As the smoke clears and champagne bubbles settle from Hazeltine, we examine how the Americans earned their first Ryder Cup victory since 2008.
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13 reasons why the United States won the Ryder Cup

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Patrick Reed played like a man possessed by the spirits of Arnold Palmer, George Washington and Davy Crockett
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Hazeltine was configured to reward aggressive play, favoring the American's length
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The Friday morning sweep delivered a haymaker from the U.S., sending an early message to the Europeans
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Though the Europeans said the boisterous pro-American crowd didn't affect their play, it at least galvanized the U.S. team
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Bill Murray, the hands-down coolest cat in the world, was orchestrating American cheers
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Russell Knox, the rising Euro star who captured two PGA Tour wins last season, watched from home...
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As did Paul Casey, who went 2nd-2nd-4th in the final three FedEx Cup events...
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While Darren Clarke's two veteran picks -- Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer -- recorded just one point in seven matches
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Brandt Snedeker seemingly didn't miss a putt inside 50 feet
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Phil Mickelson, the so-called "power behind the throne" of the U.S. task force, backed up his bark, scoring 2.5 points in four matches
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Brooks Koepka, one of the two U.S. rookies, didn't play like a newcomer, winning three of his four matches
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Danny Willett spent half his week apologizing for a satirical piece by his brother, then went scoreless in three matches
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The European players own just one Masters win, while the U.S. had two guys with six green jackets delivering them sandwiches
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