SAINT-QUENTIN-en-YVELINES, France — Looking to place blame for the U.S. Ryder Cup team’s pathetic performance in Europe’s 17½- 10½ thrashing?
Blame the Furyk Four.
Well, blame three out of the four Jim Furyk captain’s picks anyway, exonerating rookie Tony Finau, who went 2-1.
The difference in this Ryder Cup was the production of Thomas Bjorn’s captain’s picks for Europe being dramatically better than Furyk’s.
“Thomas was a better captain, and their team out-played us,’’ Furyk said.
Tiger Woods, who came to France buoyed by his Tour Championship win (his first victory in five years), lost all four matches he played in, climaxed by Sunday’s singles match against Jon Rahm while the U.S. was trying to mount a comeback.
Phil Mickelson lost both of his matches and his form was so dodgy Furyk played him only twice — and probably should have played him only once, in the singles, which is a requirement.
Bryson DeChambeau, who won two of the four FedEx Cup playoff tournaments and only weeks ago was the hottest player in the world, was a wallflower, losing all three of his matches.
For those of you scoring at home, Furyk’s four captain’s picks went a combined 2-10, with Finau, a rookie, providing the only two points.
Conversely, Bjorn’s four picks — Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson and Paul Casey — went a combined 9-4-1, delivering 9 ½ of the Euros’ 17 ½ points.
So there’s your difference.
“I’m not very good at adding up, but I’m sure if I put these numbers together they make the difference in the score,’’ Bjorn said. “I couldn’t have dreamt of what they brought on the golf course. But in the team room, they bring the experience. They bring the understanding.
“Sometimes, when you have some great new guys coming through, you’ve got to balance it out with experience. I’m extremely proud of those four guys that got picked, because it’s by no means easy to be picked. There’s pressure on you if you’re going to be picked, and they stood up and showed what they are worth.
“I think I got it right. It worked well for us this week.’’
Bjorn raised some eyebrows when he made his picks because he went straight for veteran experience, despite some of those players not being in great form, and left off some younger players who had accumulated a number of wins this year.
Stenson went 3-0. Garcia went 3-1. Poulter went 2-2. Casey went 1-1-1.
The Furyk Four lost this Ryder Cup for the U.S. as much as Bjorn’s four picks won it for Europe.
Since winning the 2017 Masters, Garcia has done almost nothing of note. He missed the cut in all four major championships this year. But Bjorn had faith Garcia, whom he called the “heartbeat’’ of the team, would become energized once he got with his Ryder Cup teammates.
And so he did. Garcia was in tears while hugging his teammates after Europe clinched the cup, afterward saying: “It’s been a rough year. I’m so thankful for Thomas to pick me and believe in me.’’
For Furyk, the pick of Mickelson was a complicated one, and one he’d probably like to have back given Mickelson’s faltering form of late. Mickelson, with a win in March, finished just outside of the top eight in the points list to earn an automatic berth on the team.
He, too, is a primary reason Furyk became captain based on Mickelson’s role as the catalyst to the “task force’’ after the last road defeat, in 2014 at Gleneagles.
When Mickelson was held out of the Friday morning fourball session, that raised some questions — particularly because Furyk put him out for the afternoon foursomes. Mickelson, ranked 192nd out of 193 players on the PGA Tour in driving accuracy, is not a good fit for alternate shot.
A source inside the U.S. team room told The Post Mickelson, because he was unhappy with his form, suggested to Furyk that he not play him in the opening session. Perhaps Furyk felt obligated to play him in the afternoon. Mickelson played so poorly in that Friday foursome match Furyk sat him for both sessions Saturday.“It’s difficult to talk about it, because it means so much to me over the years and I did not play well this year,’’ Mickelson said. “This could very well, realistically, be my last one. But with these guys, I’m motivated now to work hard, to not go out on this note, and I’m motivated to play well these next two years to get back at Whistling Straits [in 2020] and to show what I can do in these events.’’
Woods called his 0-4 Ryder Cup “obviously very disappointing.’’
“Those are four points that aren’t going towards our side,’’ he said. “It’s going towards their side. To have a Ryder Cup end that way, for me personally, it doesn’t feel very good because I didn’t help my teammates earn any points.’’