"But we put who we thought was our hot players up front and we put who we thought was our steady players in the back that would get us points."

Love's game plan started to unravel from the start of the singles on Sunday.

The Europeans came out with plenty of fire and went on to win eight of 12 singles matches for a 14-1/2 to 13-1/2 total to equal the greatest final-day comeback in Ryder Cup history.

Europe were able to turn the tables on the Americans who recorded a similar comeback in 1999 in Brookline, Massachusetts by overcoming a 6-10 deficit.

But this one stings because it happened on US soil.

"Anytime you lose a segment that badly, it is going to cost you the Ryder Cup," Love said. "It's exactly the same, same score. They came back and won.

"Give them a lot of credit; they played very, very well.

"They had a couple of hot streaks the first two days that kept them in it. Ian's [Poulter] hot streak at the end there yesterday gave them some confidence, and I know they built on that."

Love was given the captain's job after winning six caps and serving as one of Corey Pavin's assistants two years ago.

Love said they didn't get the start they had hoped for on Sunday from their big guns, Bubba Watson, Webb Simpson and Keegan Bradley, who all lost their singles matches.

"Guys that started hot the first couple days did not start hot today," Love said.

"We all thought it would come down to Jason Dufner, and he played very, very well. We just got a couple matches flipped there in the middle that cost us."

Love, who played in six Ryder Cups, knows he will be second guessed for some of his decisions this week, including benching the red-hot duo of Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley in the Saturday afternoon fourballs.

"We all went to plan. We were four ahead. The plan worked the first two days, it just didn't work today," said Love, who played in the 1999 Ryder Cup.

"I wouldn't have done anything different."