The story of the 2025 Ryder Cup will capture how one team built an insurmountable lead while the other staged an almost miraculous comeback. In the end, Team Europe still retained the Ryder Cup, 15-13, after withstanding an American storm on Sunday at the unforgiving Bethpage Black course. This is Europe’s first victory on American soil since 2012, and it still keeps Europe on its dominant stretch in the event.
The Stage: A Historic Lead
For the American team, the situation going into the final day of the Ryder Cup was bleak. During the team sessions, Europe ended up with a staggering 11.5 – 5.5 lead, the largest in the history of the competition going into Sunday Singles. The atmosphere was electric, with the European fans almost convinced the cup was secured.
Europe’s strong position continued into Sunday without needing a single victory. Viktor Hovland could not play his Singles match because of a neck injury that flared earlier on Saturday. His American counterpart, Harris English, also did not play, and the match was declared a tie, both teams receiving a half-point. Europe needed two points from the remaining eleven matches to clinch the Ryder Cup, 14-6, and take Europe’s 2023 Ryder Cup.
The Collapse: American Charge
This was the start of the comeback, and one of the best, in Ryder Cup history. The United States team, motivated by the cheering, sold-out home crowd, showed unprecedented enthusiasm and changed the score to a dominating “red.”
The American front was led by Cameron Young, who played first. He made a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to beat Justin Rose 1-up. Justin Thomas seconded this, coming from behind to beat Tommy Fleetwood with an 11-foot birdie on the last hole. Adding to this, Scottie Scheffler, the world’s number one golfer, earned his first point by winning a tightly contested match against Rory McIlroy 1-up.
Other American points came from Xander Schauffele, who comfortably beat Jon Rahm 4 & 3, and J.J. Spaun, who had a crucial 2 & 1 win against Sepp Straka. As the matches drew to a close, the previously anticipated win for Europe was slowly turning to a possible loss.
The Heroes: Åberg’s Poise and Lowry’s Clutch Putt
Europe was feeling the pressure from the Americans, and they needed steady hands. These were Lukvid Åberg’s hands, the only European to claim a full point victory in the Singles session. The Swedish star was 1-up the whole match, finishing with a 2-up win over Patrick Cantlay, earning Europe the crucial point toward victory.
Yet, the defining moment of the 2025 Ryder Cup was undoubtedly Shane Lowry’s. In his match against Russell Henley, Lowry was 2-down with 4 holes to play and needed to win the last 3 by birdie. With the entire Ryder Cup on the line, Lowry cooly finished with a birdie on the 18th, sliding in a 6-foot putt to tie his match.
Lowry celebrated with joy when he received the half-point. His teammates ran to congratulate him, and he vividly recalled the moment, telling his caddie while walking up the 18th fairway, “I have a chance to do the coolest thing in my life here.”
The Most Decisive Matches Ryder Cup 2023
The following matches highlighted the history of this Ryder Cup:
| Players | Result | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Shane Lowry (EUR) vs. Russell Henley (USA) | Tied | Retained the Ryder Cup for Europe with a clutch birdie on 18. |
| Ludvig Åberg (EUR) vs. Patrick Cantlay (USA) | Europe, 2-up | Europe’s only full Singles win; provided a critical point under pressure. |
| Tyrrell Hatton (EUR) vs. Collin Morikawa (USA) | Tied | Earned the half-point that made Europe the outright winner of the Ryder Cup. |
| Cameron Young (USA) vs. Justin Rose (EUR) | USA, 1-up | ignited the American comeback with a birdie putt on the 18th hole. |
Captain’s Corner: Donald’s Victory and Bradley’s Disappointment
History was made by the Captain of Europe for the Ryder Cup, Luke Donald, as he became the second European Captain to win back to back Ryder Cups alongside Tony Jacklin. He remarked on the dedication of the staff and players: “They’ll be talking about this team for a long time… We came here knowing that the task was going to be very difficult and I couldn’t be more proud of these guys.”
Keegan Bradley, Captain of the U.S. team, experienced a heartbreaking loss and publicly acknowledged that he felt the most remorse about the course setup of Bethpage Black. He argued that the US team would have preferred a tougher, more punishing course, and that draining roughs and softening the greens was a miscalculation of team Bradley’s capabilities. He faced other criticism for a Saturday foursomes pairing of Harris English and Collin Morikawa, which was labeled as the most suboptimal American pairing by analytics and culminated in a pair of losses to the same European team.
A Legacy of Dominance in Ryder Cup
This further establishes Europe’s modern dominance in the Ryder Cup. Since continental Europe entered the competition in 1979, the team has now lifted the cup 13 out of 19 times. This was the fifth time in the last ten attempts that Europe won the Ryder Cup on U.S. soil. This proves they can win in “hostile” environments, further solidifying their Ryder Cup record.
Expectations for the 2027 Ryder Cup
Now that the 2025 Ryder Cup is finished, the world of golf has its focus on the 2027 edition. It will be in Adare Manor, Limerick, Ireland. Europe will be aiming for their third on home soil in a row, while the U.S. will be in search for 2 years on how to win back the coveted trophy.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/sport/live-news/golf-ryder-cup-sunday
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