Two points. Two miserly points from 11 singles matches. On paper, that looks simple enough to dismiss. In reality, it nearly became one of the great sporting collapses of our time. Anybody in doubt about that need only ask Luke Donald.
Under the blaring New York sun at Bethpage Black, a Ryder Cup for the ages broke out. The United States, trailing and seemingly resigned to Europe’s juggernaut, summoned a final-day fightback that rattled the visitors to their core. The famous gold trophy stayed in European hands, but only after Shane Lowry – with the weight of a golfing continent on his shoulders – rolled in a nerveless six-footer on the 18th green to secure the half-point that guaranteed victory. The final score: Europe 15, USA 13. The scoreline won’t reveal the collective exhale that accompanied Lowry’s putt.
For the Offaly man, it was a moment to rival his Open Championship win at Royal Portrush in 2019. “That was the hardest couple of hours of my whole life,” an emotional Lowry admitted. “I can’t believe that putt went in. The Ryder Cup means everything to me.” When he stepped onto the final tee, Europe were not leading in a single live match. Russell Henley looked set to pile on the pressure with a bunker brilliance at 18 – only to leave his birdie putt short. Lowry seized the hour, and with it, the Cup.
This was a triumph not just of talent but of Donald’s meticulous planning. And yet, it also comes with a footnote that golf cannot ignore. The behaviour of sections of the New York crowd, directed at Europe across three fiery days, crossed a line. Abuse, heckling, and a whiff of yob culture stained an event that has long prided itself on respect and sportsmanship. The Ryder Cup is theatre, but not football terrace theatre. Adare Manor in 2027 will need to set a different tone.
Rory McIlroy, so often Europe’s heartbeat, felt the brunt of it. His eventual defeat to world No.1 Scottie Scheffler owed much to sheer exhaustion after three days of hostile treatment. “Disgraceful,” was the whispered verdict from within the European camp.
If the Cup was won by Lowry, the day was defined by wild swings of momentum. Justin Rose, embroiled in a 15-minute ruling dispute on the 13th, silenced Keegan Bradley’s complaints by conjuring a miraculous recovery shot to six feet and flipping his duel with Cameron Young. Young eventually steadied to take the point, but the theatre of Rose’s escape will live long.
The Americans, for so long passive, turned into predators. Young struck first blood. Justin Thomas edged Tommy Fleetwood. Bryson DeChambeau, five down after seven against Matt Fitzpatrick, clawed back half a point. Scheffler added a point against McIlroy. Suddenly the leaderboard was drenched in red.
Only Ludvig Åberg, the unflappable Swedish rookie, provided light relief for Donald with a 2&1 win over Patrick Cantlay. Otherwise, the story was of US dominance. Xander Schauffele stunned Jon Rahm. JJ Spaun toppled Sepp Straka. Rasmus Højgaard faltered against Ben Griffin. Tyrrell Hatton halved with Collin Morikawa. And Robert MacIntyre’s match with Sam Burns went to the wire, ending all square after Burns three-putted the last. Europe, incredibly, scraped just one win from the entire singles session.
Even Viktor Hovland’s enforced absence – a neck injury sidelining one of Europe’s stars – became part of the drama. Under the rarely invoked envelope rule, Harris English was scratched from the US lineup, handing both sides half a point. It was met, inevitably, with jeers aimed at Hovland as he walked the fairways in civilian clothes.
Europe will celebrate, as they should. Donald masterminded a victory against a powerhouse American side and preserved European dominance on home soil. But Bethpage Black showed just how fine the margins are. The Ryder Cup has rarely felt more alive, more visceral, or more vulnerable to tipping into chaos.
The scoreline says 15-13. History will call it a European win. But those who were there, and those who watched with hearts pounding, will remember the breathlessness. And they’ll remember Shane Lowry’s putt – the one that kept a continent on its feet.
My Goat Sports 