USA reclaims Ryder Cup, 17-11 over Europe

If the noise is really welcome, though, the European team will need all it can get on Sunday when it faces a daunting task of coming back from a three-point deficit to keep the cup they have won the last three times out. The ball astoundingly stayed stuck there, lodging between the man’s back and the top of his backpack.

“We couldn’t have done anything more”.

Mickelson was also a key member of the task force, having scathingly criticized the tactics of 2014 captain Tom Watson immediately after the USA loss at Gleneagles, saying that the players had been left out of the process.

McIlroy holed a 60-foot birdie putt, leapt into the air and cupped his hand to his ear, mocking the American crowd to yell even louder.

As he walked off the green, Reed was met by a smiling McIlroy, who bumped fists with his rival in a classic Ryder Cup tableau.

Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson, who was a late appointee as a vice-captain after not doing enough to make the team, added: “And I have Tiger’s cellphone number now, yes”.

Love also broke up the Brandt Snedeker-Brooks Koepka tandem after they were undefeated in two matches. “We’re going to go into it with a better attitude from here on forward”.

5 – Five European players featured in all five of the sessions played – McIlroy, Pieters, Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia.

Westwood, meanwhile, endured a torrid time of things as he played terribly on day one before missing a tiny putt that would have secured a valuable half-point for Europe in the Saturday fourballs. Patrick Reed powered them with his passion on the golf course.

Phil Mickelson led the Americans behind the scenes.

Europe lost their six-year grip on the Ryder Cup at the weekend but in Rory McIlroy and Thomas Pieters they found a dynamic partnership that could prove inspirational in Paris in 2018 and beyond.

After McIlroy went 1-up through three holes, the two matched shot for shot in the middle.

McIlroy says he and Pieters were never meant to play foursomes, never practiced together and even flipped to see who would tee off on which holes. “They had a lot of pressure on them for the last two years”.

The Americans are leading 2-0 when it comes to shanks.

The Olympic Gold medal winning Rose lost his match 1-Up to Rickie Fowler and in an effort that included four birdies and three bogeys, Rose failed to register a birdie over his closing 10 holes. Europe was 1 up through 13. To be a part of the Ryder Cup, I don’t look at it as just the Ryder Cup family and the US team.

The United States has not won an away Ryder Cup since Watson’s side triumphed at The Belfry in England in 1993.

Two years ago at Gleneagles, Mickelson slaughtered USA skipper Tom Watson in the immediate aftermath of a damaging defeat but out of the ashes of his criticism came the Task Force charged with improving the American fortunes in the biennial bout.

Clarke, his assistant captains and the players had a meeting after yesterday’s play to focus on today’s daunting mission, and they hope to draw inspiration from the Medinah experience. They were 1 up through 12 holes. It doesn’t matter if the final captain’s pick is five days before the matches begin or if all four are made at the same time.

Ryder Cup Star Patrick Reed Has “Let the Animal Out of the Cage” (read here): Alan Bastable takes a look at Patrick Reed’s sterling performance in Sunday singles and reflects on the young star’s fiery demeanor.