Team Europe withstood an incredible final-day fightback from the United States to win the Ryder Cup with a dramatic 15-13 victory at Bethpage Black.

Luke Donald’s side won each of the first four sessions to take a commanding 11.5-4.5 advantage heading into the final day, the largest in European history, leaving them 2.5 points to retain the trophy and three points for outright victory.

Europe’s target moved closer before the Sunday singles session even started, with Viktor Hovland withdrawing due to a neck injury and – under the captain’s ‘envelope agreement’ – seeing his match with Harris English treated as a tie.

Any expectations of a European procession were quickly quashed by a valiant American fightback; the hosts won five and tied one of the top seven matches to leave Keegan Bradley’s side threatening the biggest final-day comeback in Ryder Cup history.

Ludvig Åberg beat Patrick Cantlay 2&1 to get Europe’s first point of a one-side final day, before Shane Lowry found a final-hole birdie to claim a half point against Russell Henley and ensure that Team Europe would retain the trophy.

Tyrrell Hatton’s tie with Collin Morikawa took Team Europe to the 14.5 points required to claim a historic away victory and first – for either side – since the 2012 ‘Miracle at Medinah’, with Bob MacIntyre adding a late half-point against Sam Burns to extend their winning margin.

Europe cling on after final-day thriller

Cameron Young got them off to a winning start by seeing off Justin Rose with a final-hole birdie, having seen the Englishman recover from being three down with six to play to take the contest to the 18th.

Justin Thomas continued his 100 per cent record in Ryder Cup singles and denied Tommy Fleetwood the perfect week with another 1up win, while Xander Schauffele added another point by winning four of the first five holes on the back nine to beat Jon Rahm 4&3.

Bryson DeChambeau produced a sensational recovery from being five down after seven holes against Matt Fitzpatrick to snatch a half-point, with Team USA ahead or tied in all six matches on the course when Åberg saw off Cantlay to claim Europe’s first point.

World No 1 Scottie Scheffler avoided becoming the first American player to lose all five sessions by holding off a jaded Rory McIlroy – who received heckles from a raucous crowd again – on the final hole, with JJ Spaun seeing off Sepp Straka 2&1 to move Team USA another point closer.

A historic victory remained a possibility when Russell Henley posted successive birdies from the 13th to move two up with four to play against Lowry, who responded with a close-range birdie at the 15th and matched the American’s birdie at the next.

Lowry found the middle of the fairway at the par-four 18th and fired his approach to six feet, then watched Henley miss his birdie attempt before pouring in his Ryder Cup-retaining putt to spark wild celebrations on the final green.

Ben Griffin claimed a 1up victory over fellow rookie Rasmus Hojgaard, before Hatton – who had pulled level in his match with a birdie in the 12th and exchanged pars with Morikawa over the next six holes – completed the tie required to ensure victory.

MacIntyre then claimed a final-hole par to snatch a tie against Burns in the bottom match, with Europe’s two-point win leaving Donald joining Tony Jacklin as the only European captains to win back-to-back Ryder Cups.

Donald delighted with ‘stressful’ win

Luke Donald: “It has been the most stressful 12 hours of my life. Shout-out to the Americans, Keegan [Bradley], his captaincy. I knew it would be tough. I didn’t think they would be this tough on Sunday, they fought so hard, and all the respect to them.

“This means a lot obviously to me and the team. We came here knowing that the task was very difficult. I couldn’t be more proud of these guys. There will be talk for generations to come as someone going down in history. Couldn’t be more proud.”

Keegan Bradley: “The boys really fought today. That was incredible. I didn’t expect anything different. These guys are really an incredible group. The way they played the last two days, when we were way down – you wouldn’t have known we were way down.

“They looked like they were battling. Their body language was good. They were pumping up the crowd. They were fighting the whole way, even when things were not looking good, and I didn’t expect anything different today. That was a coin flip there for a second.”

What’s next?

The DP World Tour heads to Scotland for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, starting Thursday and where several of Team Europe’s players are due to feature, while the PGA Tour is in Mississippi for the Sanderson Farms Championship.

The next Ryder Cup takes place at Adare Manor in Ireland from September 17-19, 2027 – the second time the event has been held in Ireland and the centenary staging of the biennial contest. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.

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