2025 Ryder Cup Recap: Gritty European Play Keeps An American Comeback Away

The Ryder Cup has always been about pressure. Bethpage Black in New York delivered it in spades, and the 2025 edition was no exception. With Europe looking to defend their crown, the Americans eager to reclaim it on home soil, and the New York crowd living up to its raucous reputation, this was golf theater at its best.

Day 1: Europe Strikes First

From the very first tee shot on Friday morning, Europe came out swinging. Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton silenced the home crowd by taking down Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas in foursomes, while Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood handled Collin Morikawa and Harris English with ruthless efficiency. The Americans found one bright spot with Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay, but by the end of the morning Europe held the edge.

The afternoon fourballs only deepened the tension. Rahm teamed up with Sepp Straka to edge past Scottie Scheffler, while Fleetwood and Justin Rose added another point against Griffin and DeChambeau. The only thing keeping the U.S. afloat was a late rally to halve one match. By the end of Day 1, Europe led 5½ to 2½, and the crowd knew the mountain was growing.

Day 2: A European Blitz

Saturday was nothing short of a masterclass. The Americans hoped to claw their way back in the morning foursomes, but every time they inched forward, Europe answered with cold precision. McIlroy and Fleetwood were clinical, Rahm and Hatton relentless. DeChambeau and Cameron Young managed to salvage a point, but the damage was already mounting.

Then came the afternoon fourballs — and the knockout punch. Europe swept all four matches, becoming the first visiting team in Ryder Cup history to sweep every team session through two days. By the time the sun set over Bethpage, Europe held a commanding 11½ to 4½ lead. It was the largest deficit the Americans had ever faced going into singles, and the atmosphere, once electric, now felt desperate.

Day 3: A Fight to the Finish

On Sunday, the U.S. had no choice but to come out swinging, and for a few hours, it looked like history might be in the making. Justin Thomas stunned Fleetwood, Cameron Young buried a clutch birdie on 18 to beat Justin Rose, and Xander Schauffele outlasted McIlroy in a thriller. Momentum was shifting, and the crowd roared back to life.

But Europe had bet on themselves early, and that cushion proved invaluable. Ludvig Åberg continued his breakout season by dismantling Cantlay, while Shane Lowry delivered perhaps the most iconic moment of the week. Standing over a must-make putt on 18, Lowry buried it and erupted in emotion — his half-point securing the Cup. Tyrrell Hatton later sealed the final tally at 15–13.

It wasn’t without controversy. Viktor Hovland was forced to withdraw with a neck injury, handing half a point to Harris English. Rory McIlroy condemned the abusive behavior of a few fans, even revealing that his wife was struck by a beer. Yet through the noise, the hostility, and the late American charge, Europe’s grit held firm.

In the end, the Americans came agonizingly close to pulling off one of the greatest comebacks in Ryder Cup history. The singles matches on Sunday were pure theater—Thomas grinding out a win, Young draining a birdie on 18, Schauffele taking down Rory in front of a hostile crowd. Every match that flipped breathed new life into the U.S. hopes, and for a moment Bethpage was electric, teetering on the edge of something unforgettable.

But Europe’s early stranglehold proved too much, and Shane Lowry’s clutch putt on the 18th green silenced the crowd and sealed the Cup. It was a dramatic finish to a bruising week—one marred at times by unruly American fans whose heckling crossed the line and left a sour taste, even overshadowing some of the great play. Still, the Ryder Cup delivered what it always does: drama, passion, and the raw emotion that makes this event unlike any other in golf.

Europe deservedly lifted the trophy, and now all eyes turn to 2027, when the Americans will head overseas once again, hungry for redemption and desperate to reclaim what slipped through their fingers in New York.