Task completed as Americans win back Ryder Cup

With Westwood in for bogey at the 18th, Moore rolled his birdie putt to within one foot and the tap-in was conceded to seal a 1-up win and clinch a 15-10 lead for the United States, with 14 1/2 points required for their victory.

There seemed to be little concern in the room that the Americans, with their vaunted task force that was formed after Europe’s rout at Gleneagles in 2014, had finally found the secret formula for Ryder Cup success.

That took the home side to within four points of victory, with Davis Love’s side leading in each of the last five matches on the course.

The U.S. wins started with Patrick Reed’s thrilling 1-up victory over Rory McIlroy.

Sunday’s win marks only the third time in 23 years that the Americans have achieved victory in the Ryder Cup, which began in 1927 between two teams drawn from the usa and Great Britain and a trophy donated by English businessman Samuel Ryder.

Veteran pairing Phil Mickelson and Matt Kuchar beat Martin Kaymer and Sergio Garcia by the same scoreline while JB Holmes and Ryan Moore edged out Lee Westwood and Danny Willett on the last.

But 46-year-old Phil Mickelson matched him shot for shot, posting 10 birdies to halve the match.

The U.S. had started the day with a three-point lead and memories of collapses of the past still lurking. Reed squared the match by driving the fifth green to 8 feet for birdie.

It goes with the territory, but to have golf played and showcased in such an extraordinarily passionate environment can only be good for the growth of the game. Nor is it winning his second green jacket two years later.

Years from now, it’s possible we’ll look back at what transpired Sunday around Hazeltine National as the Ryder Cup that saved the Ryder Cup. He made seven birdies and was credited with an eagle on the final hole after the concession. “I was able to relax and play those last couple of holes and able to sneak a win out there”, said Moore, who has won five US PGA titles, the most recent coming last month at the John Deere Classic. The past was the past, and the Team USA played most of the three-day competition as if 2012 never happened.

There are two other guys who qualify as co-runners up.

Europe captain Darren Clarke admitted that “the American guys played better than we did”.

That call nearly never came, U.S. captain Davis Love said, because there were several lineups floated for afternoon four-balls pairings, some with Spieth and Reed sitting out.

Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson, Europe, def. Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed, United States, 5 and 4.

So far, the USA leads in two of the first six pairings, but it is up in four of the final six.

It worked so well – a 16 1/2-11 1/2 victory over Europe in 2008 – that when someone asked Azinger if he’d like to do it again, Mickelson didn’t give him a chance to answer.

Henrik Stenson of Sweden chips on the 11th hole during the single matches in 41st Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club. But unlike the vanquished Americans in Scotland, the Europeans feel no need to form a task force, lobby for more input from their players or do any soul searching. That’s a birdie rate of 39 percent. So good was the golf that Mickelson made four straight birdies and was only 1 up through five holes.

This year’s Open victor Henrik Stenson beat two-time major victor, the 23-year-old Jordan Spieth 3 and 2 and 24-year-old Belgian rising talent Thomas Pieters beat J.B. Holmes by the same margin.

Reed faced the tallest order in the leadoff match with Rory McIlroy, and the quality of golf was as high as it gets.