Ryder Cup: US victory over Europe prompts many questions for players

Tears may have dried but the pain of a record-breaking Ryder Cup defeat endures for Europe after their 19-9 hammering by the United States at Whistling Straits.

Given the scale of the loss, it already seems right to question how the continent's leading players might respond and whether schedules and attitudes towards the European Tour need to change.

Europe's spirit remains undimmed and has always burned bright since Seve Ballesteros became the heartbeat of European golf in the 1980's.

"The Ryder Cup is our way of asserting Europe's position in world golf," beaten skipper Padraig Harrington said at last month's match.

"I think that was Seve's goal back in the '80s, and we carried that on, and I think that brings us together."

But maintaining that togetherness is far from straightforward. Under current rules, European Tour players are required to play only four home tournaments to retain their membership and the Ryder Cup counts as one of those events.

Rory McIlroy played early in the year in Abu Dhabi, competed at the Irish Open and then entered the Scottish Open the following week because he had nothing better to do. Travel restrictions scuppered an intended family holiday.

So, having now played for his continent, the European team's only multiple major winner has no further statutory obligation, this year, to support the tour that started his career.

McIlroy's pained tears flowed freely in Wisconsin as he expressed his love for the Ryder Cup. They were in keeping with Europe's passion for the event that stretches back to the 1980's when Ballesteros was in his pomp.

Memories of the late, great Spaniard have been stirred following last week's release of a superb documentary, 'SEVE - Artist, Fighter, Legend'. It explores an extraordinary character who still provides the pulse of European golf, especially in the Ryder Cup.

How would Seve, who died in 2011, have reacted to that 19-9 defeat? Here was someone who hated being beaten by Americans - whether in the Ryder Cup or at Augusta for the Masters or any other tournament he played.

But the charismatic Spaniard was from a different age. Nowadays top Europeans are cosily embedded in the PGA Tour, indeed McIlroy is chairman of its Player Advisory Council, and the United States is their home.

Europe's identity has not been lost but it needs protecting. Their team spirit is always exemplary during Ryder Cup weeks and it never wavered at Whistling Straits despite the scale of the defeat.

But the current crop of Americans seem more energised for these matches than they have been for a decade. They know they can end 30 years of hurt with a first away victory since 1993 when the next match is contested in Rome.

That is some incentive and Europe need a response. The next captain, most likely Lee Westwood, will probably have around 18 months to plot the continent's course, but he will need immediate buy-in from his players.

A week on from the demolition job carried out by Steve Stricker's US team, the golfing world returned to a sense of normality with a captivating Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.

Three of the beaten European team - Tyrrell Hatton (tied second), Shane Lowry (tied fourth) and Tommy Fleetwood (tied seventh) posted their best results in recent times, but trailed behind the extraordinarily enigmatic Danny Willett.

This was another big title for the Englishman, who has already celebrated major success at the 2016 Masters as well as elite victories in the BMW PGA and DP World Tour Championships among seven other European Tour wins.

Yet Willett went into last week's tournament 170th in the world, after a year of seven missed cuts and only one other top 10. This 34 year old is a proven winner of massive tournaments but was, justifiably, never in the Ryder Cup conversation.

Willett is one of those golfers who tries to straddle the European and PGA tours. This year he has played nine events on his home circuit and eight across the Atlantic Ocean along with major dates at the Masters, US PGA and Open.

No matter how pampered is the life of a touring pro, these are demanding travels - especially when you are seeking form and consistency. The likes of Fleetwood, Lowry, Hatton and Matt Fitzpatrick have faced similar challenges throughout their careers.

It is far easier for players to follow examples set by the biggest names such as Jon Rahm, McIlroy, Sergio Garcia and Paul Casey who base themselves almost exclusively in the United States.

In the wake of this loss, the big names might need to, literally, take one for the team and provide more than bare minimum support of European Tour events.

For example, how many will play forthcoming Italian Opens scheduled for the Marco Simone course near Rome?

Of those representing their continent in Wisconsin, only Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood and Bernd Wiesberger took a first opportunity at last month's Italian Open, which was held at the newly remodelled course that will stage the 2023 Ryder Cup.

By committing to future Italian Opens, Europe's top stars would not only gain familiarity with the course but would also be making a statement on their engagement with the Ryder Cup.

For that to happen takes sympathetic scheduling - not straightforward - but also a change in outlook from Europe's leading lights. It would, though, be a strong and symbolic move, one that would have surely won Seve approval.

Ian Poulter noted at Whistling Straits that "golf is a selfish game for 51 weeks, but then we come together as a team". He is right. Individual success is always the primary objective.

But for Europe to stage a quick recovery from the depths of this defeat, somehow it needs to foster a more selfless approach. That might mean harnessing its unique and glorious spirit for more than one week every two years.