Skipper Darren Clarke said Europe prepared as well as they could but were simply beaten by the better team, as the United States won back the Ryder Cup in Minnesota on Sunday.
The hosts were dominant on singles day, wrapping up a 17-11 victory at Hazeltine, to regain the trophy for the first time in eight years.
Although Clarke looked and sounded dejected, he told Sky Sports News HQ there were no regrets: "Everything we came here to do we implemented.
"You can fully prepare but when we got out on the golf course the Americans just played better, holed a few more putts and that's what happens in the Ryder Cup.
"Hindsight is wonderful but we all felt, myself and vice-captains too, we put out our stronger options at the time but we were not quite good enough.
"We made a nightmare start and it was always going to be difficult after that. But the players showed their desire and commitment, pride for playing for Europe but we were not quite good enough. But they can walk tall. I'm hurting, as are all the guys."
And Clarke admitted that a partisan home crowd is part and parcel of the Ryder Cup, and had no complaints: "There were one or two idiots and it's always challenging for the away team but 99.9% of fans were good and it'll be very pro-Europe next time in Paris."