Europe wins the Ryder Cup and reasserts its dominance over the Americans

Doug Ferguson · The Associated Press

· Posted: Sep 28, 2025 6:45 PM EDT | Last Updated: September 29

Staked to the largest pb successful history, Europe afloat expected to triumph the Ryder Cup connected Sunday. The astonishment was however overmuch emotion poured retired of the squad connected a last time that produced a furious American complaint and, ultimately, different Irish hero.

What looked to beryllium lone a substance of clip earlier the European solemnisation was connected turned into tense glances astatine the scorecard arsenic the unruly assemblage astatine Bethpage Black yet had a U.S. squad to cheer for alternatively of against.

It went from looking intolerable to improbable to conscionable maybe.

And past Shane Lowry, who endured truthful overmuch maltreatment from a hostile and vulgar New York crowd, had the past word. He holed a 6-foot birdie putt against Russell Henley to gain the half-point Europe needed to marque definite it kept that 17-inch golden chalice.

He couldn't incorporate himself, pumping his fists and spinning astir the greenish and squeezing each teammate helium could find. He recalled telling his caddie arsenic they walked up the 18th fairway, "I person a accidental to bash the coolest happening successful my beingness here."

Ditto for each of Europe. Even a person telephone than imagined did not instrumentality distant from a reminder who dominates these matches. Europe has won 11 times successful the past 14 Ryder Cups, and this was its 5th clip winning connected U.S. ungraded successful the past 10 tries.

"They'll beryllium talking astir this squad for a agelong time," Luke Donald said aft joining Tony Jacklin (1985 and 1987) arsenic the lone European captains to triumph backmost to back.

Tyrrell Hatton, unbeaten successful 4 matches, earned a halve against Collin Morikawa that made Europe an outright winner.

The last people — Europe 15, United States 13 — was the lone existent surprise.

"Shoutout to the Americans," Donald said, his players draped successful flags of their location countries. "We knew they'd beryllium tough. I didn't deliberation they would beryllium this pugnacious connected Sunday. They fought truthful hard, and each the respect to them.

The Americans astatine slightest showed a pulse and made their opponents sweat much than anyone imagined, storming backmost from a seven-point deficit. No squad ever won from much than 4 points down going into the 12 singles matches.

There was a infinitesimal wherever a comeback really looked possible.

Cameron Young and Justin Thomas won matches connected the 18th hole. Bryson DeChambeau charged from 5 down to gain a halve. Scottie Scheffler avoided getting blanked by winning his heavyweight lucifer against Rory McIlroy.

"Obviously this is an utmost agelong shot," Thomas said. "I'm gladsome Cam and I could decorativeness similar that to astatine slightest springiness america a small hope."

Another constituent came from Xander Schauffele successful the shortest lucifer of the day, 4 and 3, implicit Jon Rahm. U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun won his match. Except for Ludvig Åberg taking down Patrick Cantlay, determination was nary European bluish anyplace to beryllium found. All they needed was a half-point.

His last putt volition enactment him alongside different Irishmen who person produced Ryder Cup heroics — Graeme McDowell astatine Celtic Manor successful 2010, Darren Clarke and his affectional week astatine The K Club, Paul McGinley astatine The Belfry successful 2002.

"We gave it a bully fight, that's for sure," U.S. skipper Keegan Bradley said.

The Americans tied a Ryder Cup grounds by winning 8 1/2 points from the 12 singles matches. They needed 10 points.

The Americans inactive person a 27-16-2 pb successful the bid that day to 1927, but the modern Ryder Cup didn't commencement until 1979 erstwhile continental Europe was invited to the party. Since then, Europe has captured the cupful 13 retired of 19 times.

McIlroy had said winning a roadworthy Ryder Cup was among the biggest accomplishments successful golf. It's conscionable not each that unusual. Europe has won 5 of the past 10 distant from home.

Europe's champion players starred astatine Bethpage Black adjacent arsenic New York fans hurled abuse, gathering a grounds seven-point pb going into the 12 singles matches.

That meant the Americans had to triumph 9 of the 11 matches and halve different and they enactment up an astonishing fight, yet proceeding cheers for the U.S. alternatively of lone vitriol toward Europe.

"The Europeans won 1 lucifer today. You deliberation astir the likelihood of thing similar that happening," Bradley said.

The harm was done agelong before, erstwhile Scheffler and DeChambeau combined to nutrient 1 constituent betwixt them implicit 4 matches. Bradley said his 1 regret mightiness beryllium the mode helium acceptable up the course. Bethpage Black has a estimation of being a beast, but the unsmooth was trimmed backmost and past dense rainfall during the week made the greens soft.

"We tried to acceptable the people up to assistance our team. Obviously it wasn't the close decision," Bradley said. "I decidedly made a mistake connected the people setup. I should person listened a small spot much to my intuition."

There were birdies galore, a rarity astatine the Black Course. There was hostility from the crowd, emblematic of this portion and this nationalist play course.

And determination was a European celebration, which is becoming each excessively familiar.