Europe won the Ryder Cup away from home for the first time in 13 years after they survived a remarkable United States comeback on a dramatic Sunday in New York.
The visitors had started the day with an 11½-4½ lead at Bethpage but were made to battle on a nerve-shredding afternoon before Shane Lowry retained the trophy and Tyrrell Hatton sealed a 15-13 victory.
Needing ten points for the biggest comeback in Ryder Cup history, the U.S. won five of the top seven matches and with the contests down the order on a knife edge, so was the destination of the cup.
But Ludvig Åberg beat Patrick Cantlay 2&1 and Matt Fitzpatrick tied with Bryson DeChambeau to leave the stage clear for Lowry.
The Irishman had been two down with four to play against Russell Henley but a stunning approach to the 15th saw him go down the last knowing a win would retain the cup.
Henley found sand off the tee but hit a beautiful recovery to ten feet only to see Lowry get inside him on the same line.
The American left his effort short and Lowry holed from six feet before setting off dancing across the green before bursting into tears.
Hatton then hit a wonderful approach of his own into the last to tie with Collin Morikawa and seal a fifth European win on U.S. spoil since 1979.
Robert MacIntyre and Sam Burns shared a half in the anchor match but the rest of the matches all went the way of the United States.
The victory makes Luke Donald just the second European Captain after Tony Jacklin to win a Ryder Cup both home and away and makes it back-to-back wins after the 2023 victory at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club.
“It's been the most stressful 12 hours in my life,” said Donald. “Shout-out to the Americans, Keegan, his captaincy. I knew it would be tough. I didn't think they would be this tough on Sunday, they fought so hard, and all the respect to them.
“But this means a lot obviously to me and the team. We came here knowing that the task was very difficult. I couldn't be more proud of these guys and what they have gone through, how they have come together, how they are playing for history, how they are playing for the people that came before them, and now there will be talk for generations to come as someone going down in history. Couldn't be more proud.”
Scheffler finally got a win as he closed out a 1 UP win over McIlroy and the top four matches had all gone up the last in one of the most dramatic Ryder Cup Sundays in memory.
Bradley’s frontloading had seen his big guns play their part and while the U.S. dream was still alive, there was much work to do after Lowry hit that stunner into the 15th to cut Henley’s lead to one.
MacIntyre birdied the 13th to get back to tied and as Spaun closed out his win on the 17th, after starting the day looking at a potential record victory, Europe were now fighting for the half that would see them take the cup back across the Atlantic.
That looked less likely when Højgaard made a mess of the 15th to send Griffin 1 UP and Hatton missed a good chance win the same hole.
But the tension was finally released on a nerve-shredding afternoon as Lowry’s magic moment sealed the retention but the matches were not over.
MacIntyre three-putted the 15th to send Burns 1 UP and Griffin closed out Højgaard on the last before Hatton secured victory and MacIntyre won the last.
europeantour.com
Bryan Angus (edit)
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