Ryder Cup Review: If this latest win by Europe - and the sheer manner of it - was the stuff of fantasy, each member of Bernhard Langer's winning Ryder Cup team left Detroit knowing there's a missing link in their respective curriculum vitae: a major win.

Given the exceptional, record-breaking style of this victory, the fourth success in the last five contests for the Europeans, it seems extraordinary not one of the 12 has managed to win a major. Langer, for one, was insistent that a win is overdue.

"I believe very strongly that we have major winners in this group of golfers," he said. "I'm convinced that several of these guys will win majors, it's just a matter of time.

"You know, we play whatever it is, 50 weeks in a year? And there is only four majors, so you've got to be on top of your game that particular week because, if you're not, somebody else will be. But I'm convinced some of these guys will win majors."

Certainly, the way every one of Langer's team played, under the most intense pressure and on a difficult course, they'd almost wish that Oakland Hills would play host to a major championship sooner rather than later. In fact, they'll have to wait until 2008 when the US PGA is staged there.

"There's no egos, no special people on this team," said Lee Westwood, who, along with Sergio Garcia, emerged with four-and-a-half points from a possible five.

Yet, Padraig Harrington won four from five; Darren Clarke three-and-a- half from five; Colin Montgomerie three from four; Paul McGinley two-and-a-half from three, and Luke Donald two-and-a-half from four to be the bedrock for Europe's success. As a team, they were something special.

For McGinley, it was further confirmation his game has moved to a new level. "Last month's US PGA (at Whistling Straits) was the first time I really competed on a brutal course (in a major), and I seem to perform well the tougher the conditions.

"My difficulty has been getting into the majors and big tournaments, but I'm now moving in the right direction," said McGinley, who is qualified to play in next week's American Express championship at Mount Juliet.

"You know, I don't think people fully realise how fantastic it is that we have two guys, Padraig and Darren, ranked in the top 15 in the world. It's unbelievable, and they're unbelievable and they're dragging me along. And you've also got a player like Graeme McDowell coming on. It's really quite possible that we could have four players on the team for the Ryder Cup at The K Club and we'll all be trying our very best to make it," said McGinley, who intends to take a week's break from competition.

Among his plans is to attend Sunday's All-Ireland football final.

Clarke is also taking a week's break before returning to action at Mount Juliet, but Harrington has entered for the Heritage tournament at Woburn this week where other Irish players in action will be McDowell, Peter Lawrie, Gary Murphy and Damien McGrane.

In his third Ryder Cup, Harrington emerged as a genuine on-course leader and he agreed he "performed well, because of my higher level of experience".

In broader terms, the Dubliner believed European golf is "getting stronger and stronger. The younger guys who had their role models in the '70s and '80s are coming through now, and what we need to do now is go out and win majors.

"That's the missing link, but we have the firepower now to go out and do it."

Phil Mickelson, who had a dismal Ryder Cup, taking just one point from four matches, claimed that Garcia, at 24 the youngest of the European team but with a fine record of 10 wins, two halved matches and only three losses in three Ryder Cup appearances, was destined to win a major.

"I know a lot about that," said Mickelson, who won his first major at the Masters in April. "The only thing he's lacking is enough opportunities. But he'll get enough chances one day that he will win a major."

For now, though, the result of this Ryder Cup performance will leave an after-glow, not least for the three Irish players - Clarke, Harrington and McGinley - who contributed mightily to the overall win.