Ryder Cup 2014: Biggest Winners and Losers from Gleneagles
The 2014 Ryder Cup is now in the books, and once again, it was a victory for Team Europe.
It was pretty much a rout for the home team, as the Europeans won 16 1/2 to 11 1/2, dominating everything except for the fourball matches and leaving the Americans wondering whether they'll ever win on European soil again.
Team USA saw some impressive performances from Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed, but most of the other players were underwhelming, as was captain Tom Watson.
But from Rory McIlroy to Jamie Donaldson, Team Europe was filled with MVPs, and the formidable 12 backed up their Miracle at Medinah with glory at Gleneagles.
There was a lot more to Ryder Cup week than the final scoreline, though. Here are all of the winners and losers from the 40th edition of one of the best sporting events in the world.
Winner: Graeme McDowell
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It was such a team effort for the Europeans that it's hard to single out a hero, but Graeme McDowell is certainly a good candidate.
The 35-year-old Ryder Cup veteran went 3-0-0 in his matches and was an absolute rock for captain Paul McGinley and the rest of the team. McGinley paired McDowell with rookie Victor Dubuisson, a 24-year-old who is extremely quiet and wasn't well known at all among the European team. McDowell got to know the Frenchman throughout the last few months and brought out the best in him in both of their foursome matches.
"As I said yesterday, he's brought me so much confidence," Dubuisson told the press, per ASAP Sports, when asked about McDowell. "[P]laying with Graeme is really a dream for me."
Then McDowell led off for the Europeans in singles on Sunday and came back from 4-down against Jordan Spieth to win 2-and-1 and prevent any American momentum from building.
He was a leader both on the course and off, and it paid off for Team Europe.
Loser: The Redeem Team
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After Team USA's meltdown in Medinah two years ago, redemption was the narrative for the Americans heading to Gleneagles. This was particularly true for captain's picks Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson and Hunter Mahan, who had all experienced Ryder Cup heartbreak over the last two duels.
When the three were selected, Bradley tweeted out that they were the "Redeem Team."
Well, this Redeem Team had absolutely nothing on the 2008 U.S. men's basketball team at the Olympics that coined the term.
Bradley went 1-2-0, Simpson went 0-1-1 and Mahan went 1-2-1. They all contributed a bit to the team, but they got nowhere close to getting rid of ghosts of Ryder Cups past and certainly didn't make the difference that Tom Watson hoped they would when he picked them.
The United States has now lost eight of the last 10 Ryder Cups, and with two of the biggest European stars, Martin Kaymer and Rory McIlroy, both under the age of 30, the future doesn't seem to be bleeding red, white and blue either.
Winner: Gleneagles
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Whether your team wins or loses, it's impossible to deny the magic of the Ryder Cup. Gleneagles in Scotland provided the perfect atmosphere for this year's drama.
The course was set up perfectly for match play, with holes that were attackable but still tricky, and with plenty of opportunities for lead changes on the back nine.
The crowds were great all week long, too, rooting handily for the European team but cheering on good shots by the Americans, and keeping the stands packed from beginning to end.
Even the weather held out—it was overcast and windy the first day, but cleared up for the next two and was never the factor that many thought it would be. It was a perfect setting for a fantastic week of golf.
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Loser: Tom Watson
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I think it's safe to say that Tom Watson won't be picked as the captain for the Ryder Cup team again. His decision-making skills throughout the week, and even before that, have been suspect at best.
While hindsight is easy to lean on in these situations, it's hard to understand what Watson was thinking. From his benching of Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed in the foursomes Friday after their hot start, to his mishandling of Phil Mickelson's schedule—making the 44-year-old veteran play back-to-back matches in tough conditions on Friday, and sitting him for the entire day on Saturday—Watson's choices have been befuddling.
As Karen Crouse of The New York Times wrote, Watson showed the same aloofness as a captain that he did as a player. His age, personal detachment and inconsistent leadership doomed Team USA:
"A crucial quality for any leader is to have the constancy of his convictions, which Watson did not. On Tuesday, he stressed the importance of going “with the horses that are really running strong.” Three days later, after his yearlings, Spieth and Reed, broke out of the gate quickly and beat Ian Poulter and Stephen Gallacher, Watson sat them in the afternoon.
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Winner: Paul McGinley
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While Tom Watson disappointed, European captain Paul McGinley delighted. He was well-prepared throughout the Ryder Cup weekend with facts and figures, and took time to get to know the personality of his players and listen to his team.
He was supportive, unwavering in his convictions and forthcoming with the press. Basically, he was the exact opposite of Watson, and his meticulous management of a talented European team was masterful.
Karen Crouse of The New York Times pointed out all the great things McGinley did to steer his team to victory.
"Unlike his European counterpart, Paul McGinley, who has kept a black book filled with notes and observations he has compiled on his players, Watson seems not to know to coax the best out of his players.
McGinley spent months getting to know the enigmatic Frenchman Victor Dubuisson, and used what he learned to put Dubuisson in the best position to succeed. He teamed him with Graeme McDowell in both afternoon sessions and they went 2-0.
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It would be surprising if we didn't see McGinley back in the captain's chair for Europe again.
Loser: Bubba Watson
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Bubba Watson was the only American to win a major this year, and Tom Watson had pegged him as the guy to beat for the Europeans.
Well, beat him they did.
The two-time Masters champion did not respond well at all to the pressure put on his shoulders in Gleneagles. He went 0-3-0 in his three matches, and didn't even challenge Martin Kaymer in a crucial singles match on Sunday.
Team USA needed talents like Watson to seize the moment if it wanted to upset a stacked European team in Europe, and Watson didn't even get anywhere near the top of his game. He's far from the only reason that the Americans lost, but he didn't help.
Winner: Ryder Cup Rookies
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A lack of experience was not a problem at this Ryder Cup, particularly for American rookies Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed.
Spieth, 21, and Reed, 24, were the stars of the American team over the first two days. The duo combined for two-and-a-half points on Friday and Saturday in three matches, while the rest of the Americans accounted for just three-and-a-half points combined.
Their superb play during the first two days earned them the honor of starting out the day on Sunday in the crucial singles matches for Team USA. Spieth lost an early lead to Graeme McDowell, but Reed pulled off the win over Henrik Stenson.
Beyond the points they put on the board, Reed and Spieth—particularly the excitable Reed—provided emotion and energy for an American team that was severely lacking in both.
It was a great debut for the two youngsters and should be some comfort for American fans who are upset after a third straight loss. Jimmy Walker was the other American rookie, and he played well in all five matches, going 1-1-3.
On the European team, rookie Stephen Gallacher disappointed, but Frenchman Victor Dubuisson was a revelation and Jamie Donaldson clinched the Cup. Overall, the first-timers got it done at Gleneagles.
Loser: Stephen Gallacher
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It's very hard to pick out a weak link from the stacked European team, but the one storyline that didn't pan out for the home team over the weekend was that of local hero Stephen Gallacher.
Gallacher is a 39-year-old Ryder Cup rookie who was a captain's pick by Paul McGinley because he lives just miles from Gleneagles and is very familiar with the course. He was supposed to provide a spark for the team, and the Europeans are lucky that it wasn't needed.
The Scot was 0-2-0 on the week, and John Greechan of The Daily Mail called his debut in fourball on Friday morning, "calamitous, catastrophic and cursed."
Gallacher sat out the rest of the pairings, only coming back on Sunday in the singles, where he lost 3-and-1 to Phil Mickelson. Gallacher will certainly remember this week fondly, but he'll have his teammates to thank for that.
Winner: The World No. 1
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Every team needs a leader, and despite being one of the youngest members of his team at age 25, world No. 1 Rory McIlroy delivered for Team Europe, particularly on Sunday.
McIlroy played in all five matches for Europe, and went 2-1-2. He didn't always play his best, particularly on Friday when he struggled with his driver, but he was able to surge late and halve his foursome match on Friday and his fourball match on Saturday, taking away a crucial full point for the United States.
On Sunday, McIlroy came out firing in the third match of the day, and after dominating the first three holes, his singles match against Rickie Fowler felt like a mere formality. He ended up winning 5-and-4.
"The way that Rory [McIlroy] did it today was enormously impressive," Ian Poulter said on Sunday, as reported by BBC Sport. "He pressed it home all the way from the start."
Loser: Rickie Fowler
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Rickie Fowler was the most consistent golfer at the majors this year, finishing in the top five in all four. However, he didn't win a single tournament in 2014. The Ryder Cup was more of the same.
Fowler played some great golf at times over his first three matches and solid golf throughout the week, but just like his PGA Tour season, he left with nothing to show for it. He came away with three halves and two losses on the weekend.
In his two Ryder Cup trips, Fowler is now a winless 0-3-5. As Justin Ray of Golf Channel pointed out, "Fowler is currently the only player in Ryder Cup history with eight or more career matches played and zero victories."
Overall, the 25-year-old made more of an impact with his haircut and photobombs than he did on the course. Not great for a guy who was supposed to be one of the leaders of Team USA.
Winner: The Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson Pairing
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Justin Rose was on fire during this Ryder Cup, playing the kind of golf that won him the 2013 U.S. Open. His partner Henrik Stenson, who lives near him in Florida, was there to bail him out on the few times Rose needed it.
As a twosome they were undefeated, securing three full points for Team Europe in two fourball matches and one foursome. On Saturday morning they were absolutely spectacular, hitting 12 birdies to beat an in-form Bubba Watson and Matt Kuchar, who had nine birdies of their own.
"It was one-half Stenson, one-and-a-half part Rose," Stenson told reporters afterwards. "Justin played phenomenally all week, and luckily I was there to back him up on a couple of occasions."
"Henrik was a fantastic partner," Rose added.
Stenson sat out on Saturday afternoon with a stiff back, and Rose paired with Martin Kaymer to halve a match. In singles, Stenson lost and Rose halved. But together they were unstoppable.
Loser: Americans in Foursomes
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Without a doubt, the Americans lost the Ryder Cup in the afternoon foursomes on Friday and Saturday, where they managed to halve only two matches and lost the rest. While they won both sessions of morning fourball a combined 5-3, they lost the foursomes 1-7.
Team USA just seemed to have no strategy or rhythm in the alternate-shot play. From teams such as Jim Furyk and Hunter Mahan to Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley, the Americans were simply lost in the afternoon.
"Well, in the infamous words of our President, we got shellacked this afternoon," Tom Watson told reporters after play on Saturday concluded. "The afternoon, we didn't play well, and we had players that didn't quite get it done."
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