For the first time in over a decade, the away team hoisted the Ryder Cup.
The most entertaining and engaging golf tournament took place this past weekend, filled with lots of energy, tension and passion. In an action-packed matchup, Team Europe steamrolled Team USA, retaining their second straight Ryder Cup.
Despite winning only one singles match on Sunday, Europe’s dominance during the foursomes gave them the edge over Keegan Bradley’s U.S. super-team. Led by an overall spectacular performance from Masters champion Rory McIlroy and a significant advantage in strokes gained putting, captain Luke Donald guided his European side across the finish line, reclaiming Ryder Cup victory.
Shocking statistic
Scottie Scheffler made “bad history” as he went winless through the first two tournament days.
During the foursomes and fourball tournament, Scheffler fell short in all four matches, ultimately losing to Viktor Hovland, Robert Macintyre, Sepp Straka and LIV star Jon Rahm.
This subpar tournament for Scheffler might come as a surprise for fans, as he dominated the majority of the PGA Tour season. In three Ryder Cup appearances, the world No. 1 now holds a record of 3-6-3. According to CBS Sports, Scheffler is also now the first-ever golfer to lose in each of the first four sessions in Ryder Cup history. The last golfer to fall this short of expectations was European star Peter Townsend in 1791.
The good, the bad, the ugly
The good:
It should not come as a surprise that Europe won. On the greens, Europe gained more than eight strokes putting against Team USA. American golfer Sam Burns ranked No. 1 on the PGA Tour in putting strokes gained. However, on the final day of the Ryder Cup, Burns struggled greatly with rolling in his putts. Europe’s Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy all thrived on the fast, sloped Bethpage Black greens.
The bad:
Right from the start, the American side fell behind Europe. On just the first day, Team USA trailed by several Ryder Cup points. The American players showed minimal moments of passion. Aside from Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas, the other American players showed very little care.
The slow start for the home team played a large role in their defeat. Although they almost came back on the final day, missed putts, poor approach shots and lack of passion were all reasons Team USA didn’t emerge victorious against their European foes.
The ugly:
The Ryder Cup brought tension, temper flares and vulgar words out of its competitors.
U.S. fans — particularly New Yorkers — are known for being rowdy, boisterous and occasionally hostile. Over the course of the three-day clash, European players, specifically Rory McIlroy, found themselves in heated altercations with the crowd. Just before McIlroy approached his shot from the rough on the 16th hole, a fan remarked about how nice the green-side bunker looked.
“Guys, shut the f— up!” McIlroy exclaimed as he furiously backed from his ball. Throughout the entire tournament, Team Europe’s members had many altercations with the rip-roaring Long Island crowd.
After sinking a long putt on the second day, Shane Lowry was seen yelling back at U.S. fans in defense of his fellow teammate, McIlroy. Within the ropes, during the four-ball match, as Rose was aligning his putt, Gregory Bodine, caddie of Bryson DeChambeau, appeared to accidentally walk towards the path of the line of Rose’s putt.
After sinking the long putt, as they walked up to the 16th tee, Rose and DeChambeau fought, raising their voices at each other, eventually leading Ted Scott and others to help de-escalate the flared altercation. Eventually, Bryson said to just play on after a lengthy setback on the tee box.
