Ryder Cup 2018: Why the U.S. lost, and lessons they need to learn

The Ryder Cup remains in Europe, as Thomas Bjorn’s team steamrolled what was – on paper – a dominant squad for Team USA. Here’s how the Europeans kept their home winning streak alive since 1993, and what the Americans can learn from it if they want a shot at winning in Italy in 2022.

The 2018 Ryder Cup is in the books.  It was exciting, with thrilling shots, horrible shots, impossible putts, ridiculous lip outs, plugged lies and maniacal rough.  Whether the result was good or bad depended on which team you were supporting.  But a lot of us on this side of the pond were rooting for the US, so while the play was electrifying, the result left a stale taste.

Here’s what went right and wrong with the event, viewed from afar and in hindsight.

The sincere hate of the U.S. by European golfers seems gone, which is good, replaced by “I-kinda-hate-you-for-the-week and then we are buds again”. That’s a true improvement. You could tell it when our players congratulated their players. Some of the guys from opposite sides actually hugged. 30 or 35 years ago, that would never have happened. I really knew this changed for sure when I saw Ian Poulter and Jim Furyk in arm and elbow grabs saying what looked like nice things to each other and giving each other buddy pats.

In earlier times, the European players really did not like the U.S. players much, although in talking to their players one-on-one, there was a lot of charm and some friendships.

The reason for this past U.S.-Euro divide was, in part, jealousy.  In addition, some of it was cultural stuff we’ll never understand because we’re not Europeans. Then there was the money thing.

Our tour had more money. Our tour had three of the four majors. Our tour still had Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. Over there, they were struggling to have enough tournaments so that their players had six months of playing opportunities, never mind 10 or 11 months.   Just ask someone the age of Nick Faldo or Sandy Lyle or, back farther, Tony Jacklin if you can get hold of one of them. It was a struggle for them to keep their tour going.

Then making matters more contentious, the U.S. created the Seve Ballesteros rule, which basically made Europeans pick a tour – ours or theirs – because the requirement to play here was too hard for them to do both. That did not win any friends among the Euro golfers. That rule is changed now, and it’s for the better.

However, years ago, when it came to the Ryder Cup, they had a million reasons to want to beat the U.S. truly, madly, deeply, to borrow a song lyric. For the last 25 years, when the Ryder Cup was played in Europe, they won. And since 1993, with the exception of 1999, 2008 and 2016, they have also been victorious in the U.S. Our players have not been able to succeed.

Really, we should have known it this one was going to be a struggle when Jim Furyk said that the course reminded him of TPC Sawgrass.  I raised an eyebrow when I heard that. TPC Sawgrass is position play start to finish. You have to golf your ball. You can’t be missing fairways or greens.  There’s a bunch of water. And that’s pretty much what was on TV. They even had railroad tie bulkheads.

Here’s how the Euros won this time, and what the Americans can do if they’re serious about changing the tide in the future.