For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com

Good Monday morning, golf fans, as the dust settles on another thrilling Ryder Cup.

1. Europe wins 16.5-11.5

PGATour.com staff report…”Europe successfully defended its home turf with a 16.5-11.5 victory over the United States at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome, Italy. Things got tight as the final few matches turned to the final nine of Sunday Singles, with the U.S. Team looking to stage a historic comeback, but Tommy Fleetwood delivered the clinching moment in style on the short par-4 16th hole. Fleetwood drove the green and was eventually conceded the hole, as his opponent Rickie Fowler hit his tee shot into the water. This put Fleetwood 2-up with two holes to play. With Europe already at 14 points, needing 14.5 points to win the Cup, no math remained that would allow the U.S. Team to retain the Cup.”

• “At the time, four matches remained on the course, with the U.S. Team needing to win all four to retain the Ryder Cup. The doubt created some uneasy moments for the European squad down the stretch, but it made the eventual victory all the sweeter.”

• “Europe carried a five-point advantage into Sunday Singles, 10.5 to 5.5, and weathered the Americans’ feisty comeback effort to earn a 6-6 split on the final day. It was more than enough to regain the Ryder Cup, which the U.S. Team won by a 19-9 margin in 2021 at Whistling Straits.”

2. Takeaways for the teams

Our Ron Montesano…”When the USA squad looks back on this year’s loss, it will point to two specific periods of time in 2023, as critical. The first was the first week of May, when the Italian Open was contested on the Marco Simone course. Not one USA team member showed up to compete, depriving the entire side of an opportunity to play the course in tournament conditions. The next was the first three weeks of September, when the PGA Tour was done for the year, but the DP World Tour was at full speed. Not one USA team member journeyed east to play former Ryder Cup course in Ireland and France. In a nutshell, it seems that the USA were underprepared, and they could ill-afford to arrive in that state.”

• “Congratulations to Europe. Once again, they proved themselves to be the Ted Lasso of teams. They showed the world that they like each other, and that they can pass this affinity and affection down, from one generation to the next.”

3. From the winning-point winner

Tommy Fleetwood…”I really didn’t want it to come down to one of us at the back,” Fleetwood said. “I can’t wait to see the rest of the guys, I can’t wait to see the captain, our wives and the rest of our families.

• “I’m just so happy to play a part in it and so proud to be part of this team. We’ve done what we came here to do. I couldn’t wish for a better bunch of people to do this with. It has been so amazing. It’s the coolest experience.”

4. LaCava extends olive branch to McIlroy

Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…”American caddie Joe LaCava reached out to Rory McIlroy late Saturday, according to NBC Sports reporter Steve Sands, following one of the most contentious days in modern Ryder Cup history.”

• “LaCava texted McIlroy’s camp, “Love you guys, I have nothing but respect.”

5. McIlroy denies

Golfweek’s Adam Woodard…”McIlroy’s team reportedly said they felt the same way, which led to LaCava asking for a face-to-face meeting with McIlroy on Sunday morning. According to Sands, that brief meeting happened, and “everything’s been diffused.”

• “Well, McIlroy begs to differ. After his 3-and-1 singles victory over Sam Burns, Golf Channel’s Cara Banks asked McIlroy about the meeting with LaCava, and the four-time major champion said it didn’t happen.”

• “I haven’t met Joe,” said McIlroy, shaking his head.

• “I was focused. I was very focused,” he said of his mindset entering the final match. “I let it fuel me, I didn’t let it take away from what’s been a fantastic week. I used that little incident last night to my advantage.”

6. Zach Johnson: I wouldn’t change anything

Tom Hamilton for ESPN…”Speaking after the end of the competition Sunday, Johnson said he was still processing the three days and would love to start the whole week again.

• “Four years from now, hopefully we’ll implement a better process certainly than I did and we can show up in Ireland, obviously retain it, get it back in New York [at Bethpage Black in 2025], but keep it once we go back to Ireland,” Johnson said. “So, playing on foreign soil, I mean, I wouldn’t have it any other way as the leader. That’s the way I’m wired. I mean, I don’t know.

• “I love playing in front of our fans. I know these guys would probably say the same thing. I know they would say the same thing. But there’s something special about coming over here and having to fight because it’s hard, and I like the fight. So, I wouldn’t change anything.”

7. Cantlay denies protest, pay claims

Jessica Marksbury for Golf.com…In the aftermath of Cantlay’s win, NBC Sports’ Steve Sands asked Cantlay once again to comment on the report’s claims.

• “It’s totally false,” Cantlay said. “It couldn’t be further from the truth. There hasn’t been one word of that all week. The U.S. Team has been close all week. It’s just outright lies.

• “Yeah, not a shred of truth in the article that just one journalist wrote,” he continued. “It’s crazy that one journalist can put a tweet out there totally unfounded with complete lies and (indiscernible). The crowd ran with it, and I tried to have fun with them all day, smile.”

8. Si-Woo and Sungjae earn military service exemption

Adam Schupak for Golfweek..”While the focus of the golf world this week was the Ryder Cup in Italy, something equally special was happening in Hangzhou, China, at the Asian Games.””

• “South Koreans Si Woo Kim and Sungjae Im helped their home country win the gold medal in golf. That’s a big deal for one reason: It makes the two PGA Tour pros — Im is ranked 27th in the world while Kim is No. 40 — exempt from serving the two-year mandatory military service that is required in Korea.”

• “Teaming with amateurs Jang Yu-bin and Cho Woo-young, Im, 25, and Kim, 28, cruised to a 25-stroke win over Thailand for the team gold medal Sunday at the West Lake International Golf Course. It was the country’s first men’s golf title in 13 years.”

• “All able-bodied males are obligated to serve between 18 and 21 months in the military once they turn 19. They can postpone the date of their service but without a significant cultural justification, like an Olympic medal, service is mandatory.”

9. Brooks recruiting?