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Monday 1 october 2018
Europe finishes off dominant week to win back Ryder Cup

be my last one.”
Woods was 0-4, the first
time in eight Ryder Cups
that he failed to contribute
a single point. This was one
week after he capped a
personal comeback follow-
ing four back surgeries by
winning the Tour Champi-
onship, the 80th of his PGA
Tour career and first in more
than five years.
But he looked like he lacked
energy on the course and
certainly in his speech over
the last two days.
“It’s disappointing because
I went 0-4, and that’s four
points to the European
team,” he said. “And I’m
one of the contributing
factors to why we lost the
cup, and it’s not a lot of
fun. It’s frustrating because
I thought we were all play-
ing pretty well, and I just
didn’t perform at the level
that I had been playing,
and just got behind early in
the matches and never got
back.”
But this was more about the
Europe’s Francesco Molinari celebrates after winning his singles match to clinch the Ryder Cup for Europe on the final day of the Europeans as a team, and
42nd Ryder Cup at Le Golf National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, outside Paris, France, Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018. they were tougher than
Associated Press ever on a course they know
By DOUG FERGUSON ting Mickelson in the record them Sunday which team It was the most lopsided well.
AP Golf Writer book for the most losses in practically has owned that victory since consecutive Trailing 10-6 going into the
SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVE- Ryder Cup history. shiny gold trophy for the 18½-9½ victories by Eu- final day of singles, the
LINES, France (AP) — Eu- Then, Garcia won his last quarter-century. rope more than a decade Americans needed to put
rope waited two long years match to set the record for Europe now has won nine ago when the Americans red points on the board
for that one moment when the most career points in of the last 12. The Ameri- looked utterly lost. They early to build momentum.
the Ryder Cup was back in Ryder Cup history. cans remain winless away formed a Ryder Cup Task It never happened. Justin
its hands. It was like that all week. from home since 1993. Force after the 2014 loss. Thomas won the leadoff
Exactly when it happened Europe produced stars old And there wasn’t much U.S. The idea was to build conti- match over Rory McIlroy
Sunday was unclear, mak- and new with a team that captain Jim Furyk could do nuity and momentum, and but not until the 18th hole.
ing it all the better. was as strong as ever. about it. it seemed to work when the Webb Simpson and Tony
At roughly the same time, “We got it right this week,” “They played some great Americans won at Hazel- Finau, the lone bright spot
in two singles matches on European captain Thomas golf this week, and I take tine in 2016. among the wild-card picks
two greens at Le Golf Na- Bjorn said. “We never, ever my cap off,” Furyk said. Now, maybe it’s back to for Furyk, won easily. Behind
tional separated by 150 looked toward their team “Thomas was a better the drawing board. them, Woods was hanging
yards of water, Francesco about what they were captain and their team “Let’s be honest — the Eu- tough against Jon Rahm
Molinari and Sergio Garcia about. We were about us outplayed us. And there’s ropean side played some and Dustin Johnson started
each made par to secure as a team and what we do. nothing else more you can exquisite golf,” Mickelson to pull ahead of Ian Poulter.
at least a half-point, either ... Everything that this Ryder say. They deserved to win.” said. The same couldn’t “There’s always a mo-
one giving Europe the 14½ Cup was is what I think the Molinari was just as good be said for Mickelson or ment where it looks like a
points it needed to regain Ryder Cup should be about on his own as he was with Woods, two giants of their spark of light,” Furyk said.
the Ryder Cup from the for a European team.” Tommy Fleetwood, and generation, both with los- “When it was there for us,
Americans. Mostly, it’s about winning. the best year of his golfing ing records in the Ryder Europe played really well.”
As the celebration was The final shot came from life somehow got better. Cup. Mickelson didn’t even It wasn’t there long. Rahm
just getting started, Moli- Alex Noren, who after con- Just over two months ago, play on Saturday and lost won two straight holes with
nari capped off the first 5-0 ceding a short birdie putt he was posing with that sil- his matches on Friday and pars to seize control. John-
week at the Ryder Cup for to Bryson DeChambeau on ver claret jug at the British Sunday. He started the son hit into the water on the
a European. the 18th hole, made a 40- Open as Italy’s first major week by setting a record 13th during a four-hole slide
Three of those points came foot birdie putt to win the champion. This felt just as with his 12th appearance that took him from 1 up to
at the expense of Tiger match. sweet because it was a tro- in the Ryder Cup, and it 2 down, a match Poulter
Woods, who left France That made it 17½-10½, the phy he shared with a team. ended with 22 losses, a re- wound up winning.
without contributing a biggest Ryder Cup rout in “This team has been incred- cord by either side. At 48, Thorbjorn Olesen, who had
point. Molinari won his 12 years. ible from the start,” Molinari he might not get another played only one match the
singles match against Phil Two years after the Ameri- said. “We were determined chance. previous two days, went
Mickelson, officially putting cans thought they had their to do the job. Nothing was “I did not play well this 5 up at the turn over Jor-
the winning point on the Ryder Cup problems fig- going to stop us. And you year,” Mickelson said. “This dan Spieth and won in 14
board for Europe and put- ured out, Europe reminded saw it on the course.” could very well, realistically, holes.q