What seemed destined to be a routine European triumph turned into a Ryder Cup classic Sunday, as Europe fended off a fierce late surge from the United States to seize golf’s biggest team prize in a tense 15-13 victory at Bethpage Black.
The Europeans, flawless for two days and needing just two points from Sunday’s 11 singles matches, were made to sweat as the Americans clawed back with relentless pressure.
“It’s got to be the most stressful 12 hours of my life,” admitted Europe’s captain Luke Donald, who became the first to win back-to-back Ryder Cups since Tony Jacklin in the 1980s. “We knew they’d be tough, but we didn’t think they’d be this tough.”
Relief finally arrived in the eighth match, when Ireland’s Shane Lowry rolled in a nervy six-foot birdie at the last to halve his duel with Russell Henley. That half-point nudged Europe to 14 and ensured the cup, won two years ago in Rome, would stay in their hands.
“I said to my caddie walking down 18, ‘I've got an opportunity to do the greatest thing I've ever done today,’ and I did it. And I'm very proud of myself,” Lowry said.
Then it was Englishman Tyrrell Hatton, in the penultimate match, who secured the outright victory with a half-point from his battle with Collin Morikawa that put Europe at the 14.5 points needed to win the Ryder Cup.
“It’s been one of the hardest days I’ve ever experienced on a golf course,” Hatton said after the closest Ryder Cup since the “Miracle at Medinah” in 2012, when Europe staged a remarkable final-day comeback.
“It was to be expected. They’re amazing players – selfishly, I was hoping it wouldn’t have to come down to me.”
Europe has now won 11 of the last 15 Ryder Cups dating back to 1995, and their latest triumph marks the fifth time they have won on foreign soil.
The Americans, who even had U.S. President Donald Trump on hand to offer support Friday, failed to put up a fight over the first two days of the event, while rowdy home fans launched all manner of verbal abuse at the Europeans.
Despite the hostile conditions, Europe produced remarkable shot-making and clutch putting through the foursomes and fourball sessions, all while displaying a level of camaraderie and intensity the U.S. side could only dream of.
There was little reason to think Europe were not headed for a quick victory Sunday, and Donald’s team even made a fast start to the singles session – until things suddenly turned.
“The boys really fought today. That was incredible. I didn’t expect anything different,” said U.S. captain Keegan Bradley.
“They showed the world today that really anything is possible. That was a coin flip there for a second. Never more proud of anything in my life.”
Bradley sent Cameron Young and Justin Thomas out in the first two matches, and both birdied the final hole to secure 1-up victories over Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood, respectively, breathing some life into the Americans’ chances.
“That’s the momentum we’ve been looking for the whole week. We just made it a day too late,” Thomas said.
Xander Schauffele added another U.S. point with a 4&3 win over Spaniard Jon Rahm before Swede Ludvig Åberg finally put some blue on the board with a 2&1 win over Patrick Cantlay, marking the only singles match won by Europe all day.
Moments later, Matt Fitzpatrick, who was 5-up after seven holes, settled for a half-point when he halved his match with Bryson DeChambeau, putting Europe half a point from retaining the cup with six matches still on the course.
But Europe were made to wait as Scottie Scheffler took the next point with a 1-up win over Rory McIlroy in the first-ever Ryder Cup singles match between the top two players in the Official World Golf Ranking.
J.J. Spaun then closed out a 2&1 win over Austria’s Sepp Straka to set the stage for Lowry, who birdied from six feet at the last to earn the half-point against Russell Henley.
Shortly after, Hatton settled for a par on the closing hole to halve the match and kick off the celebrations. The final match on the schedule was ruled a tie before the day’s matches began, resulting in a half-point for each team, as Europe’s Viktor Hovland withdrew ahead of the clash with Harris English due to injury.
For McIlroy, who was the target of much of the verbal abuse all week, Europe’s win made good on his bold prediction after the last Ryder Cup that they could win on the road this year.
“It’s nice to be right. I’m not right all the time,” McIlroy said. “I have absolute confidence in this team.
“I think we won in Rome, and the wheels were set in motion to try to do something that had not been done in over a decade.”
