Farmingdale, N.Y. – In a thriller that will be etched into Ryder Cup lore, Team Europe withstood a ferocious American comeback to claim a 15-13 victory at Bethpage Black, securing back-to-back triumphs and denying the U.S. a home-soil celebration for the first time since 2012.
The Europeans, led by captain Luke Donald, stormed to a commanding 11.5-4.5 lead after sweeping Friday’s foursomes and Saturday’s fourball sessions – the first road team to do so since the modern format began in 1979.
Stars like Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm dominated early, leaving U.S. captain Keegan Bradley’s squad reeling amid flat performances from big names, particularly world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.
Sunday’s singles turned into a pulse-pounding rally, with the Americans claiming 9.5 of 12 available points – the most in a singles session since 1979. Cameron Young birdied the 18th to edge Justin Rose 1-up, while Justin Thomas followed to beat Tommy Fleetwood in dramatic fashion.
Bryson Dechambeau, down by 5 after just 7 holes, made a thrilling comeback to tie Matt Fitzpatrick.
Xander Schauffele and J.J. Spaun also notched key wins to pull the U.S. even closer.
But the historic comeback ended in one of the later matches: Shane Lowry drained a clutch birdie putt on 18 to halve his duel with Russell Henley, clinching the 14th point needed to retain the Cup.
Ties in the final two matches from Tyrrell Hatton and Robert MacIntyre, sealed the deal, pushing Europe’s total to 15.
Lowry (1-0-2) and Hatton (3-0-1) emerged as the only undefeated Europeans, while Tommy Fleetwood (4-1-0) earned the most points and claimed the Nicklaus-Jacklin Sportsmanship Award for his exemplary sportsmanship.
Post-match, Bradley called for format tweaks around injuries after Viktor Hovland withdrew with a neck injury (triggering the rare “envelope rule” for a controversial halved point). But the focus shifted to Europe’s resilience – their third straight win if they hold in 2027 at Adare Manor, Ireland.
The rowdy Bethpage crowds added edge-of-your-seat tension, though some criticized the atmosphere for crossing into unsportsmanlike territory. As Donald eyes a third captaincy, the golf world buzzes: Can the U.S. rebound? Or is Europe’s dynasty just beginning?
