Europe Holds Off Furious U.S. Comeback to Retain Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black

The 45th Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York was billed as a heavyweight fight. Team USA, fueled by home-course advantage and redemption aspirations, looked to take back the Cup after Europe’s triumph in Rome two years ago. Team Europe, led once again by captain Luke Donald, arrived with the same core that dominated in 2023, and from the opening tee shot, they showed the cohesion, composure, and ruthlessness that has defined their Ryder Cup dynasty.

When the dust settled late Sunday, Europe survived a spirited American comeback to win 15–13, clinching back-to-back Ryder Cups for the first time since 2014 and handing Donald the rare distinction of becoming the first European captain since Tony Jacklin to defend the trophy successfully.

A European Blitz on Friday and Saturday

From the first foursome match on Friday morning, the message was clear: Europe came ready. They didn’t just edge out victories — they crushed the U.S. in session after session. The Americans looked disjointed, mispaired, and at times out of sorts under the pressure of Bethpage’s raucous crowds.

By Friday night, Europe led 5.5–2.5. On Saturday, the rout only grew worse. The Europeans swept all four of the morning foursomes, something no “road” team had ever done in Ryder Cup history. By day’s end, the scoreboard read 11.5–4.5.

It wasn’t just the margin, it was the manner: Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, and Viktor Hovland set the tone with relentless precision, while veterans like Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry provided grit in the pressure moments. Pairings clicked. Putts dropped. The U.S. looked shell-shocked.

The College Hangover Analogy

If you want to sum up the U.S. performance across the first two days, think back to college. Friday night rolls around, you hit the bars hard. Saturday? Same thing, shots and beers, maybe a questionable late-night pizza. Then Sunday morning arrives. Your head is pounding, your stomach is churning, and suddenly you remember: there’s a 25-page paper due Monday morning at 9 a.m. — and you haven’t written a single page.

That was Team USA. They stumbled through Friday and Saturday like a student on a two-day bender, ignoring responsibilities until reality slapped them in the face. And on Sunday, they tried to crank out the academic equivalent of an all-time comeback, hoping somehow to write their way to an A before the deadline.

Hovland’s Injury & the “Free” Half Point

One of the most consequential developments of the day came even before the first single tee shot — Viktor Hovland withdrew from his scheduled singles match against Harris English due to a sudden flare-up of a neck injury. His withdrawal activated the Ryder Cup’s seldom-used “envelope rule”: each captain had, the night before, named one player from his team in a sealed envelope who would step aside if an opponent were unable to play. Because Hovland couldn’t compete, the match was treated as halved, awarding 0.5 points to both teams. In effect, Europe gained a free half point without even teeing off.

That half point mattered. It nudged Europe closer to the 14-point mark needed to retain the Cup, easing some pressure on their players still out on course. For Team USA, it was a stinging blow — a chance denied, a point conceded before battle could even begin.

Sunday Singles: The Great American Push

To their credit, Team USA nearly pulled it off. With the crowd urging them on, the Americans flipped a switch on Sunday and began clawing back point after point. The matches tightened. Bethpage’s grandstands roared. By mid-afternoon, what looked like a coronation for Europe turned into a knife fight.

Scottie Scheffler, criticized for his sluggish start to the week, showed flashes of why he’s the world No. 1. Collin Morikawa battled Tyrrell Hatton all the way to the 18th. Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele delivered the steady golf fans had been begging for. By the time the final wave hit the back nine, the Americans had won or were leading in the majority of matches.

At one point, the live scoreboards suggested the unthinkable: a U.S. comeback win was in play.

Lowry and Hatton Slam the Door

But Europe didn’t flinch. With the U.S. surging, Shane Lowry stood over a six-foot birdie putt on the 18th green, knowing that missing would swing momentum even further to the Americans. He buried it. His fist pump said it all. “I wasn’t letting my team down there,” Lowry said afterward, visibly emotional. That half-point brought Europe within touching distance.

Moments later, Tyrrell Hatton secured the clinching half-point in his duel with Morikawa. When Morikawa’s final birdie attempt slid by, Hatton exhaled, pumped his chest, and raised his arms to the crowd. Europe had reached 14.5 points, enough to retain the Cup.

The scoreboard finally froze at Europe 15, USA 13.

Takeaways

• Europe’s Team Bond: Once again, the difference wasn’t raw talent — it was chemistry. European pairings thrived in foursomes and fourballs. Their players trusted each other, and it showed.

• America’s Slow Start: The U.S. simply dug too deep a hole. Outscored 11.5–4.5 across the first two days, they needed a miracle. Even winning 8.5 points on Sunday wasn’t enough.

• Luke Donald’s Legacy: Calm, strategic, and quietly ruthless, Donald has now cemented himself as one of Europe’s most effective Ryder Cup leaders.

• Bethpage Black Atmosphere: The New York crowd was everything you’d expect — loud, rowdy, and at times hostile. The fact that Europe withstood it makes their win all the more impressive.

  
  

The 2025 Ryder Cup will be remembered as a tale of two halves: Europe’s clinical dominance on Friday and Saturday, and America’s desperate, furious rally on Sunday. In the end, the Cup stays in European hands, and the U.S. is left with another bitter taste of what-ifs and “too little, too late.”

For the fans at Bethpage, it was three days of theater, tension, and noise. For Europe, it was another celebration in enemy territory. For America, it was the hangover that never quite turned into an A-paper.