With rookies making up half of their roster, the United States laid waste to the notion that experience is essential to thriving in the Ryder Cup’s glaring spotlight.
The US strolled to a 19-9 victory over Europe for just their fourth win in 13 Ryder Cup competitions, thanks in part to the performance of their six newcomers. Daniel Berger, Patrick Cantlay, Harris English, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler posted a combined 14-4-3 record in their debuts.
US captain Steve Stricker had enough faith in his rookies he put four of them in the first five singles matches on Sunday (Monday morning AEST) at Whistling Straits.
“I mean, that’s unheard of,” Cantlay said. “And those guys are performing. Everybody gets along. The atmosphere is light, but I know everyone has that killer instinct and we are going to bring that to future cups.”
While the US rookies starred, the European newcomers struggled. Europe’s three Ryder Cup rookies – Shane Lowry, Viktor Hovland and Bernd Wiesberger – went a combined 1-8-2.
Rather than wilting under the pressure of representing their country, the US team’s rookies blossomed. They backed up the comments of teammate Tony Finau, who suggested beforehand that the team’s inexperience might be more of a help than a hindrance.
Collin Morikawa celebrates on the 17th green after sealing America’s victory in the Ryder Cup.Credit: Getty
Finau said on Thursday that “we have a team with no scar tissue” because it featured so many players who weren’t part of the US team’s recent cup defeats. Finau said he saw a roster full of players who were confident rather than wide-eyed.
For the next three days, the rest of the world saw that as well.
The US team’s Ryder Cup rookies went 11-2-2 in team competition on Friday and Saturday before posting a 3-2-1 mark in Sunday’s singles play.
And it was a newcomer who made perhaps the biggest statement of all on Sunday.
Team USA players and captains with the trophy.Credit: AP
Scheffler had the toughest singles assignment of any US player, against the world’s top-ranked player Jon Rahm.
Rahm never had much of a chance. Scheffler birdied each of the first four holes and went on to post a 4-and-3 victory.
“I just kept the pressure on him the whole day,” Scheffler said.
Cantlay and Morikawa also were undefeated as they clearly enjoyed the Ryder Cup atmosphere.
The normally stoic Cantlay showed plenty of emotion while making encouraging gestures to the crowd during his 4-and-2 singles victory over Shane Lowry. At one point, Cantlay put his hand to his ear to ask for more cheers.
Morikawa was 3-0 in team competition before tying Hovland on Sunday. He clinched at least a tie with a birdie on No.17. His half-point got the team total to 14½, guaranteeing the US would wrest the cup back from Europe.
By the end of the day, the margin would grow much bigger.
“I don’t think it’s just a win,” Morikawa said. “I think this is a dominant win.”
The fact so many Ryder Cup rookies played such a large role in this rout suggests a potential shift in this biennial event’s balance of power.
“This is a new era for USA golf,” Stricker said. “They are young. They come with a lot of passion, a lot of energy, a lot of game. They are just so good.”
AP, Reuters