"It’s on me, maybe some poor decisions" - Zach Johnson shoulders responsibility for Team USA getting outplayed by Luke Donald and Co.

Zach Johnson, captain of Team USA for the 2023 Ryder Cup, believes that in sports, victories belong to the team and defeats belong to the leader.

This conviction was demonstrated minutes after the European team's victory when he declared that the responsibility was "on him".

The US team, led by Zach Johnson, scored six points in Sunday's (October 1) individual matches but fell far short of what was needed to win. Poor performances over the previous two days dashed the Americans' hopes.

Zach Johnson gave a statement to Sky Sports minutes after the final match of the day. The American captain took responsibility for his team's performance and said he was "proud" of his 12 competitors.

Johnson said:

"I'm proud of my guys, they fought, they got so much heart. It's not them, it's on me. Maybe some poor decisions. I can reflect [on it] at some point, I don´t have any idea yet, but it's not about those 12 guys. They played so hard, they played so hard for each other, they played so hard for our country, I'm grateful for each one of them."

Zach Johnson also credited the European team for their victory. He was impressed with the play of the Europeans and the leadership of Luke Donald.

"If I have any reflection right now is about to take your hat off, take your cap off, whatever the cliché is, to Team Europe, to Luke. They played great, and they earned it. It was very impressive."

The European team defeated the United States by 16.5 points to 11.5 points. It is the seventh victory for Europe in the last 10 editions of the Ryder Cup.

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How did the final day of the Ryder Cup go for Zach Johnson's team?

Ryder Cup's Sunday campaign began with the European team leading 10.5 to 5.5. To retain the trophy they won two years ago, the US team, led by Zach Johnson, needed to win at least eight matches and tie one.

The Americans made a heroic comeback, but the efforts went in vain. Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele got the job done and won their matches. Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth tied theirs.

But that was as far as they got. Collin Morikawa, Sam Burns, Brian Harman, Rickie Fowler and Wyndham Clark all fell short. The day ended with the score tied six to six, enough for Europe to win comfortably, 16.5 to 11.5.

The top scorer for the American team was rookie Max Homa with 3.5 points in 5 matches (three wins, one loss and one halved). Patrick Cantlay and Brian Harman added 2 points each. Wyndham Clark, Brooks Koepka and Justin Thomas each had 1.5 points.