Europe wins Ryder Cup 15-13 after U.S. Sunday surge

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- Two years ago in Italy, a jubilant Rory McIlroy made a bold guarantee.

"I think one of the biggest accomplishments in golf right now is winning an away Ryder Cup," McIlroy said. "And that's what we're going to do at Bethpage."

It took far, far longer than the crowds expected, but consider the promise fulfilled.

Shane Lowry of Ireland drained a 6-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole, and Team Europe survived a near-unprecedented rally by the United States team to prevail 15-13 and hoist the 45th Ryder Cup on Sunday at Bethpage Black.

As defending champions, the Europeans needed to reach 14 points to ensure the Cup stayed with them. It took till Lowry's match, the eighth of the day, for that to happen.

England's Tyrrell Hatton pushed his team to the 14 1/2 mark required to win outright by halving with Collin Morikawa -- nearly five hours and 45 minutes after singles began. Robert MacIntyre of Scotland won his final hole against Sam Burns to split the final match.

The Americans were outplayed throughout Friday and Saturday and needed 10 of an available 12 points to pull off the largest comeback in Ryder Cup history. They wound up dominating singles 8 1/2-3 1/2; the only European player to win his match was Sweden's Ludvig Aberg, 2 and 1 over Patrick Cantlay.

It marks Team Europe's 11th win in the last 15 Ryder Cups and its second in a row under captain Luke Donald of England.

The result also ended a five-match winning streak for the hosts in the event. No visiting team had won the Ryder Cup since Europe's "Miracle at Medinah" comeback in 2012.

With clutch performances from Cameron Young, Justin Thomas and Scottie Scheffler -- who earned his first point after an 0-4-0 start -- the Americans and first-time captain Keegan Bradley ensured a more forgiving margin than their 16 1/2-11 1/2 loss in 2023. Still, the United States will have plenty to address before the 2027 Ryder Cup in Ireland, having resoundingly lost the first four sessions as the home team.

Russell Henley was Lowry's singles opponent and was 1 up through 16 holes. At No. 17, he missed a birdie that could have put away the match. Henley then hit a remarkable shot from the sand onto the 18th green, only to miss another 10-footer that would have sealed his victory.

Lowry holed his short putt to snag the half-point, and several teammates joined him on the green in raucous celebration.

Europe entered the day leading 11 1/2 points to 4 1/2, but the score changed to 12-5 before a match started.

Norway's Viktor Hovland withdrew from singles after hurting his neck Saturday morning and being unable to move it when he awoke Sunday. The U.S. took Harris English out of the lineup under the event's rarely used "envelope rule," and the match counted as a draw.

The first three matches played out in dramatic fashion and were all square when they reached the 18th hole.

New York native Young won the opening match against English stalwart Justin Rose, 1 up, on a 12-foot birdie putt. Thomas dropped his putter and exploded in celebration when he made birdie from the same distance to prevail 1 up against England's Tommy Fleetwood -- who was 4-0-0 entering the day.

The biggest rally was from Bryson DeChambeau against England's Matt Fitzpatrick. DeChambeau went 5 down through seven holes but won Nos. 8 and 9 to take momentum to the back nine. He birdied Nos. 14 and 15, and the match was tied when Fitzpatrick's par save at the par-3 17th lipped out. But both players missed long birdie putts at No. 18 and they halved the match.

Xander Schauffele's 4-and-3 win over Spaniard Jon Rahm and Scheffler's 1-up win over McIlroy of Northern Ireland helped boost the Americans to 9 1/2 points, but Aberg earned the first -- and only -- European win to make it 13 1/2-10 1/2.

--Adam Zielonka, Field Level Media

--Field Level Media