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US men’s golf team wins Ryder Cup emphatically

Team USA players celebrate after winning the Ryder Cup at the Whistling Straits Golf Course on Sunday in Sheboygan, Wis. (AP photo)

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — The Americans won back the Ryder Cup and perhaps a whole lot more Sunday, sending a strong message with their youngest team by giving Europe its worst loss ever.

They never lost a session. They rode the experience of Dustin Johnson, who won all five of his matches and leaned on six Ryder Cup newcomers who combined for a 14-4-3 record.

Daniel Berger won the final hole in the final match for the final point and a 19-9 victory, breaking by a half-point the record margin since Europe became part of the Ryder Cup in 1979.

“This is a new era,” U.S. captain Steve Stricker said. “These guys are young. They want it. They’re motivated. They came here determined to win. I could see it in their eyes.”

And he could see it on the scoreboards across Whistling Straits, filled with American red all afternoon in a performance that was dominant from the opening session Friday morning.

Team USA's Tony Finau celebrates after the Ryder Cup matches at the Whistling Straits Golf Course on Sunday in Sheboygan, Wis. (AP photo)

Scottie Scheffler, one of six Ryder Cup rookies for the U.S., took down the No. 1 player in the world with a 4-and-3 victory over Jon Rahm. Scheffler won the opening four holes and birdied five of the first six. He was among three rookies who were unbeaten this week.

The clincher came from Collin Mori

kawa, at 24 the youngest player on the team and already a two-time major champion. He made a 3-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to win his match.

They wanted more.

“I woke up this morning and I was trying to tell the guys, ‘Let’s get to 20 points,’ because this is going to be the next era of Ryder Cup team for the U.S. side,” Patrick Cantlay said after a win over Shane Lowry on Sunday.

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