U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson praises team for battling to end

Zach Johnson made it clear once again: he would take the same 12 players on the U.S. Ryder Cup team and square off against the Europeans right now if it was possible to replay last week’s competition in Rome.

“I loved that they didn’t quit,” Johnson said on Friday during his appearance at the Constellation Furyk & Friends Champions Breakfast at the Timuquana Country Club, before the first round of the tournament. “I loved that they were legitimately supporting each other … they took ownership of their team and became one. That’s all you can ask for.”

Johnson, a St. Simons Island, Georgia, resident and a two-time major champion, watched his team fall behind early to the Europeans at the Marco Simone Golf Club, trailing 4-0 after the first session, and 6½-1½ following the first day and 9½-2½ after the third session.

The U.S. outscored Europe 9-7 in the final session and in singles but had dug too deep a hole and Europe won 16½-11½. It extended the continent’s streak to seven Ryder Cups won on its soil, dating back to 1993.

“It’s hard, especially over there,” Johnson told more than 100 attendees at the breakfast. “There’s a reason we haven’t won over there in a long time, and that’s okay. We’ll figure it out. At some point, we’ll come out on top [in Europe]. I hope it’s sooner than later.”

But Johnson said he has no regrets about issues such as captain’s selections and pairings.

“It’s the journey,” he said of the nearly two-year process of preparing for the Ryder Cup. “The journey is something I’m going to cherish.”

Johnson praises Donald, Europeans

After the breakfast, Johnson told the Times-Union it was a disservice to European captain Luke Donald for anyone to make excuses for how the U.S. team played.

“The European team played that much better,” he said. “The amount of shots holed and pitched in on Friday and early Saturday was unbelievable — even on Saturday afternoon. They played awesome. They won the Cup. They earned it.”

Johnson said one key to the Europeans’ performance was how quickly it started almost every match over the first three sessions. Europe’s doubles teams won the first hole five times and halved seven, and a U.S….