Ryder Cup 2014: Final Results, Scores and Analysis for USA vs. Europe

The Europeans reigned supreme for the third Ryder Cup in a row, defeating the United States 16.5 to 11.5 in 2014's installment of the popular tournament.

There were few bright spots for the United States, while mostly everyone on Europe's roster came ready to play both with partners and in singles play on Sunday. Captains Tom Watson (U.S.) and Paul McGinley (Europe) worked hard to get the most out of their rosters, though Watson made some controversial decisions along the way.

McGinley appeared to pull all the right strings, as Europe had the tournament nearly wrapped up at the close of play on Saturday.

Below you'll find results from Day 3 as well as some analysis of the event.

Analysis

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On a roster that didn't compete very well, youngsters Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed excelled. The tournament rookies have put themselves out there and made themselves candidates to dominate the tournament again in 2016.

Spieth told James Riach of The Guardian that he and Reed worked well together: "Patrick and I have made a great team this week. People didn’t expect much from us, but I think we showed we are going to be a force to be reckoned with for many years to come in this tournament. It has been an incredible experience playing here."

Reed was especially strong. Golf Channel's Justin Ray tweeted about how historically good he was:

The only other player of note for the United States was Phil Mickelson. He played poorly on Friday before being benched by Watson on Saturday. That must have motivated Lefty to perform well on Sunday.

Mickelson matched up against Stephen Gallacher and traded blows with him until the 15th hole. That's when Lefty birdied 15, 16 and 17 to win 3-and-1.

The Americans haven't won the Ryder Cup since 2008, and it's back to the drawing board for the group now.

For Europe, world No. 1 Rory McIlroy looked just pedestrian until his singles match against Rickie Fowler. He defeated him handily and told Alex Myers of Golf Digest that he was motivated entering play:

Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson were a strong pairing for the Europeans. Rose may very well have been the best golfer on that side; he opened up the tournament with three wins. He and Stenson dominated Matt Kuchar and Bubba Watson, making 10 straight birdies at one point—eight of which were off Rose's ball.

It was an all-around great showing by the Europeans, who were the favorites entering play.

Moving forward, the United States must put together a much more consistent roster featuring those who tend to step up in big spots. Having guys who crack under pressure or guys who play so poorly they need to be benched is not conducive to winning.

The U.S. have two years to prepare for yet another rematch against their rivals.

Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @KennyDeJohn_BR