2021 RYDER CUP: USA dominate as Europeans wilt in Wisconsin
Team USA has romped to an emphatic victory at the 2021 Ryder Cup, beating the Team Europe 19 – 9 at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.
If there was any hope the Europeans would overcome a record deficit and win nine of the 12 singles matches it was snuffed out early.
When three of the first four matches went emphatically to the Americans thanks to big victories from Patrick Cantlay, Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau the contest was all but over.
Rookie Scottie Scheffler stood proud for the Americans by defeating world number one Jon Rahm 4&3 in their match. Rahm was previously undefeated and the stand-out player on the European team but looked in trouble after losing the first four holes with no answers to Scheffler’s four consecutive birdies.
“I’m sure that’s not how he expected the start to go. I was feeling pretty good to start the day and just happy to hit some really good shots and make some putts,” Scheffler said. “It was a good feeling. Came into the day confident and I was able to get the job done.”
Team USA Captain Steve Stricker was emotional after the victory. The normally reserved Stricker was in a passionate mood after the last pairing walked off the golf course lauding his team’s comradery.
“Two weeks ago they came together. Showed me a lot about this group of guys,” Stricker said tearing up. “They all showed up for the practice rounds, all the assistant captains showed up at the practise rounds.”
“This is the greatest team of all-time right here,” Stricker later added. “I never won a major. This is my major right here.”
Perhaps the writing was on the wall on the first tee of the match between Sergio Garcia and Bryson DeChambeau.
After stunning the golf world with his incredible 417-yard short cut drive on the first day of the Ryder Cup, DeChambeau had the home crowd cheering early by driving the green at the first hole. The resulting eagle set the stage for a 3&2 win.
At 37-years of age, Dustin Johnson was the oldest player in the American team but he completed a perfect Ryder Cup by winning his singles match against Paul Casey, 1up.
Johnson became just the fifth player to win all five matches at a Ryder Cup and going down into the history books alongside Gardner Dickinson (1957), Arnold Palmer (1967), Larry Nelson(1979) and Francesco Molinari (2018).
The heavy defeat may signal the end of an era for some of the veteran Eruopean golfers who struggled to contribute to the team this week.
Long time stalwarts for Team Europe Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Ian Poulter and Paul Casey could only muster three points between them from a possible 14.
Rory McIlroy was reduced to tears at the end of the event despite winning his match 3&2 over Xander Schauffele to claim his first and only point of the 2021 Ryder Cup.
