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Francesco Molinari was the standout performer while Justin Thomas, Tommy Fleetwood and Ian Poulter were among those who also had a tournament to remember

Player of the tournament

Francesco Molinari. Nobody comes close. The plaudit is all the more valid because Molinari will be bashful about accepting it. Ewan Murray

Molinari. Who else? “I don’t know what planet he lives on,” said Thomas Bjørn, “but it’s not the one that the rest of the players live on, that’s for sure.” Andy Bull

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Molinari. Could there be anyone else after he became only the fourth player in Ryder Cup history to go 5/5? Afterwards teammates joked the Italian was so good he never saw the 18th hole – only for a smiling Molinari to point out he’d played it once in practice. Sean Ingle

Molinari. As much as he would resist the suggestion, the Italian who has burdened himself with supporting West Ham was more than compensated when he joined the pantheon of the elite by sweeping all five matches – and being there for the final delivery of the sword, courtesy of Phil Mickelson’s errant tee shot on the 16th. Kevin Mitchell

Molinari. But Webb Simpson deserves recognition, too; the Players champion always plotted his route wisely around a punitive course. Where else to complete his 2018 renaissance but Paris? Scott Murray

Rookie of the tournament

Tommy Fleetwood. On the course, Fleetwood was as impressive as ever (before running out of singles steam) while his general approach and demeanour was a breath of fresh air. The Ryder Cup was all the better for the Englishman’s involvement. EM

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Justin Thomas, who ended up carrying the US team. If a few of them had followed his lead the final result surely wouldn’t have been so lopsided. AB

Thomas. Fleetwood was brilliant too, but Thomas arguably had to do more of the heavy lifting, going 4/5 for an American team that was struggling and winning tight games against Poulter and Rahm on the Saturday morning – with the help of his partner Spieth – and McIlroy in the singles. SI

Not Fleetwood, sadly, after his singles collapse left him with just the four wins with Molinari. Rahm was a strong candidate, holding off the flickering challenge of Woods on Sunday. But Thomas’s fourth point after a dogfight with McIlroy left the most lasting impression of the new boys. KM

Fleetwood. For his record rookie haul, but also for his burgeoning bromance with Molinari. Europe loves a double-act: Seve and Ollie, Faldo and Monty, G-Mac and Wee Mac. Hooray for Moliwood! SM

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Justin Thomas lines up a shot on the final day of the Ryder Cup, when he defeated Rory McIlroy in a tightly-fought singles match. On an individual level, the American had a good tournament. Photograph: Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Best celebration

Poulter in the postbox outfit. He claims he will take it back to Florida and frame it. “Poults frames everything,” claimed Justin Rose. EM

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Rahm throwing his putter down, screaming and strutting around the 17th green after closing out his singles match against Woods. AB

Poulter isn’t to everyone’s tastes but his prolonged and adrenalised chest-beating after defeating Dustin Johnson in the singles will live long in the memory. SI

Fleetwood has a symbiosis with fans that is unforced and infectious. Even in defeat he was as ebullient as ever, the sign of a great team player, and embraced the fans with his trademark wide-legged squat. The man with the longest hair in golf also has the longest laugh. KM

Thomas shushed and ear-cupped the crowd at 11 on Saturday afternoon, after which he almost seemed to be plotting a reverse takeover of Captain America Industries (CEO Patrick Reed). The gallery-baiting uniform suits him; he was indestructible after that. SM

Best match

Rose/Rahm v Tony Finau/Brooks Koepka. The first game of the event and the epitome of matchplay. Europe held an apparently decisive lead before Finau enjoyed an outrageous break on the 16th and Rose found water at the last. The US claimed the point. Breathtaking stuff. EM

Thomas’s 1-up win over his great mate McIlroy on Sunday, an 18-hole duel which twisted and turned one way then the other and back again. AB

A tough one to call but let’s say Thomas and Spieth against Poulter and Rahm given I followed it from inside the ropes. The match swung this way and that with seven birdies to Europe and 10 to the US team. SI

There were many to pick from, but for sheer tension and importance the lead singles between McIlroy and Thomas was hard to beat. Both made mistakes, both fought for every point all the way to the end – which was tragic for McIlroy when he plugged into a bunker on the 18th when all square. And Thomas was magnanimous in victory to cap off a fine, fighting win. KM

In a parallel universe, Alex Norén v Bryson DeChambeau decides everything. DeChambeau seals it for the US by wedging to 18 inches! No! Norén steals it for Europe with a 40-foot rake! Everyone piles on! Ah well, for a match that meant nothing in the real world it wasn’t too bad as it was, given its wild denouement will come to visually define this victory. SM

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Justin Rose and Jon Rahm congratulate each other during their fourballs match against Brooks Koepka and Tony Finau on the opening day of the Ryder Cup. Photograph: Francois Mori/AP

Funniest moment

“I’m lost, I’m sorry” … Thomas is completely unaware his father is writing a Ryder Cup diary for a newspaper in Kentucky as he is asked in a press conference whether there is “shame” attached to a sportswriter in the family. “Am I missing something?” EM

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During their final press conference Spieth teased Woods about his habit of using military lingo. Woods, who had tuned out, blanked him. Spieth waited a beat then said: “Good talk, Tiger.” AB

Bubba Watson and Simpson making a treble-bogey six to halve the par-three 2nd against Sergio García and Norén during the Saturday foursomes. Incredibly, Watson and Norén – and then Webb – all went into the water yet the Europeans missed two putts for the hole. SI

By a distance the European team’s calling out at their press conference of the stunningly self-regarding American golf writer who had predicted their downfall in apocalyptic terms. He will go unnamed here (which will irk him) but he took his licks – then rushed to social media to glory in his instant fame. Donald Trump has more self-awareness. KM

Reed playfully shushing the crowd after beating Tyrrell Hatton. The Masters champion can’t catch a break whatever he does, but hopefully this self-deprecating callback – followed by genuine applause for the gallery and warm congratulations for Europe – wins him some new fans. SM

In 2020 Europe will …

Be well served by keeping Bjørn as part of the fold. His captaincy was outstanding. EM

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Lose to a US team built around Thomas, Spieth and a rejuvenated Reed on a course set up to play to the Americans’ strengths. AB

It’s too early to say, but they must have a chance of holding on to the Ryder Cup given it’s being played on the rugged links of Whistling Straits, a course that suits them more than Hazeltine did in 2016. SI

Be even stronger, with the steady maturing of ahm and Fleetwood. With any luck, Molinari will be there to reach for a fourth Ryder Cup triumph, and maybe by then McIlroy has sorted his putting woes. KM

Either go into the singles 10-6 up, or 10-6 down. SM