STRAFFAN, Ireland -- Officially, the party began when Henrik Stenson holed a putt on the 15th green to clinch a Ryder Cup victory for his European team. It continued when all 12 team members climbed atop a balcony at The K Club, toting champagne bottles so enormous they could double as golf bags, then reached a crescendo when Darren Clarke consumed a pint of Guinness in one fell swoop, much to the delight of the adoring crowd below, wailing "Olé! Olé! Olé! Olé!" the entire time with resonance and conviction.
Though their caps were long gone, whisked away in a frenzy of hair-tousling and flag-draping, all week they had served as reminders of exactly why the men in blue would be kissing the trophy for the fifth time in six attempts. Sewn into the back of every European Ryder Cup player's hat this week was the emblem of the European Union. Twelve gold stars -- a representation of perfection, completeness and unity.
Of course, the U.S. roster was composed of 12 gold stars as well. Adorning their hats? Individual last names. It doesn't take an Oxford-educated scholar to appreciate the symbolism.
Throughout the week, Ian Woosnam's troops were the picture of perfection, completeness and, yes, unity. They high-fived. They back-slapped. They hugged. They won.
Perhaps the prevailing theme of the week was body language. The Europeans seemingly floated on air, buoyed by the boisterous supporters framing the Irish fairways. The Americans walked slowly, carefully, shoulders slumped, faces twisted and contorted into looks of puzzlement and wide-eyed wonder.
Many large scoreboards garnished The K Club course, replete with match updates throughout the week. Consider them the Ryder Cup's version of an appendix. They were unnecessary. Null and void. Didn't need 'em. Just check out the back-slapping and the shoulder-slumping and it was pretty obvious which team was going to retain the Cup and which wanted to bury its collective head in a pot bunker. It's enough to give an American more gastrointestinal problems than the Irish cuisine did.
Though he was born in England, Samuel Ryder could empathize with this American squad, which lost by the overwhelming score of 18½-9½. The tournament's namesake was once described as the "laughing-stock of all the business men in St. Albans."
Seventy-nine years after Ryder forever cemented his legacy by donating a trophy to the biennial competition, the U.S. is in danger of becoming a laughing-stock by likewise handing over the trophy every two years. This most recent debacle comes on the heels of another 18½-9½ defeat at Oakland Hills in 2004 and gives the Americans even more cause for concern when the event returns to U.S. soil in 2008.
"Not real happy" was Tiger Woods' three-word explanation for his mood following another sound defeat.
The victors, meanwhile, were quite the opposite of "not real happy" during their jubilant, post-match celebration. "This is just as good as it gets," said Darren Clarke, echoing the sentiments of every teammate and fellow European. It was a joyous victory party that no doubt lasted into the wee hours of the night and on into the morning. The team that stays together, sprays champagne together -- or so they say. The Europeans stuck together, both on and off the course, and it's one of the main reasons the 12 gold stars retained the Ryder Cup once again.
Perfection. Completeness. Unity.
Jason Sobel is ESPN.com's golf editor. He can be reached at Jason.Sobel@espn3.com