Behind U.S. Ryder Cup win: Youth and talent

KOHLER, Wis. — This time, this renaissance Ryder Cup, Americans were left shaking hands instead of shaking their heads.

This time golfers in their 20s, and yet in their prime, overcame the nonsensical idea there’s something lacking in the character of those who play for the United States.

This time the U.S., led by Collin Morikawa and Patrick Cantlay — in truth, by all those kids under the leadership of captain Steve Stricker — snatched back the Cup in America’s Dairyland, Wisconsin, also Stricker’s home state.

It was inevitable after two days of this three-day event, when the U.S. stormed to a 11-5 lead before Sunday’s singles, that America would win. Which it did by a final score of 18-9 — the most lopsided American triumph in the last 15 matches.

Europe had been dominant in recent years, however, taking seven of the previous nine tournaments and lording it over the U.S.

When Europe won, in a rout, at Detroit’s Oakland Hills in 2006, a 24-year-old Euro team member from Spain, Sergio Garcia, gloated, “I think that this whole team and also myself, we just live for this.”

Did the Cup mean more to Europe than the U.S.? Until the pandemic, Euro fans came to America to sing and cheer. U.S. players were stung by stories saying the Euros won because they got along with each other, because they were more emotional than Americans.

It grated on the U.S. players. So did losing.

“They have run the score up on us before,” said Tony Finau on Saturday night, although as one of the rookies he had not been involved in those Cup matches. “And if we have the opportunity, we are going to run it up on them (Sunday).”

In effect they did, but golf is not like football. You just play as well as you can, hitting balls down fairways and into the cup. You only run up the score if the other side doesn’t play well.

Which was the problem for Europe. Garcia now is 41, even though he and countryman Jon Rahm teamed successfully — the Spanish Armada — and Rahm was routed in singles by Scottie Scheffler.

Paul Casey, a longtime Euro Ryder Cupper, is 44. Ian Poulter, the emotional leader, is 45.

Morikawa, the Cal grad (and British Open and PGA champ) is 24. Bryson DeChambeau is 28. And Brooks Koepka, while a veteran and winner of two U.S. Opens and two PGA Championships, is only 31. Dustin Johnson, who won all five of his Ryder Cup matches, is a bit older at 37.

And then there’s Jordan Spieth, 29, winner of three majors. He’d been on losing Ryder Cup teams overseas, heard the fans taunt and chant. On Sunday, he heard Americans, jammed on the Whistling Straits course along Lake Michigan, shout again and again, ”U.S.A., U.S.A.”

“I've only lost one other one, and it's dismal,” said Poulter. “You know, watching the guys out on 18 enjoying themselves is something that you come into this week with visions of that happening for you as a team.

“We've got a great team this week, and we were outplayed. Every session was difficult. They did their job, and they made it painful for us today, and this one's going to hurt for a bit.”

What’s going to hurt even more is the realization that a change has occurred. The old guard — yes, that includes Lee Westwood, a 1-up winner Sunday over Harris English — is finished.

The next Ryder Cup, in Italy, isn’t until 2023. Europe will need new talent. The U.S. already has that new talent.

“It was a full team effort, and everyone contributed and everyone put in their full efforts to make sure this week was going to play well,” said Morikawa, part of that new American talent.

“And obviously, coming out on top feels really, really good.”

Obviously. Finally.