The gallery brimmed with excitement, anticipation, and suspense on the afternoon of September 28 as Irish professional golfer Shane Lowry lined up a birdie putt on the eighteenth hole at Bethpage Black Golf Course in Farmingdale, New York. While this six-foot attempt might not seem significant to the outside viewer, to Lowry, the European Team, and golf fanatics across the globe, it meant everything. The fate of the 45th Ryder Cup was in Lowry’s hands as he took his stance and cast one final glance at the hole.
Often considered one of the most distinguished events in professional golf, the Ryder Cup is held biennially at different golf courses across the United States and Europe. The Ryder Cup is unique in that it is a team event, rather than following the individual format of typical professional golf tournaments. A team of twelve American golfers is pitted against a team of twelve European golfers, each headed by a designated team captain who selects the players on their team. Additionally, the tournament employs a match-play format, meaning that golfers compete to win individual holes rather than aiming to shoot the lowest overall score. Over the course of three days, a total of 28 matches are played. To win, Team USA had to reach 14.5 points, while Team Europe needed to reach 14 points to retain the trophy.
Coming off a strong win in 2023 at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Italy, Team Europe, captained by Luke Donald, appeared confident in their ability to secure the victory once again. Their lineup of players this year was nearly identical to that of their 2023 winning team, and Donald–who also served as captain in 2023–emphasized strong team unity.
Team USA and first-time Captain Keegan Bradley, the recent winner of the Travelers Championship, sought redemption on home soil this year. In a 2024 interview in which he announced his captaincy, Bradley stated, “I feel like I was made to do this job.” Team USA featured a lineup of notable golfers that included Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Thomas, and others.
Following numerous practice rounds, Team USA and Team Europe were both confident as they entered the first round on Friday, September 26.
Team Europe played stronger than ever, leading by seven points–11.5 to Team US’s 4.5–after the Friday and Saturday matches. Even still, Team USA headed into the twelve Sunday individual matches determined to put up a fight.
On Sunday morning, fans were shocked by the news that Viktor Hovland, a Norwegian professional golfer, had decided to withdraw from the tournament due to a neck injury. Hovland was set to play against American golfer Harris English. Ultimately, a half point was awarded to each team as a result of Hovland’s withdrawal, raising the stakes were higher than ever with Team Europe half a point closer to retaining their title as Ryder Cup Champions.
Despite their massive lead, Donald knew that his team would have to play just as hard to be successful, saying, “We imagine that the U.S. is going to come out pretty strong. We’re trying to kind of match them with some strength.” While Bradley sought to motivate Team USA, he also encouraged the players to “relish in the opportunity” to play in such a renowned event at a world-class golf course.
Sunday was certainly not without its fair share of drama. Team USA rallied together and won six of its matches and tied five, securing an incredible 8.5 points. Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg was the only European golfer to win a Sunday match.
Heading into the eighteenth hole, American Russel Henley was one up over Shane Lowry. With Henley in for par, the score was 13.5 (Europe) to 10.5 (US) as Lowry set up to hit the birdie putt that would tie the match and secure the half point necessary for the Europeans to retain the trophy. Spectators watched with bated breath as Lowry swung his putter back and accelerated it through, sending his Srixon golf ball rolling forward until it disappeared into the hole. Instantly, the gallery erupted into applause as Lowry pumped his fists in celebration. Fans sporting blue and yellow–Team Europe’s colors–cheered as Lowry shook hands with Henley and embraced his caddy and Donald.
The final score of 15 to 13 was the closest margin of victory since the last European win on US soil in 2012–an event referred to as the “Miracle at Medinah.” Additionally, Donald joined the short list of golf legends (Walter Hagen, Sam Snead, and Arnold Palmer) as the fourth player to ever win four or more Ryder Cups as a player, and two or more as a captain. In speaking of this momentous occasion, Donald said, “We came here knowing this task was going to be very difficult. [I] couldn’t be more proud of these guys.” Team Europe players enjoyed their significant win as they took turns hoisting the Ryder Cup trophy high into the air.
Despite their remarkable comeback on Sunday, Team USA still grappled with the weight of their disappointing loss. Bradley reflected, “Sometimes in sports, you go up against an opponent that sometimes beats you; they play better. And [Europe] played better than us. We gave it a great fight, that’s for sure.”
The Ryder Cup is more than just a sporting event; it embodies sportsmanship, rivalry, heartbreak, and triumph in their purest forms. Both Team USA and Team Europe are undoubtedly fueled with ambitions to win the Ryder Cup in 2027, when the event will return to Europe at The Golf Course at Adare Manor in Ireland.
