Summary:
- Team Europe held off a late American surge to win 15-13 and grab the coveted Ryder Cup.
- Shane Lowry’s clutch birdie and Tyrrell Hatton’s tie secured victory.
- Luke Donald became only the second European captain to win back-to-back Cups.
Team Europe managed to hold off a dramatic late charge from the United States and win the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black with a historically tight 15-13 victory.
Luke Donald’s players had done the heavy lifting early, dominating the opening sessions to build an 11.5-4.5 lead, the largest ever for a European side heading into the final day. They needed only three points on Sunday to clinch the trophy. Their task became even easier when Viktor Hovland withdrew with a neck injury, and his scheduled match with Harris English was declared a tie according to the captain’s “envelope agreement”.
However, what initially seemed like a smooth path quickly turned tense, as the Americans weren’t going to go down without a proper fight. Accordingly, they came out swinging, winning five of the first seven singles matches to put Europe on edge.
For a while, Keegan Bradley’s team threatened to pull off the biggest comeback in Ryder Cup history. Relief came when Ludvig Åberg beat Patrick Cantlay 2&1 to put Europe on the board, and Shane Lowry delivered one of the biggest moments of his career by sinking a decisive birdie on the 18th hole against Russell Henley.
I was nervous but I felt like this is where I belong. It’s something that I’ll remember forever. My brother had a baby boy today, as well. They will be sitting at home watching this, it’s unbelievable.
Tyrrell Hatton’s tie with Collin Morikawa sealed the half-point needed to push Europe over the line at 14.5, guaranteeing the trophy would return across the Atlantic. Bob MacIntyre then closed out his match with Sam Burns to give Europe the final 15-13 score.
Rory McIlroy: We Shut Them Up By Our Performance.”
As expected, the victory triggered many emotional scenes, with Lowry, who joined the list of Irish golfers with Ryder Cup-clinching putts, calling it “the best day ever”.
Rory McIlroy, who endured heckling from the crowd all week, put it simply:
It was a rough week for all of us. But at the same time, we shut them up by our performance.
Donald, only the second European captain after Tony Jacklin to win back-to-back Ryder Cups, admitted the nerves took their toll.
It has been the most stressful 12 hours of my life,” he said. “This means a lot obviously to me and the team. I couldn’t be more proud of these guys.
The Ryder Cup will next be played at Adare Manor in Ireland in 2027, marking the 100th anniversary of golf’s greatest team competition.