Ryder Cup highs and lows

Patrick Reed set the tone but it was Phil Mickelson who got US bosses stirring, writes Simon Lewis.

American Hero

You really shouldn’t look past Patrick Reed, who fired up team-mates and US fans alike and backed it up with the crucial singles win over European leader Rory McIlroy that set the tone for his country’s sweep to an emphatic victory. Yet a lot of credit must surely go to Phil Mickelson, who instigated this revival for USA after three straight defeats and just two wins in the 20 years before Hazeltine. Phil’s methods may have initially been dubious when he threw 2014 captain Tom Watson under the team bus as it departed Gleneagles, but his attack, not just on his skipper but the hierarchy which appointed him stirred American Ryder Cup bosses into action, forcing them to transfer their emotional ownership of the US team to the people who mattered most, the players. Having achieved that, Mickelson then had to go out and play well and Lefty did with some magical golf.