Postcards from Rome: Guardian writers give their Ryder Cup verdicts

Ewan Murray

Player of the tournament Rory “Rocky” McIlroy was due for a huge Ryder Cup, and he delivered one. McIlroy was Europe’s top scorer for the first time. Beyond the bare statistics, his off-course influence created winners.

Rookie of the tournament If there was one American who didn’t deserve to be on the losing side, it was Max Homa. Zach Johnson’s confidence in Homa was evident in his performance in all five sessions.

Best party Bob MacIntyre, who completed 500 Miles through the Proclaimers, when he was ably assisted by McIlroy, Justin Rose and others in the European team bus. MacIntyre enjoyed a memorable Ryder Cup debut.

Best match For creepy reasons. The 9&7 troncing of Brooks Koepka and Scottie Scheffler by Ludvig Åberg and Viktor Hovland was nothing short of compelling. That was the Americans So Too bad you couldn’t take your eyes off it.

Funniest moment “You had a great time, didn’t you?” says Shane Lowry to Åberg. ‘Three months ago you were in college. I bet you wish you were back there….”

In 2025, Europe will do the same … Requires team earmuffs. Bethpage is wild enough for major championships. With the US looking to regain the Ryder Cup, the New York crowd will be sent into a frenzy.

Andy Bul

Player of the tournament Victor Hovland. Get things started with his special morning bird on the 1st, and he’ll keep playing all weekend long.

Rookie of the tournament Max Homa. Played all five rounds, won three points and felt like the only American player on points to bring his best play in the first two days.

Best party Shane Lowry, who somehow seemed to beat his chest and bellow in the background every time someone on the team made a big putt.

Best match Jon Rahm was back-and-forth with Scottie Scheffler in Sunday’s opening singles match, where the lead wavered six times before they finished all-square at 18.

Funniest moment Rory McIlroy gravely explains that he’s actually a committed stoic, just hours after the whole world watched him caddy in a parking lot.

By 2025, Europe will… Lose, as away teams always seem to do, but, again under the leadership of Luke Donald, they do much better than they did in 2021 at Whistling Straits.

Sean Ingle

Player of the tournament Victor Hovland. You could easily make a case for Rory McIlroy, who had the best overall record, and Jon Rahm, who was undefeated and clutch. But statistically, Hovland was the best player on both teams in terms of strokes gained, winning 3-1-1. And the way he and Ludwig Åberg destroyed Brooks Koepka and Scottie Scheffler in the Saturday foursome will live long in the memory.

Rookie of the tournament Max Homa. The only American to play all five matches and had the best record on the US team at 3-1-1. His consistently brilliant play ended with an up and down 18 singles win over Matt Fitzpatrick, keeping the US alive a little longer.

Best party It must be the US team waving their hats to Patrick Cantlay after his 45-foot putt to 18 beat McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood in the Saturday fourballs. I’m not sure Rory would agree with that, though.

Best match McIlroy/Matt Fitzpatrick playing Cantlay and Wyndham Clark on Saturday was sensational, both for the quality of the golf and the 18th-green shenanigans. Honorable mentions go to Rahm and Nicolai Højgaard’s fourballs against Scheffler and Koepka, in which the Spaniard hit two eagles in three holes to draw level. And the epic singles match between Rahm and Scheffler on Sunday, which the Spaniard leveled again on the final green.

Funniest moment McIlroy is stopped by Shane Lowry in the car park during a furious confrontation with Justin Thomas’ caddy Jim “Bones” Mackay after the final fourball on Saturday got heated. Afterwards, Lowry said he had to put McIlroy in a plunge pool to calm him down.

By 2025, Europe will… Hopefully we make it a lot closer in the US than last time. The Ryder Cup could use its first away win since Medinah in 2012.

Jonathan Liew

Player of the tournament Victor Hovland. The dream of a captain, a maestro and a mentor, and a player at the height of his confidence.

Rookie of the tournament Max Homa. Brilliant in a lost cause. A clutch player, a pure match play animal and definitely a lock for 2025.

Best party Basically anything by Shane Lowry.

Best match Jon Rahm vs. Scottie Scheffler on Sunday. Golf is like boxing: a crucial and extremely fascinating half played by two men running on fumes.

Funniest moment I mean, you can’t look past Rory McIlroy offering a caddy in the parking lot, right?

By 2025, Europe will… Losing badly. That’s just the way these things go.