Two points. Two miserly points from 11 matches. So easy to say, much harder to actually accomplish. Anybody in any doubt about that need only ask Luke Donald.
A Ryder Cup broke out under the blaring sun at Bethpage Black on Sunday. The competitive spirit summoned by the United States of America ultimately was not enough to rip the 17-inch trophy back from Europeâ€s grasp but wow, did they give Donald and his players a shuddering fright. A singles session that started with the visitors eyeing a procession and record breaking was dominated by Keegan Bradleyâ€s US team. Donald surely feared one of the worst sporting capitulations of our time. How would they recover? How would Europeâ€s golfers ever recover?
They have been spared that nightmare. It was not Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose or Tommy Fleetwood who carried Europe over the line at Bethpage. Instead, Donald and his players collapsed in an exhausted heap as Shane Lowry holed out from 6ft on the final green of match eight to ensure at least a draw. The record books will show a European win, 15-13. They will not depict the breathlessness.
For Lowry, this was as epic a moment as when he won the 2019 Open Championship. A golfing continent exhaled as Lowry danced across the putting surface with unbridled joy. “That was the hardest couple of hours of my whole life,†a tearful Lowry said. “ I canâ€t believe that putt went in. The Ryder Cup means everything to me.â€
How precarious this situation was can be explained by the fact that when Lowry took to the 18th tee, Europe held no lead in the four games left on the course. The Irishman was one down. Russell Henley hit a glorious bunker shot to set up a chance of sealing his point. Henley, incredibly, left his putt short. Cometh the hour, cometh the Offaly man.
This was, eventually, a triumph for Donaldâ€s diligence and planning. It should also, though, serve as a reference point for spectator behaviour. Too much of what transpired in New York, largely towards the visiting team, should never be seen at a Ryder Cup again. Golf should be proud of its failure to embrace a yobbish culture. It should recoil at the abuse dished out to Europe as they rampaged towards victory. Adare Manor in 2027 has to and surely will be totally different. McIlroyâ€s defeat by Scottie Scheffler was due in no small part to the mental exhaustion suffered by the Masters champion. The treatment of McIlroy over three days here was disgraceful.
Europe captain Luke Donald celebrates after Tyrrell Hatton halves his match on the 18th hole during the singles to win the Ryder Cup. Photograph: Paul Childs/Reuters
There was an on-course ruckus to add to the mix. Bradley became irritated by the drop given to Rose – or the time taken to decide on it – on the 13th, the Englishmanâ€s second shot to the par five having found a road. After a delay of about 15 minutes, with Bradley still chuntering in the ear of a referee, Rose played from scrubland at the back of a spectator stand; quite wonderfully, as it transpired. Roseâ€s shot finished within 6ft of the hole, from where he converted to pull one back against Cameron Young. As Rose won the 14th as well, Youngâ€s lead was suddenly under threat. Bradley continued to mump and moan. Young lightened his captainâ€s mood with an 11ft putt on the final green to snatch a point from game one.
Justin Thomas backed up Young by seeing off Fleetwood, again on the last. Bryson DeChambeau had been five down after seven to Matt Fitzpatrick but rescued half a point. “I love my country,†said DeChambeau, in typically understated fashion. Schefflerâ€s game with McIlroy also went the distance, the world No 1 signing off from what was overall a disappointing tournament on a high.
“This has been a really special team and itâ€s been a lot of fun,†Scheffler said. He is, however, clearly far more at home in individual battle. Light relief for Donald was supplied by Ludvig Ã…berg, who beat Patrick Cantlay 2&1. Half a point needed. Half a point!
Red was added to the leaderboard by Xander Schauffele, who defeated Jon Rahm, and JJ Spaunâ€s success over Sepp Straka. Europe were now firmly in squeaky bum territory. Rasmus Højgaard was struggling against Ben Griffin in the battle of the Ryder Cup rookies and Tyrrell Hatton was locked in a tense battle against Collin Morikawa. Could match 11 of 11, where Robert MacIntyre was taking on Sam Burns, really be pivotal? Lowry ended that notion. Griffin prevailed, Hatton halved with Morikawa, before Burns three-putted the last for the same result. Europe won just one singles game to the US half-dozen.
Europeâ€s Sunday task had been simplified further by the removal of Viktor Hovland from the singles because of a neck injury. In what was a rare example of the Ryder Cupâ€s envelope rule, the US player pre-determined by Bradley to sit out in a scenario such as this was revealed as Harris English. Both teams took half a point. In keeping with the tone of this competition, US fans heckled Hovland as he watched his teammates from the fairways. And, one assumes, between his fingernails.
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