regular golf tournament and you will find the fans are very respectful, knowing when to clap, when not to clap and perhaps most importantly, when to keep quiet.

But in the Ryder Cup, such behaviour seems to have gone out of the window and the galleries are becoming increasingly rowdy.

Admittedly most of the support is good natured, but there are always some idiots who cross the line.

Most players have become used to the rowdiness and accept it is a part of the Ryder Cup.

Players from both teams were generally well-behaved at Whistling Straits, although US player Brooks Koepka didn’t win any friends when he rudely admonished two referees for not giving him a free drop.

Bryson DeChambeau, another US star, was understandably the crowdpuller and did not disappoint with huge drives that always get the galleries going.

On Friday at the par-five fifth hole, his drive carried an astonishing 417 yards, leaving just 72 yards to the hole.

It was sad to see McIlroy in tears at the end of event. His singles win was little solace to him and he did not hide his disappointment. He felt he had let the team down with his unexpectedly poor performance and that hurts.

He is not the first to be reduced to tears at the Ryder Cup. “I cried in the locker room and Seve Ballesteros cried with me,” said Costantino Rocca after the Europeans lost in 1993.

Four years later, Jose Maria Olazabal was blubbering away like an infant left by his mum on the first day of school. And his team had just won!

The next Ryder Cup is in Rome and one suspects it will require a considerably different European line-up if they are to have any hope.