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Europe wins Ryder Cup again

 
Europe's Jamie Donaldson, holds the trophy and celebrates with Rory McIlroy, left,  Stephen Gallacher and Henrik Stenson, right, after winning the 2014 Ryder Cup golf tournament at Gleneagles, Scotland. [AP photo]
Europe's Jamie Donaldson, holds the trophy and celebrates with Rory McIlroy, left, Stephen Gallacher and Henrik Stenson, right, after winning the 2014 Ryder Cup golf tournament at Gleneagles, Scotland. [AP photo]
Published Sept. 29, 2014

GLENEAGLES, Scotland — In the past 20 years, the Americans have lost the Ryder Cup with Tiger Woods and without him. They have lost it at home and on the road; lost it by an agonizingly small margin and a demoralizingly large one.

This year brought no relief as a powerful, united European team, cleverly led by captain Paul McGinley, rolled to its third straight victory Sunday and its eighth in the past 10 editions of the biennial event.

While U.S. captain Tom Watson was being second-guessed for his pairings and even publicly challenged by Phil Mickelson after the Americans ended singles play with a 161/2-111/2 loss, McGinley seemed to make all the right moves and earned the overwhelming admiration of his players.

Meticulous. Modern. Inspirational. Those were some of the words the Europeans used to describe the 47-year-old Irishman, who played on three winning Cup teams and holed the winning putt in 2002.

"Paul is the new wave of captains," Sergio Garcia said. "A lot more modern. Every detail, it was right there. He thought of everything this week. It was amazing."

Said Lee Westwood: "I think Paul is a model for captains going forward."

McGinley deflected the credit. "I did the easy part. They did the hard part," he said, sitting alongside his champagne-drinking players a few hours after Welsh rookie Jamie Donaldson clinched the win with a great approach shot to the 15th green in his match against Keegan Bradley.

Several players, including Rory McIlroy, had lobbied for McGinley for the job. After getting it 18 months ago, he traveled the world, meeting with players, former captains and successful coaches to build the right structure and atmosphere.

The Americans, who trailed 10-6 entering Sunday, were left in their team postmatch news conference to answer questions about how things have gone so wrong for them.

In a subtle dig at the leadership style of Watson, sitting six seats away, Mickelson said the Americans have strayed from the formula Bradenton resident Paul Azinger brought to the 2008 team at Valhalla in Kentucky, the only time since 1999 the Americans have won the Ryder Cup.

"We're all trying our hardest," Mickelson said. "And I'm just looking back at what gave us the most success. Because we use that same process in the Presidents Cup (the biennial event between the United States and a team of non-European players), and we do really well. Unfortunately, we have strayed from a winning formula in 2008 for the last three Ryder Cups, and we need to consider maybe getting back to that formula that helped us play our best."

Azinger introduced a "pod" system and later wrote a book on his philosophy. He broke the qualifiers into three groups and let them choose who would be the captain's pick for each pod. They ate together, stayed in the same groups, played together as teams and were next to each other in the lineups.

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Asked if that happened this time, Mickelson — whom Watson sat Saturday, the first time in 10 Cup appearances Mickelson didn't play on a day — said, "No, nobody here was in any decision."

Watson, 65, who as captain in 1993 led the Americans to their last overseas Cup win, said he didn't think Mickelson was being disloyal. "I had a different philosophy as far as being a captain of this team," he said. "It takes 12 players to win. It's not pods. … Yes, I did talk to the players, but my vice captains (Andy North, Steve Stricker and Raymond Floyd) were very instrumental in making decisions as to whom to pair with."

Watson said he kept his potential teams together in practice rounds and switched some up based on who he thought was playing well. "The bottom line," Watson said, "is (Europe) kicked our butts."

At one point at the news conference — variously described as awkward, surreal and a train wreck — nine-time Cup player Jim Furyk was brought into the discussion. Furyk — whose singles loss to Garcia set the U.S. Cup loss record at 20, breaking a tie with Mickelson — steered clear of taking sides.

"I have a lot of respect for both gentlemen," Furyk said. "I've known Phil my entire life. … (Watson) worked his (rear end) off to try to provide what he thought would be the best opportunity for us.

"What's the winning formula? If I could put my finger on it, I would have changed this (situation) a long time ago. … We are going to keep searching."

Champions: Round 3 leader John Cook shot 3-under 69 for a one-shot win over Tom Byrum (69) at 11-under 204 in the First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, Calif. In the junior division, Cameron Fields of First Tee St. Petersburg shot par 72 for 9-under 206, 13 shots behind Christopher Meyers of Tuscon, Ariz. (64).