The cries of 'Ole, ole, ole' had relented and Darren Clarke and Ian Woosnam had disappeared to see who could down a pint of Guinness the quickest.

Yet questions still hung in the air. Unanswered. As clear as the mud which the Irish weather had churned up all over the K Club during Europe's march to Ryder Cup triumph.

Why is it that Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson can stack up majors by the sackful but struggle to put points on the board when it comes to playing in the Ryder Cup?

Why is it that American golfers routinely achieve greatness when playing for money but little more than ordinariness when it comes to national glory?

They are questions which go to the core of the 2006 Ryder Cup, which was wonderful for Woosnam who proved his critics wrong by conducting his captaincy with intelligence and inspiration.

It was wonderful, too, for European golf whose strength in depth has never been greater and surely the likelihood is that will pay off with a major sooner rather than later.

It was wonderful for Ireland which proved it could host a huge sporting event with aplomb despite dreadful weather.

But, ultimately, Europe's 18 1/2-9 1/2 margin of victory was bad for the Ryder Cup.

Nothing in sport is more damaging than predictability. And the Ryder Cup is becoming just that. Europe have now won five out of the last six matches. It would have been six out of six but for the surreal events at Brookline in 1999.

The stark fact is that when it comes to playing as a team the Americans are losers. And guess what the American sporting public hate most? A loser.

It is going to make it a struggle to sell the 2008 match at the Valhalla club in Louisville, Kentucky, for the next American captain who is widely tipped to be Paul Azinger.

Woods's explanation that it all comes down to putting does not wash.

Yes, the Europeans performed much better on the greens than their opponents and there is nothing better than holing long putts to generate momentum.

But there is more to the European dominance than that. Much more.

The ethos of the golf professional in the United States is geared to making money in the swiftest and easiest way possible. Week-in and week-out they play for huge purses for what amounts to little more than target golf to manicured greens.

It has bred complacency and an individualistic approach to the game which is not conducive to the team ethic.

They flit around in private jets. Woods, in particular, is virtually a recluse. They rarely practise together and can hardly expect to forge the connections the European team enjoy in a couple of get-togethers and a few practice rounds before the tournament begins.

Mickelson insisted: "We developed friendships this week."

The difference is that Europe's team have been friends and confidantes for years.

The United States simply have nothing to compare with the close partnerships of Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood or Sergio Garcia and Jose Maria Olazabal.

They do not have young guns of the quality of Paul Casey and Luke Donald.

They have no-one to compare with Colin Montgomerie, Europe's Mr Ryder Cup, who has not lost a singles match in eight outings and who approaches this tournament with the zest and freedom which would surely bring him the prize he covets if applied to a major.

The crux, however, is that while Montgomerie would not give up his Ryder Cup record to win a major the suspicion is that no American would give up a major for success in the Ryder Cup.

Perhaps there is the rub. Europe simply want it more.

When the humiliation was complete Lehman revealed that the American team had two rules this past week.

He explained: "Number one was to be honest and truthful in what we had to say to each other. The other was to play with your heart."

If Lehman is honest with himself he would have to accept that while his team were generous in defeat and upheld the highest ideals of sportsmanship too many of them played without a semblance of heart or passion.

It is not just about putting. It is about putting the team first.

The future of the Ryder Cup depends on America learning that lesson.