Selection format among issues that beaten US must fix

The home fans on Long Island were treated to a thrilling finish to the 45th Ryder Cup, as the United States nearly completed a historic comeback from seven points down before falling 15-13 to Team Europe.

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Captain Keegan Bradley (left) and the rest of his US team putting up a brave face after losing to Europe.

(PHOTO: AFP)

But the event is a three-day competition and the final margin - produced by an 81/2-31/2 advantage in Sunday singles - obscures the deeper issues at play for the Americans, who were shellacked in foursomes and four-ball.

The US are now 4-11 in the event since 1995. PGA Tour pro Michael Kim, an American, stood out among the many critics looking at the bigger picture on Sept 28.

“I hope this finish doesn’t stop Team USA from looking at the entire process that led to the first two days,” he wrote on X. “Clearly there are issues that need to be fixed.”

What those issues are, exactly, is up for debate.

Speaking to reporters after his team’s narrow loss, first-time captain Keegan Bradley welcomed the brunt of the criticism while defending the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) of America, which organises the US Ryder Cup team every two years.

“The PGA of America put me in an amazing position to succeed,” he said. “They gave me every resource. They gave me every option. I had everything at my fingertips. This is no one’s fault but mine.”