Ryder Cup: 5 Key Takeaways from Hazeltine National

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.