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Ryder Cup: How a spirited, superior USA trounced Europe | Ewan Murray

Home side had the better players but Pádraig Harrington didn’t help himself with his wildcards or partnershipsThe most fundamental and important, if boring, point. On paper, USA had the stronger Ryder Cup team by a considerable margin. If they played to their full potential, Europe would not have enough strength in depth to compete with them. And so it proved; there was not a single failure in the home team, justifying their heavy favouritism before a ball was struck. Sport would be a terribly dull place if expected outcomes based on talent level was the outcome all the time but in this case it was precisely what happened. Every USA player returned at least a point, three Europeans won none....

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Ryder Cup could be a battle between a dozen captain's picks apiece | Ewan Murray

If golf gets going again in time for Whistling Straits but too late for a meaningful qualification period, it could all come down to those Padraig Harrington and Steve Stricker take a shine toTommy Fleetwood, John Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Victor Perez, Tyrrell Hatton, Danny Willett, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Lee Westwood and Bernd Wiesberger. Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Gary Woodland, Xander Schauffele, Webb Simpson, Justin Thomas and Tiger Woods. If Ryder Cup automatic qualifying was settled today, those 17 individuals would be guaranteed a berth at Whistling Straits.It hardly represents a B-list of transatlantic golf – the United States, in theory, would be the stronger – but there are notable absentees. Fundamentally, of course, nothing at all should be decided...

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