Now that the dust has settled on another Ryder Cup, there is only one possible conclusion that can be drawn from the weekend. It's not that Darren Clarke is a piss-poor captain and that the event was "lost on the line". Though we are tempted to conclude that he has ruined what was once a great continent. How many Europe season tickets were ripped it up and tossed in the bin last night? God only knows.
No, the inescapable conclusion of events in Hazeltine is that what the Ryder Cup needs above all is a Brexit of its own.
In the singles yesterday, Europe went into battle with six Englishman, two Spaniards, one Irishman, one Swede, one German and one Belgian. Seven of the players came from that part of Europe which has just opted to leave the European Union. The remaining five came from the European Union. (Technically, the United Kingdom remains in the European Union but we'll accept for the purposes of this that they're halfway out the door).
The European Union put in an incredible performance yesterday. From five matches, they secured four and a half points. Henrik Stenson downed America's highest rated player Jordan Spieth, Belgian bolter Thomas Pieters beat JB Holmes, Rafa Cabrera Bello beat the USPGA champion Jimmy Walker, while Martin Kaymer came from behind to defeat Matt Kuchar.
And the EU would have won five from five but for a truly extraordinary round from Phil Mickelson who hit ten birdies against Sergio Garcia in the match of the competition. The brilliant Garcia still got out of there with a half. He ensured that the EU didn't lose a match.
Had the Brexit area come through for Europe, the continent might just have pulled off a famous victory, one to rival the miracle of Medinah four years ago. Alas, the UK let the rest of Europe down and not for the first time either.
The seven Brexit lads mustered an incredible total of zero points in Hazeltine yesterday.
Obviously, one has to be careful how one categorises Rory McIlroy here. We don't want to be assailed with online Republicans blasting us as 'west-Brits'. Even the longstanding phrase 'British Isles' - once used by Sean Kelly in a speech after a Munster hurling final - is now regarded as deeply offensive. In some cases, even pointing out the fact that Rory does come from a part of the world that will soon find itself outside the European Union can aggravate people. Though Rory is presumably less liable to tweet his disgust about this than James McClean.
Of the Brexit-area based players, Rory put in easily the best shift and was unlucky to lose against the inspired Patrick Reed. Fitting that he should be the best of them considering that NI didn't want to leave the European Union in the first place.
In France in two years time, the EU should just take on the Americans themselves and leave the Brits off.
