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Where did it all go wrong for Team USA at the Ryder Cup this year? The mastermind of America’s win in 2016 has a theory.

Davis Love III, who presided over the United States’ thumping 17-11 win at Hazeltine two years ago having been on the wrong end of the ‘Miracle at Medinah in 2012, was one of Jim Furyk’s assistants at Le Golf National.

The 17½-10½ defeat at the hands of Thomas Bjorn’s men in France raised many of the same questions Americans have been asking themselves in the wake of nine defeats in the last 12 matches.

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Chief amongst them: How do we make sure this doesn’t happen again?

For what it’s worth, Love has a theory.

“I just think we need to communicate a little bit better as a team,” said the 54-year-old ahead of this week’s RSM Classic. “That doesn’t mean just the captains or just the players. I think we need to get to know each other even better and communicate a little bit better so little frustrations don’t turn into problems.”

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He went on: “We hate to lose. Jim and Tabitha Furyk did an incredible job. We hate to lose, but I think we’re still positive about the future and the way the guys, except for a couple little things that have created a big stir afterwards, we all got along great and we had a lot of fun and we had a great time even leaving and flying home and communicating afterwards.

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“We have to get better at some things.  But as players, we have to be a little bit more prepared as well.  Seven of nine weeks we had a lot of guys out, we had a lot of guys tired, guys that either started playing bad at the end of the Playoffs and carried it to the Ryder Cup or were playing great and ran out of gas when they got to the Ryder Cup.”


author headshot

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor

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