United States regain Ryder Cup after trouncing Europe

United States outlasted Team Europe to regain the Ryder Cup after a clinical performance in the singles session at Hazeltine. Davis Love III's team needed just five points to clinch team golf's biggest prize and after Patrick Reed, Rickie Fowler, Brooks Koepka and Brandt Snedeker won their matches, victory was secured by Ryan Moore who claimed the critical half-point which led to wild celebrations.

Victory sees Love avenge the loss at Medinah in 2012 when he last captained the American team - when Europe recovered from 10-6 down to win in dramatic fashion - but there was no comeback on this occasion. Darren Clarke's team did make an encouraging start but as putts failed to drop the US gradually clawed back the advantage.

"I'm just proud of these guys," Love said. "They had a lot of pressure on them for the last two years. And every time we picked a guy, there was more and more pressure on the team and more and more questions, and I'm just proud the way every one of them played. It was a great team effort.

"I've never seen a team come together like a family like this. So much has happened over the last week. Unbelievable golf. The Europeans played just some stunning golf. I told Rory McIlroy it was best month of golf I think I've ever seen. I'm just proud of them. They hung in there all week."

The tone was set the effervescent Reed, who made five birdies and an eagle in defeating Europe's talisman McIlroy in a match for the ages. Henrik Stenson and Thomas Pieters both claimed credible victories in the subsequent two matches - Pieters his fourth on debut - to give a blue tinge to the top of the leaderboard.

Justin Rose led by one hole at the turn over Rickie Fowler, but the American turned the match around with three holes remaining with a birdie at 16 which claimed a victory by one. There were no such troubles for Rafa Cabrera Bello however, with won 3&2 over Jimmy Walker.

Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia played out another stunning singles match, with both players making birdie in the final two holes to share the point. Snedeker and Koepka then prevailed in convincing fashion against Andy Sullivan and Danny Willett, to leave the hosts just half a point from victory.

It was left to the final wildcard Moore, who trailed Lee Westwood by two with three holes left, to claim the vital point with a par on the 18th to send the Minnesota crowd into raptures. Zach Johnson and Dustin Johnson claimed two further points to ensure America finished with the biggest margin of victory since 1981 and leave Europe licking their wounds.

"At the end of the day, the American guys played better that we did," Clarke lamented. "They holed the putts when they had, and we lipped out. But that's happened the other way around for quite some time. The guys gave it all. They are trying everything, they tried as hard as they could. You can't ask for anything more as a captain. We're obviously bitterly disappointed, but credit to Davis and his team for the performance of the day."