Europe hold off American fightback to win the Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup 2023
Day 3 Singles
Team Europe 16½-11½ Team USA
Tommy Fleetwood secured the winning point for Team Europe as they overcame a final-round charge from Team USA to claim a dramatic 16.5-11.5 victory in Rome.
Luke Donald’s side dominated an unbeaten opening day and pulled further ahead during the Saturday foursomes, only for Team USA to edge the fourballs session after a dramatic finish to cut Europe’s advantage to five heading into the Sunday singles at Marco Simone Golf Club.
Europe required four points to regain the trophy and edged closer to that target when Viktor Hovland brushed aside Collin Morikawa, with Jon Rahm producing more final-hole magic to claim a tie against Scottie Scheffler before Rory McIlroy saw off Sam Burns to move the hosts to the brink of victory.
Patrick Cantlay earned America’s first point of the day after defeating Justin Rose, before Tyrrell Hatton’s victory over Brian Harman took Europe to 14 points and ensured Team USA’s 30-year wait for an away Ryder Cup victory would continue.
Max Homa, Brooks Koepka, Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas all won matches to cut the advantage, although Europe secured a seventh consecutive home success when Fleetwood fired a stunning tee shot into the par-three 17th to set up a 3&1 victory over Rickie Fowler.
“I really didn’t want it to come down to one of us at the back,” Fleetwood said. “I can’t wait to see the rest of the guys, I can’t wait to see the captain, our wives and the rest of our families.
“I’m just so happy to play a part in it and so proud to be part of this team. We’ve done what we came here to do. I couldn’t wish for a better bunch of people to do this with. It has been so amazing. It’s the coolest experience.”
Scheffler, featuring for the first time since a record-breaking defeat in the Saturday foursomes had reduced him to tears, narrowly missed out on a first win of the campaign in a topsy-turvy top match where the lead exchanged hands multiple times.
Rahm was two up after five holes and bounced back from being one behind following 11 to win the next two with birdies, then Scheffler posted successive gains to lead until his playing partner left a 90-foot eagle attempt at the par-five last in gimme range to secure the tie.
Hovland never trailed as he secured Europe’s first point of the day by beating Morikawa 4&3, while Cantlay overcame a late charge from Rose – who battled back from three down to within one – to beat the Englishman with a 15-foot birdie on the penultimate hole.
McIlroy led from the first in his match against Burns and was four clear with six to play, before coming back from the American winning the 13th and taking the driveable 16th hole with a birdie at the 17th to claim a 3&1 win.
Hatton signed off an unbeaten campaign by winning three of his first four holes on the way to beating Harman with two holes to spare, taking Europe to 14 points, while Matt Fitzpatrick missed a putt at the 18th to win the Ryder Cup as Max Homa produced a sensational up-and-down to claim a 1up victory.
Koepka secured his first full point of the week when he saw off Ludvig Åberg 3&2, while Schauffele battled back from losing two of the first three holes to close out a win by the same margin with back-to-back birdies.
Thomas continued the American resurgence when a final-hole birdie gave him a 2up win over Sepp Straka, although Europe’s victory was all-but assured when Fleetwood and Shane Lowry had unassailable leads out on the course.
Celebrations were already in full flow with two matches left on the course, with Robert MacIntyre beating US Open champion Wyndham Clark and Lowry finishing tied against Jordan Spieth.
European captain Luke Donald was struggling to put the victory into words.
Discover more from Marking The Spot
Subscribe to get the latest posts to your email.
