When Rory McIlroy scrambled a half after visiting the lake that runs alongside the fifth hole, he let out a yelp and took a swipe at the Wisconsin air.
It was as animated as he had been all week.
The frustrations of his desperate performance came out in one air-punch - later, they would come out in a succession of teary interviews.
He knew his win over Xander Schauffele in the first singles match of the final star-spangled procession was meaningless.
Behind him, the European surrender was in full swing. It was a European surrender he had been fundamentally part of.
McIlroy - the talisman, the four-time Major winner - arrived at the party only when the Americans were leading the last dance.
Even the Spanish well of inspiration ran dry on the final day, a tired-looking Jon Rahm losing to Scottie Scheffeler and Sergio Garcia succumbing to Bryson DeChambeau.
Before seeing off a ragged Schauffele, McIlroy had been an emblem for everything that went wrong for Padraig Harrington’s team.
Maybe that sort of pressure is why we saw the outpouring of emotion after he closed out his contest.
Of course, he was not the only one to show up without his ‘A’ game. Or ‘B’ game.
McIlroy, who lost all three of his matches in the foursomes and fourballs, was one of those Europeans who was supposed to fight American fire with fire.
But it is not easy to get pumped up when you are hitting it sideways.
He played decently on the last day but it goes without saying that it was far too little, far too late.
And what drove him to tears was that inability to find any sustained form over the course of the event.
Rahm and Garcia aside, the same went for the rest of Harrington’s team.
There were too many players either past their career best or badly out of nick.
Mix that with a collection of young American players who are crowded in the upper echelons of the game and you have a cocktail that could lead to United States dominance for many years to come.
Losing on opposition soil is not unusual in the modern Ryder Cup but this was different.
This was one ominous hammering and this is a formidable collection of American players.
The celebrations, led by the preposterously pumped-up Justin Thomas, were predictably raucous.
But running alongside the hollering and high-fiving, there was a running theme in every interview given by the victors.
This is the start. This is the beginning of an era.
And the scary thing is they are probably right. The American player lowest in the world ranking stands at number 21.
The average age of this American team is 29.
Yes, the course was set up to favour them. Yes, they had a crowd that was exclusively partisan.
But, in reality, they were minor factors. Very minor.
The major factors were they hit it longer and straighter and they putted fearlessly and clinically.
It really was as simple as that.
Aside from McIlroy’s, there were plenty of European tears.
And as they contemplate the task of trying to regain superiority, there should be plenty of fears.
Because this American team IS scary. And, as they all said between hugs and beers, it IS just the start.
