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Ryder Cup
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The United States scored an emphatic 19-9 win over Europe at the 43rd Ryder Cup staged at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin. It was the first time since continental Europe joined the competition in 1979 that a team reached 19 points. The record-breaking score has earned Steve Stricker’s 12-man squad from the United States the praise as the best ever team assembled at the Ryder Cup. And, there’s every reason supporters of the Red, White and Blue can expect more Ryder Cup trophies in the years to come with the average age of this stellar group just 29 years.
The stunning Pete Dye-designed layout on the shores of Lake Michigan set the scene for the spectacular United States performance. And, it didn’t take long into the contest for a sea of red numbers to flood the scoreboard in the favour of the home team. The United States dominated both sessions on Friday with a 3-1 advantage to claim a strong lead after Day One 6-2. It was the United States' largest lead after the opening day since 1977, the last Ryder Cup before continental Europe was added to the mix. World No. 1 Jon Rahm and Ryder Cup veteran Sergio Garcia won the first Foursomes match over Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth. The United States won the other three morning contests. Rahm returned in the afternoon with Tyrell Hatton to figure in one of the two afternoon Fourball tied matches. The United States won the other two games.
Day Two started with the United States claiming their third consecutive 3-1 scoreline to move them to a comfortable 9-3 overall record. Once again, Europe’s pairing of Rahm and Garcia produced the goods, this time over Brooks Koepka and Ryder Cup debutant Daniel Berger. Rory McIlroy wasn’t selected in one of the four pairings for the morning Foursomes. It was the first time in his Ryder Cup career the Northern Irishman has missed a session. Now at his sixth Ryder Cup, McIlroy went 0-2 on Friday with both matches ending on the 15th green. The former world No. 1 returned for the afternoon Fourball session with Ian Poulter only to be defeated 4&3 by Dustin Johnson and Collin Morikawa. Both teams gained two points in the afternoon. The United States ended Day Two with a commanding 11-5 lead. It was the United States' largest lead entering singles against Europe and their biggest lead in the Ryder Cup since 1975.
The 12 Singles matches began with Europe needing to come back from the greatest deficit heading into Sunday’s final day. It was a tall order for Padraig Harrington’s men considering the wide differential between the two sides in world rankings. While the Europeans boasted the world No. 1, the United States team owned players ranked 2-7, 9-11, 13, 16 and 21. After Rahm at 1, Europe’s next best ranked players were Viktor Hovland at 14 and Rory McIlroy at 15. In the end, the task for the European players on grass was as formidable as it appeared on paper with the United States gaining seven wins and two tied matches to pile on another eight points and reach their history-making 19 points tally. Europe managed just three wins via McIlroy, Poulter and veteran Lee Westwood.
The win earned the United States their third Ryder Cup Trophy from the last ten Cup contests.
SUNDAY SINGLES
Xander Schauffele
Rory McIlroy 3&2
McIlroy gained the first point for Europe on Sunday easily accounting for Olympic gold medalist Schauffele 3&2. It was the only time the Northern Irishman’s hit the scoreboard from his four matches at Whistling Straits. It was the opposite story for Ryder Cup rookie Schauffele, who enjoyed three wins from his four contests.
MATCH: USA 11, Europe 6
Scottie Scheffler 4&3
Jon Rahm
Scheffler pulled off a stunning win over world No. 1 Rahm. The Texan, who was a captain’s pick, got off to a flying start winning the opening four holes. He scored a comfortable 4&3 victory to finish his debut Ryder Cup undefeated with two wins and one halved match. Rahm earned 3½ points at his second Ryder Cup outing to become the highest pointS scorer for Europe at this contest. However, the Spaniard failed in his bid to become the first player from Europe to win the US Open and hoist the Ryder Cup trophy on US soil in the same year.
MATCH: USA 12, Europe 6
Patrick Cantlay 4&2
Shane Lowry
Cantlay earned the second point of the day for the USA in singles overcoming Lowry 4&2. The current FedExCup champion found himself one down after two holes before stringing four consecutive hole wins and maintain a three-up lead at the turn. Lowry, The 2019 Open champion, claimed wins at the 10th and 12th holes to narrow the margin to 1 down. Cantlay finished strong with wins at the 14th, 15th and 16th for his 4&2 victory.
MATCH: USA 13, Europe 6
Bryson DeChambeau 3&2
Sergio Garcia
DeChambeau moved the USA to 14 points after his 3&2 victory over Garcia. The long-hitting American cruised through the front nine with a three-up lead. On two occasions, Garcia reduced the margin to 2 down. Both times, DeChambeau answered a lost hole with a win and closed out the match at the 16th hole 3&2. DeChambeau ended up undefeated with two wins and one halved match. Garcia was Europe’s second highest points scorer with three wins. The former Masters champion extended his record as the all-time ‘Most Points’ scored at the Ryder Cup to 28½.
MATCH: USA 14, Europe 6
Collin Morikawa tied
Viktor Hovland tied
Morikawa earned the distinction of ensuring the USA won the Ryder Cup when he claimed a half point after halving his match with Hovland. Both young guns were making their debut at the Ryder Cup. Hovland, the first player from Norway to play in the Ryder Cup, got off to a hot start with wins at the opening two holes. Two-time major winner Morikawa fought back with four consecutive wins from the 4th hole. The intense match featured just two halved holes on the back nine and fittingly ended in a tied contest. Morikawa finished with three wins and one halved match. Hovland recorded two halved matches and three loses.
MATCH: USA 14½, Europe 6½
Brooks Koepka 2up
Bernd Wiesberger
Koepka poured in eight birdies en route to his 2up victory over Wiesberger. Neither player got out to more than a one-hole lead until the four-time major winner sealed the match 2up after nearly holing out for an ace at the 17th hole. With his win, Koepka improved his record to two wins and two losses. Wiesberger was unable to make his mark at his debut Ryder Cup appearance with zero points from thee matches.
MATCH: USA 15½, Europe 6½
Justin Thomas 4&3
Tyrrell Hatton
Thomas never gave Hatton a look-in claiming the opening two holes. He then produced wins at the 6th, 8th and 9th holes to move through the turn 4up. Thomas, who won the PLAYERS Championship in March, closed out the win at the 15th green with a 4&3 victory. Thomas ended the Ryder Cup with a 2-1-1 record. Hatton claimed one win, two halved matches and one loss.
MATCH: USA 16½, Europe 6½
Dustin Johnson 1up
Paul Casey
Johnson, aged 37, was the oldest player on the US team and the only player on his side to play all five matches. The former world No. 1 overcame Casey 1up to end the Ryder Cup with the perfect record of five wins. After winning his Singles match, DJ joined Arnold Palmer (1967), Gardner Dickinson (1967) and Larry Nelson (1979) as the only Americans to go 5-0-0 in Ryder Cup history. It was a different story for Casey. The Englishman lost all four matches he contested.
MATCH: USA 17½, Europe 6½
Tony Finau
Ian Poulter 3&2
Poulter, nicknamed ‘The Postman’, delivered Europe’s second individual win on Sunday with a stunning 3&2 victory over Finau. Remarkably, Poulter boasts the envied Ryder Cup decoration of being undefeated in Singles. The Englishman now owns six wins and one halved match from seven outings in Singles. Finau finished his debut Ryder Cup with one win and two loses.
MATCH: USA 17½, Europe 7½
Harris English
Lee Westwood 1up
Westwood, aged 48, was the oldest player at Whistling Straits. The Englishman recovered from 2down after 14 holes to win the 15th, 16th and 18th holes to earn a narrow 1up victory over English. Westwood was making his 11th Ryder Cup start, while English was one of the US team’s six rookies. Both players scored one win and two loses this week.
MATCH: USA 17½, Europe 8½
Jordan Spieth tied
Tommy Fleetwood tied
Spieth and Fleetwood couldn’t be separated after 18 holes producing the second tied match on Sunday. The score was all-square at the turn. Spieth took the lead winning the 10th hole before Fleetwood levelled the match at the 12th hole. Spieth once again hit the lead at the 15th hole with a birdie. The Englishman responded with a birdie at the next hole to tie the match. The final two holes were halved. Spieth finished with one win, one halved match and two loses. Fleetwood, who earned four points at the last Ryder Cup in France, only managed one point from his three contests.
MATCH: USA 18, Europe 9
Daniel Berger 1up
Matt Fitzpatrick
Berger won the final hole to score a 1up win over Fitzpatrick to help the USA reach the record breaking 19 points. The American held a 2up lead at the turn. Fitzpatrick, who was playing in his second Ryder Cup and searching for his first points ever at the event, won the 11th, 12th, 14th and 15th holes to be 1up with three holes to play. Berger won the 16th hole with a birdie and claimed his 1up victory over Berger with a par at the final hole.
MATCH: USA 19, Europe 9
SCORE
USA 19
EUROPE 9
Photo credit: Patrick Smith/Getty Images
