Ryder Cup 2023 - Seventh Straight Victory for Europe on Home Soil

Posted by Admin 03 Oct 2023

The United States lost the Ryder Cup to Europe by 16.5-11.5 at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome, Italy.

At the start of play on Sunday, the question was not will Team Europe win but how many would they win by? The US didn't answer that question and instead piled on the pressure early in the singles as they chased down the 10.5-5.5 scoreline from the end of Saturday's play. The US would have likely retained the Ryder Cup for the first time on European soil in 30 years if this mentality had materialized a day sooner.

Team Europe captain Luke Donald and his players pose with the Ryder Cup trophy

Rickie Fowler found the water on the 16th hole, giving Tommy Fleetwood the unofficial winning half-point when he drove the green off the tee. Fleetwood subsequently went on to defeat Fowler by a score of 3 & 1 to formally declare Europe's victory on hole 17.

Despite having home field advantage, the US was the favorite, and many people worried that Luke Donald had chosen a team that was ineligible for competition. They disproved the skeptics and accomplished something Team Europe had never accomplished by storming to a 4-0 lead after the opening session on Friday. After that, Europe extended their lead, and despite a late comeback by Patrick Cantlay, they led by five points going into Sunday.

Since 1993, the U.S. Team hasn't won in Europe, and the dry spell won't end until at least 2027. At Bethpage Black, a venue north of New York City, the Americans will attempt to reclaim the trophy in 2025.

For the time being, the European team, which is captained by strong professionals Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Viktor Hovland, will savor the delicious taste of success.

After the event, Rory McIlroy remarked, "This wasn't about retaliation." "This was all about redemption."

Team USA had the lead but Team Europe defeated them 16.5-11.5 to win the Ryder Cup.

For Europe to win the Ryder Cup back, they needed 14.5 points. To avoid a draw, Team USA needed 14. The United States would have kept the cup with a tie because they won the last competition.