The bleary celebrations have finally subsided, the last errant spectators have been extracted from the water hazard beside the 18th green at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, and the dust has begun to settle on another Ryder Cup.
Europe have regained the trophy after a 16½-11½ victory – albeit not without a wave of red rippling nerves during the singles on Sunday afternoon – and that scoreline hardly tells the story of a match that delivered quality and controversy in bucketloads.
Europe’s “big three” – Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Viktor Hovland – all rewarded Luke Donald’s impressive captaincy with starring roles and, for the Northern Irishman, this match was particularly cathartic after the tears at Whistling Straits and his dramatic fallout with Patrick
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