Rome, Italy – It had been 30 years since an American squad was victorious in an away game, and it will be 34 years at the earliest if they are to end the drought – after Team Europe once again dominated the star-studded team from across the pond 16.5 to 11.5.
Captain Donald’s Euros opened up a gaping lead through three sessions of the 44th Ryder Cup, on Saturday afternoon the away squad chipped away with a 3-1 four-ball result to gain some much needed momentum. But that’s all it was, momentum. “We were in a perfect place,” Donald said of his team’s five-point lead entering the Sunday singles. “We knew it was in our hands. We stuck with the same plan we planned the whole week: Get off to fast starts. Play as a team. Use the crowd. Use their energy.”
The European victory on Sunday evening at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club was inevitable, despite a spirited rally late on Sunday from the Yanks. The Euros were unified in their singular vision of victory, with Captain Luke Donald pulling all of the right strings, while Captain Zach Johnson couldn’t quite get the U.S Team to gel.
“The Ryder Cup, there’s always lots of swings and emotions and changes,” Donald added. “At one point, I was looking at the board trying to figure out how we get to 14½ points, but in the end, we got there easily.”
The American side faced accusations for two straight days from a report that claimed Patrick Cantlay wasn’t wearing his Team USA hat because he wasn’t compensated to wear it. The controversy seemed to help the Americans galvanize a Sunday surge, but it was too little too late – the Euros couldn’t be broken. “Some of the things that we talked about as a group was – it’s really, really important to not just play for each other, but play for those that mean the most to you,” Donald said. “I think that’s super powerful.”
World No.2 Rory McIlroy led Team Europe with a 4-1-0 record at Marco Simone Golf Club. Max Homa led Team USA with a 3-1-1 record.
43 year-old Justin Rose was awarded the first ever Nicklaus-Jacklin Award for sportsmanship.
The Ryder Cup returns to the United States in 2025 at Bethpage Black in Long Island, New York.
