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

Reignwood Icons of Football: Team England fend off Team World to win event in Thailand as Lee Sharpe holds nerve

Reignwood Icons of Football: Team England fend off Team World to win event in Thailand as Lee Sharpe holds nerve

Team England held off Team World to defend their Reignwood Icons of Football title with a 20-19 victory.Team World launched a valiant fightback from 1...

Scottie Scheffler wins 20th PGA Tour title at The American Express, finishing four clear after final-round 66

Scottie Scheffler wins 20th PGA Tour title at The American Express, finishing four clear after final-round 66

World No 1 Scottie Scheffler secured his 20th PGA Tour title with a four-shot victory at The American Express on his first start of the 2026 season.Th...

Patrick Reed reveals LIV Golf League contract status and how DP World Tour could be possible pathway to PGA Tour return

Patrick Reed reveals LIV Golf League contract status and how DP World Tour could be possible pathway to PGA Tour return

Patrick Reed has revealed that he has yet to sign his LIV Golf League contract for this season and remains open to trying to earn his way back onto th...

TGL golf: Rory McIlroy hits record drive as Boston Common Golf thrash Shane Lowry's The Bay Golf Club

TGL golf: Rory McIlroy hits record drive as Boston Common Golf thrash Shane Lowry's The Bay Golf Club

Rory McIlroy, Keegan Bradley and Michael Thorbjornsen powered Boston Common Golf to another emphatic TGL victory as they routed The Bay Golf Club 9-1...

Hero Dubai Desert Classic: Reaction, scores, highlights as Patrick Reed claimed victory and Rory McIlroy struggled

Hero Dubai Desert Classic: Reaction, scores, highlights as Patrick Reed claimed victory and Rory McIlroy struggled

Surprises galore! | The story of Transfer Deadline DayLiverpool thinking long term but could it cost Slot?Following the news that Liverpool have adde...

Hero Dubai Desert Classic: Patrick Reed holds off LIV Golf rival David Puig to victory as Rory McIlroy fails to contend

Hero Dubai Desert Classic: Patrick Reed holds off LIV Golf rival David Puig to victory as Rory McIlroy fails to contend

Patrick Reed held off LIV Golf League rival David Puig to claim a maiden Rolex Series title with a four-stroke victory at the DP World Tour’s Hero Dub...