USA win the Ryder Cup; A low point for Irish women’s rugby

There would be no miracle, no comeback for the ages. Team USA are Ryder Cup champions after sealing a record 19-9 victory. Philip Reid reports on a nightmarish defeat for Pádraig Harrington and his men: "this time, Europe - the dominant force for the past two decades - were well and truly trumped, outplayed and outclassed, by an American team, one powered by eight players from the world's top-10, who had taken a grip through two days of foursomes and fourballs and duly inflicted a painful death on any outrageous European hopes." After securing the first point of the day for Team Europe, Rory McIlroy let it all out, the Irishman shed tears in his TV interview showing just how much the Ryder Cup and being a part of a team truly meant.

Ireland's World Cup qualifier defeat to Scotland marks a low point for Irish women's rugby. Gerry Thornley writes: "Ireland should not be losing to Scotland, and certainly not to Spain, who beat Ireland 8-7 in the opening round before ultimately finishing bottom after Italy secured a bonus-point 34-10 win over them earlier in the day." Following his team's 31-3 defeat at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, the Bulls' wily World Cup winning coach Jake White told his players that Leinster are 'the benchmark' to follow: "Now we've got three more games on this tour and we've got to make sure that the things we learned tonight are the things we can get into place as I said and try and replicate the way Leinster play because they are the leaders in this comp like the Crusaders were in Super Rugby."

Arsenal have the bragging rights in north London after their 3-1 win over Tottenham on Sunday. The hosts scored their three goals in a golden first half with Nuno Espírito Santo's side wide open for the taking. Celtic slipped up again with a 1-1 home draw against Dundee United, although manager Ange Postecoglou is convinced they are on the right road as he dismissed suggestions the gap to Rangers was getting out of hand. In his column this morning (Subscriber Only) Ken Early writes about the insane intensity of the social media circus that surrounds Mbappé, Neymar and Messi at PSG: "are the players affected by the roar of bullshit that surrounds their every action? Of course they are."

Meanwhile, it was a sad day for Mayo GAA as Paddy Prendergast, the final surviving member of their last team to win the All-Ireland senior football title died aged 95. Malachy Clerkin is reflecting on Jack O'Connor's return to the Kerry hot seat - another dance with Jack was an offer Kerry could hardly refuse: "it's hard not to appoint a three-time All-Ireland winner who wants the job", he writes. "It's especially hard not to do it when he has shown he's prepared to take an almighty amount of flak just by putting himself up for it."