The old adage goes that the secret to Europe’s success at the Ryder Cup was the intangible that American egos couldn’t muster: collective spirit. The United States were a team of immensely-talented individuals, led by domineering, duelling personalities such as Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, while the Europeans were the perceived underdogs for whom camaraderie became the winning edge. It is a conventional wisdom rooted in truth – albeit one Sir Nick Faldo’s former team-mates might attest is hardly infallible – but, after supposedly marking a new era at Whistling Straits, the US are now the one bearing accusations of becoming a boy’s club.
Whether those bonds withstand scrutiny on foreign soil remains to be seen but, in the meantime, perhaps the most discreet of
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