There’s something about writing on a train that imbues the whole process with a degree of romanticism.

Sitting on the Rome to Milan rattler yesterday with my laptop out and my fingers gliding over the keys like Liberace tinkling his ivories, I was inspired by the pace of travel, the sound of the wheels on the track and the gentle sway of the carriages. Well, I was until I got my elbow dunted by the passing buffet cart.

As today’s back page offering slowly took shape – I tend to work at the pace of a bus replacement service rather than an express train – I felt a little bit like George Bradshaw piecing together his celebrated railway companions, guides and navigational compendiums.

What was it they said about the bold George’s admirable endeavours again? “Seldom has the gigantic intellect of man been employed upon a work of greater utility.” The likeness with the Tuesday column really is uncanny isn’t it?

Anyway, my week at the Ryder Cup is done and dusted. And it was quite the week. The bewildering sight of American caddie Joe LaCava bumbling around the 18th green on Saturday night, goading Rory McIlroy and ranting and remonstrating like a drunk that’s been denied entry to a taxi was quite something.

The subsequent footage of a seething McIlroy effing and blinding in the car park was, well, something else. Controversy reigned. In the end, though, it was Team Europe who reigned supreme.

When Europe finished the opening two session on Friday with a 6 ½ - 1 ½ lead, there were preposterous notions swirling around the media centre that their dominance would be so complete, the contest could be done and dusted by Saturday night.

I got thinking of a PGA Cup match I attended many moons ago when the US romped into a 15-1 lead against GB&I and had won the thing before the concluding 10 singles ties had even started. Such a rout didn’t transpire but the fact that some seasoned old scribes were looking at the scoreboards early on Saturday morning, shaking their heads and muttering, “this could be over tonight” was a startling development. Fortunately, it didn’t come to that.

The final scoreline was 16 ½ - 11 ½. Europe’s stars shone and delivered big moments and a big haul of points. The US big guns, meanwhile, were more like spud guns. Scottie Scheffler became the first world No 1 to fail to get a full point.

There hasn’t been a close-run thing in a Ryder Cup since 2012 and, with home advantage such a major factor, many have started lamenting the predictability of the transatlantic tussle. So, what do you do? Take it to a neutral venue? Some observers have suggested birling golf’s greatest team contest to various stages around the world. It’s a global game and there are vast markets to exploit.

Try selling that radical concept to Rory McIlroy, though. He’d probably square up to you in a car park. “I've said this for the last six or seven years that one of the biggest accomplishments in golf right now is winning an away Ryder Cup,” said McIlroy in the European press conference on Sunday night.

“And that's what we're going to do at Bethpage (in 2025).” When he finished that statement, McIlroy thumped the desk with a clenched fist. It’s a good job Joe LaCava wasn’t in the way. McIlroy has already got the bit between his teeth for the return encounter.

As for the skipper in two years’ time? McIlroy and the rest made it pretty clear that Luke Donald should keep the armband. And why not?

The diligent Englishman was so polished, it was like he was getting buffed up with a lint free cloth between sessions. He made a brief speech at the opening ceremony in Italian and got the locals on side. Zach Johnson, his US counterpart, had two attempts at getting ‘grazie’ right. The little things can count in a contest of fine margins.

For a long time in the European Ryder Cup set-up there was the kind of assumed line of succession that you’d get with a Royal family.

But the emergence of LIV, and the subsequent defection to the Saudi-backed series of a whole host of players with Ryder Cup captaincy credentials, like Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Graeme McDowell, put something of a spanner in the works.

There have been plenty of popular and successful captains in recent years who probably could’ve had another crack at it. Due to the burgeoning pile of potential candidates on the conveyor belt, though, they had to keep things moving swiftly along. Circumstances are different just now.

Donald, quite rightly, is basking in the glow of a glorious triumph. The fact he was asked to step into the role when Henrik Stenson was effectively sacked due to his LIV involvement has made his tenure even more impressive.

A double shift, then, would not be the worst idea in terms of continuity and cohesion. In the women’s game, Catriona Matthew was just about carried into a second term on a sedan chair after captaining Europe to a thrilling Solheim Cup win in 2019. She led them to glory again in 2021 and burnished her colossal standing.

As for Europe’s Ryder team? Well, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.