FARMINGDALE, NY. Going into the final day of the 45th Ryder Cup matches, team USA was facing total humiliation. Expecting to be in the lead position with the 12 singles matches to be played but quite the contrary, the team trailed by a record seven points — 11½ to 4½.
A furious comeback had the USA earning a record tying 8.5 points in the singles matches but the momentum was stopped dead in its tracks when Irishman Shane Lowry secured the Cup by making an 18th hole birdie from seven feet and securing a tie against Russell Henley. That pivotal half point provided the critical 14th point and assured Europe would retain the prized Ryder Cup trophy with the eventual final score 15-13.
Henley had two opportunities to close out Lowry at the 17th and 18th holes but both birdie efforts failed. The final one coming after playing a brilliant fairway bunker approach shot to ten feet and then missing short with the putt and leaving the pathway for Lowry to take center stage.
Europe has now won 11 of the last 15 matches and 9 of the last 12. The Americans also lost for the first time on home soil since 2012 when the Europeans overcame a 10-6 deficit the final day and claimed the Cup with the “Miracle at Medinah.”
Since 1987, there have been ten Cup matches hosted by the USA, however, Europe has won five times. The last time an American team won on Europe soil was 1993.
Before the matches began Sunday European team member Viktor Hovland* was unable to play because of a serious neck injury and, by Ryder Cup rules, a half-point was awarded to both sides with American Harris English sitting out play.
Going into the final 11 singles matches the USA was seeking to break the record comeback of four-points in reclaiming the Cup.
Matters started positively when key birdie putts were made at the final hole. Cameron Young was paired in the opening match against Justin Rose. The American built up a 3-hole lead before the Englishman made a furious comeback. Going into the final hole with the match tied, both men had birdie putts at the final hole. Rose missed from 15-feet before Young secured the much-needed point in sinking a 10-foot putt.
In the very next match, Justin Thomas overcame Tommy Fleetwood by sinking a 15-foot birdie putt, also at the final hole, for another USA victory.
In the next match Bryson DeChambeau overcame a five-hole deficit and secured a half point against Matthew Fitzpatrick.
Scottie Scheffler wins only one match?The world-ranked number one player finally earned a victory on the final day and while the win against his leading rival Rory McIlroy was satisfying the reality is that Scheffler’s performance was clearly underwhelming (1-4-0). Including his performance at the 2023 event in Rome his cumulative record stands at 1-6-2. Did anyone expect the four-time major winner to produce only one victory at Bethpage? |
Scheffler’s victory over McIlroy meant there were seven matches remaining and the USA was in a good position given the relative position each American had in their respective matches.
When Ludvig Åberg defeated Patrick Cantlay, the Europeans were only a half a point from winning the cup. However, wins by Xander Schauffele over Jon Rahm and J.J. Spaun over Sepp Straka kept matters quite interesting.
The Henley / Lowry match proved pivotal as the American was in command coming down the stretch but unable to secure the critical win.
When Lowry sank the winning putt the sheer jubilation from the Irishman was front and center as his fellow teammates joined him on the green at the 18th.
What happened to Bethpage Black?No less than three holes (1, 15 and 17) were played from forward tee positions to accommodate grandstands erected. In addition, the rough just off the fairways was benign when compared to similar situations when the Black played host to two US Opens (2002 and 2009) and the PGA Championship (2019). The main issue stemmed with the putting surfaces. The greens on the Black are fairly flat with only a few exceptions and they were also soft allowing just about any shot to stay in place after landing. |
European Captain Luke Donald joined Tony Jacklin as the only two skippers winning two consecutive matches. The Englishman piloted the winning effort in Rome in 2023 and he smartly used the playbook from those matches as the guide post for what happened at Bethpage.
This year’s final score was the closest since the 2012 event at Medinah. For the USA the inability to get off to a good start in foursomes play — similar to what happened in Rome — placed the team in a tougher position as Europe would win the first four sessions.
The failure of the USA to win on home soil will be much discussed. When the squad lost the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in 2014 there was pushback from certain players — Phil Mickelson notably — that key decisions were made elsewhere and not in consultation with the chosen team members.
Fan behavior causes disruptionThe pairing of Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry were heckled and jeered by a small grouping of people who attended their four-ball match Saturday afternoon. McIlroy pushed back and verbalized an expletive in return as he attempted to play a shot. Additional security was put in place by the PGA of America and two fans were escorted from the premises. |
The match at Bethpage was supposed to be the ideal venue for the USA to reclaim the Cup. That did not happen and the manner in which matters proceed ahead will be of immense interest.
Will Keegan Bradley return as Captain? That seems unlikely and there will be a ramping up to secure Tiger Woods to be at the helm when the matches come to Ireland in 2027.
Losing a Ryder Cup match invariably raises a number of hurdles and question marks for the side that comes up short. Credit the USA for the effort demonstrated during the singles matches. However, moral victories do not mean much in the world of professional sports.
Europe keeps possession of the most noted team trophy of golf. The matches reconvene at Adare Manor in two years.
Related: Tommy Fleetwood wins Nicklaus-Jacklin Award
Sunday Singles |
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| USA 13 | vs. | Europe 15 | |||
| Match 1 | Cameron Young | < | 1 Up | Justin Rose | |
| Match 2 | Justin Thomas | < | 1 Up |
Tommy Fleetwood
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| Match 3 |
Bryson DeChambeau
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Tied | Matt Fitzpatrick | ||
| Match 4 | Scottie Scheffler | < | 1 Up | Rory McIlroy | |
| Match 5 | Patrick Cantlay | 2&1 | > | Ludvig Åberg | |
| Match 6 | Xander Schauffele | < | 4&3 | Jon Rahm | |
| Match 7 | J.J. Spaun | < | 2&1 | Sepp Straka | |
| Match 8 | Russell Henley | Tied | Shane Lowry | ||
| Match 9 | Ben Griffin | < | 1 Up |
Rasmus Højgaard
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| Match 10 | Collin Morikawa | Tied | Tyrrell Hatton | ||
| Match 11 | Sam Burns | Tied |
Robert MacIntyre
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| Match 12 | Harris English | Tied | Viktor Hovland* | ||
Related: Sunday Singles results & notes – Europe wins 15-13
*Viktor Hovland Injury Withdrawal
Viktor Hovland from Team Europe was unable to play in the Sunday Singles Matches due to injury. The substitution Rule 3.d) of the Ryder Cup Captains’ Agreement (full text below) requires each Team Captain to provide the name of one player, in the sealed envelope, who will not play in the case of an injury to a member of the other team.
The USA Team player was Harris English and under the Ryder Cup Captains’ Agreement the Match between Viktor Hovland and Harris English was treated as tied (½ point to each team).
“3.d) When the Captains lodge their team selection for singles play, they must provide a sealed envelope containing the name of one player who is regarded as having been paired with a player who, through illness, injury or other emergency reason, has to withdraw from the other side. Such pairing is regarded as a tied match. If this requires the re-pairing of a match, this will be done down the order of the play.”
