Team USA Doesn't Suck – They're Just Facing the Greatest European Ryder Cup Performance in History

The Numbers Don't Lie: Europe Is Playing Historic Golf

Let's start with the facts that should be leading every conversation about this Ryder Cup. Europe leads 11.5-4.5 heading into Sunday singles — the largest European lead after two days in Ryder Cup history. They've won each of the first four sessions, something only accomplished once before under the current format (Europe in 2006). They're the first team since 1979 to amass at least 11.5 points prior to singles play.

But here's the kicker that perfectly encapsulates what we're witnessing: In Saturday afternoon's four-ball match between Tommy Fleetwood/Justin Rose and Scottie Scheffler/Bryson DeChambeau, the Americans shot 9 under through 16 holes. They lost 3 and 2. Why? Because Fleetwood and Rose were 11 under through 16.

Read that again. The world's No. 1 player and one of the game's most dynamic talents combined to shoot 9 under par in match play and got beaten by two shots. That's not American failure — that's European excellence at a level we may never see again.

The Toxic Narrative Machine Needs to Stop

As I write this, I'm watching local news coverage that dedicates its entire two-minute Ryder Cup segment to a brief, heated moment that was quickly resolved. Not the incredible golf. Not the historic putting displays. Not Tommy Fleetwood's perfect 6-0 record in foursomes play. Just drama, because drama sells clicks.

This is the environment we've created — one where social media keyboard warriors and click-hungry media outlets prioritize sensationalism over substance. Paul McGinley nailed it during the broadcast: this European team is playing the best golf any European squad has ever played, hands down, and possibly the best any team has played in Ryder Cup history.

Yet instead of celebrating this historic performance, we're busy tearing down the Americans for not matching it. That's not just unfair — it's ignorant of what we're actually witnessing.

Saturday's Afternoon Session: When Great Golf Meets Greater Golf

The afternoon four-ball session perfectly illustrated the impossible position Team USA finds itself in. Despite a desperate need for momentum, they managed just one point from four matches, falling further behind 11.5-4.5.

Match 13: Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry defeated Justin Thomas and Cameron Young 2 up in a match that showcased both the Europeans' clutch putting and their ability to thrive under intense crowd pressure. Young, who has been Team USA's brightest star this week, drained a 36-foot bomb on the seventh, but the Europeans answered every American surge with interest.

Match 14: The Fleetwood/Rose vs. Scheffler/DeChambeau match was the day's perfect microcosm. Rose made seven one-putts on the front nine, including a walk-in 21-footer on No. 8. When the Americans briefly took the lead through DeChambeau's eagle-birdie combo on 4 and 5, Rose and Fleetwood simply shifted into another gear. The 3 and 2 victory was as much about European excellence as American struggle.

Match 15: J.J. Spaun and Xander Schauffele provided the lone American bright spot, defeating Jon Rahm and Sepp Straka 1 up. Spaun, making his Ryder Cup debut, delivered when it mattered most with crucial putts on 10 and 17, plus the clinching approach on 18. It was Rahm's first loss of the week — a testament to how well he's played that this was noteworthy.

Match 16: Tyrrell Hatton and Matt Fitzpatrick closed out Sam Burns and Patrick Cantlay 1 up, with Fitzpatrick channeling his U.S. Open magic with another clutch bunker shot before Hatton sealed the deal.

The Morning Session: More European Dominance

Saturday morning's foursomes session saw Europe extend their lead to 8.5-3.5, with only the Cameron Young/Bryson DeChambeau pairing providing American success. Young's chip-in birdie at the third and clutch par save at the seventh highlighted why he's been Team USA's most consistent performer.

Meanwhile, "Fleetwood Mac" (McIlroy and Fleetwood) demolished Harris English and Collin Morikawa 3 and 2 for their second consecutive dominant foursomes victory. The European duo has been virtually unstoppable, combining precision with clutch putting in a way that's rendered American resistance futile.

Scottie Scheffler Doesn't Suck — He's Human

Let's address the elephant in the room. Scottie Scheffler sits at 0-4 through two days, making him just the second American to compete in each of the first three sessions and lose every match (joining Xander Schauffele from 2023). The takes are predictably brutal.

But context matters. Scheffler has trailed by at least four holes in each of his three foursomes matches — not because he's playing poorly, but because his opponents have been unconscious. When the world's No. 1 player combines with major champions to shoot 9 under and loses by two shots, that's not a player problem — that's facing a historic buzzsaw.

As Keegan Bradley noted, "if you try harder, you tend to play worse" in golf. The pressure of trying to match this European performance may actually be counterproductive for American players who are already playing solid golf that would win in normal circumstances.

The Miracle Math: What Would It Take?

History offers slim hope, but it is hope nonetheless. Only one team has overcome a deficit of 8.5-3.5 or worse after three sessions — it's never been done. However, teams have mounted significant Sunday comebacks before:

— 1999 USA trailed 10-6, won 14.5-13.5

— 2012 Europe trailed 10-6, won 14.5-13.5

— 1995 Europe trailed 9-7, won 14.5-13.5

For context, Team USA needs 10 points from 12 singles matches to retain the Cup. The most points ever earned by either team in Sunday singles under the current format is 8.5. So yes, it would require the greatest singles performance in modern Ryder Cup history.

But as Keegan Bradley reminded his team with his "28-3" reference to the Patriots' Super Bowl comeback, miracles do happen in sports. New York has seen its share of them.

Let's Be Better Than the Noise

As fans, media, and participants in golf's ecosystem, we have a choice in how we frame these moments. We can feed the toxic cycle of hot takes and blame, or we can appreciate what we're witnessing — a European team playing golf at a level that may never be replicated.

Team USA doesn't suck. Scottie Scheffler doesn't suck. Keegan Bradley isn't a failed captain. They're all facing something extraordinary, something that deserves recognition rather than ridicule.

In Ron Burgundy's immortal words, let's stay classy. This European performance deserves our respect, not our manufactured outrage. Sometimes in sports, you don't lose because you played poorly — you lose because your opponent played perfectly.

That's exactly what's happening at Bethpage Black, and it's beautiful to watch, even if you're rooting for the other side.