Golf Dec 07, 2025

Ryder Cup 2025: Team Europe dominate Team USA and overcome hostile New York crowd to take record lead into Sunday singles

👤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
Ryder Cup 2025: Team Europe dominate Team USA and overcome hostile New York crowd to take record lead into Sunday singles

Team Europe are on the brink of a historic Ryder Cup title defence on away soil after overcoming a hostile crowd to build a record-breaking 11.5-4.5 lead over Team USA at Bethpage Black.

Luke Donald's side have dominated the first two days of a one-sided contest in New York, winning all four sessions - including three of the four matches in the Saturday fourballs - to take the largest lead in Ryder Cup history into the Sunday singles.

The PGA of America were forced to add extra security during the afternoon matches to control growing heckling and abuse towards European players, who responded by winning three more points to move within 2.5 points of retaining the title and three points from victory.

Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry overcame a hostile atmosphere to see off Justin Thomas and Cameron Young 2up in the top match, shortly after Tommy Fleetwood won his fourth match of the week by partnering Justin Rose to a 3&2 win over Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau.

Scheffler's latest defeat makes him the first world No 1 in history to lose his first four matches in a Ryder Cup, with his caddie Ted Scott and DeChambeau's caddie Greg Bodine embroiled in a heated dispute with the European players and vice-captain Francesco Molinari as tempers boiled over.

The last two matches required final-hole deciders, with the afternoon's only victorious US pair JJ Spaun and Xander Schauffele edging Jon Rahm and Sepp Straka 1up and Tyrrell Hatton - a late replacement for the injured Viktor Hovland - teaming up with Matt Fitzpatrick to beat Sam Burns and Patrick Cantlay by the same margin.

Fleetwood will have the opportunity on Sunday to join a group of four players to win all five sessions at a Ryder Cup, while Keegan Bradley's hosts will need to win 10 points on the final day to avoid defeat.

McIlroy was booed through a heated afternoon session, where a cry of "f*** you, Rory" disrupted his putt at the fourth before Lowry poured in an eagle and birdied the next to move them two ahead.

The atmosphere turned volatile enough for Thomas to have the crowd to quieten down at the sixth, where McIlroy refused to putt until they did, while Young nailed a long-range birdie at the next and Thomas won the ninth to leave the match tied at the turn.

Lowry had to be held back by his caddie after one heckle at the tenth tee, while McIlroy edged them back in front with a birdie at the 14th before the European pair produced a three-birdie finish to close out an impressive victory.

A high-quality second match saw the English pair of Fleetwood and Rose share the first two holes in birdies, before moving ahead with a Rose birdie at the next, only for DeChambeau to post an eagle-birdie run to win the next two and move Team USA ahead.

Rose responded by posting back-to-back birdies and Fleetwood added birdies either side of DeChambeau converting from 12 feet at the 11th, before Rose rolled in another at the 14th to put Europe three up with four to play.

An argument between players and caddies followed when DeChambeau holed a birdie putt at the 15th to extend a contest that ended in a European win at the next, with a session sweep remaining a possibility until a late rally from the home side.

Rahm and Straka were one ahead with two to play until Spaun delivered two spectacular late birdies to snatch a point for Team USA, while Fitzpatrick and Hatton produced sensational final-hole birdies to close victory in the bottom match and cap an extraordinary day for Team Europe.

No team has ever overturned more than a four-point deficit on the final day, Europe's seven-shot cushion therefore making them overwhelming favourites, although Donald remains focused on competing victory.

"We are trying to get to 14.5 points first and hopefully we can add on to that," Donald said. "The job is never done until it's done. So I'm not going to sit here and be complacent.

"I know how strong the US are - they will have plenty of fight in them. They had plenty of fight today. Obviously their job is not done yet, but to have this stand in New York with most of the cheers coming from our side is incredible.

"Just the resiliency and the confidence these guys have in themselves, in their partners, is really, truly incredible. I didn't really imagine this!"

Bradley, facing a home defeat, added: "Well, I'm seeing what looks to be historical putting. They're making everything. They're a great team. They're great players. They're a tough team to beat."

1702 Cameron Young vs Justin Rose (Eng)

1713 Justin Thomas vs Tommy Fleetwood (Eng)

1724 Bryson DeChambeau vs Matt Fitzpatrick (Eng)

1735 Scottie Scheffler vs Rory McIlroy (NIrl)

1746 Patrick Cantlay vs Ludvig Ã…berg (Swe)

1757 Xander Schauffele vs Jon Rahm (Esp)

1808 JJ Spaun vs Sepp Straka (Aut)

1819 Russell Henley vs Shane Lowry (Ire)

1830 Ben Griffin vs Rasmus Hojgaard (Den)

1841 Collin Morikawa vs Tyrrelll Hatton (Eng)

1852 Sam Burns vs Robert MacIntyre (Sco)

1903 Harris English vs Viktor Hovland (Nor)

Who will win the Ryder Cup? Live coverage of the final day begins from 2pm on SportNews Golf, ahead of full coverage at 4.30pm and the opening tee shot at 5.02pm. Not got Sky? or

Tags:

golf news id:13439177

Share this article

Related Posts

LIV Golf League: Anthony Kim hits back at 'keyboard warriors' after former Ryder Cup star secures wildcard spot for new season

LIV Golf League: Anthony Kim hits back at 'keyboard warriors' after former Ryder Cup star secures wildcard spot for new season

Former Ryder Cup star Anthony Kim has hit back at 'keyboard warriors’' after responding to online criticism by reclaiming a wildcard spot for this yea...

TGL golf league: Billy Horschel discusses big changes ahead of 2026 season and what fans can look forward to

TGL golf league: Billy Horschel discusses big changes ahead of 2026 season and what fans can look forward to

Billy Horschel believes PGA Tour stars will be able to showcase "how good they are" with exciting new changes to TGL ahead of the new season, live on...

TGL golf: Billy Horschel finds final-hole eagle as Atlanta Drive GC beat New York Golf Club in season opener

TGL golf: Billy Horschel finds final-hole eagle as Atlanta Drive GC beat New York Golf Club in season opener

Billy Horschel delivered a dramatic final-hole eagle to help Atlanta Drive GC make a winning start to their TGL title defence with a 6-4 victory over...

TGL golf: Billy Horschel delivers winning putt to keep Atlanta undefeated as league announce formation of WTGL

TGL golf: Billy Horschel delivers winning putt to keep Atlanta undefeated as league announce formation of WTGL

Billy Horschel drained the decisive putt to give Atlanta Drive GC their seventh consecutive victory in a 7-4 win over The Bay Golf Club on Tuesday.In...

TGL golf:  Rory McIlroy's Boston Common Golf earn first win in tournament with victory over Justin Rose's Los Angeles

TGL golf: Rory McIlroy's Boston Common Golf earn first win in tournament with victory over Justin Rose's Los Angeles

Rory McIlroy's Boston Common Golf finally secured their first TGL victory as Michael Thorbjornsen sparkled in a 7-5 triumph over 2025 semi-finalists L...

TGL Golf: Rickie Fowler secures win for New York with 14-foot birdie putt ending three-game losing streak

TGL Golf: Rickie Fowler secures win for New York with 14-foot birdie putt ending three-game losing streak

New York Golf Club fought back from 3-1 down to take a dominant 8-3 win over Jupiter Links Golf Club on Tuesday at SoFi Center.Rickie Fowler rose to t...