FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – On Sept. 26, 2021, the Ryder Cup’s balance of power had supposedly shifted.

The Americans had just run up the score in front of delirious home fans at Whistling Straits, dropping 19 points on an aging European team in dire need of a reboot. Eight of the 12 U.S. team members were under the age of 30. Their average world ranking: 8.9. Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth were among those who represented not just the present power but also the future leaders – young, influential voices whose bonds to each other, their team and their country ran deep. Most who watched that week came away with the same conclusion: the Americans appeared poised for a decade-plus run of domination.

After all, they were younger, hungrier and stronger, while nearly half of the European team was pas

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