Team Europe won The Ryder Cup for the sixth successive time on home soil, defeating the United States 17½ – 10½ at Le Golf National, Paris. Spearheaded by the pair of Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari, who won all four of their matches together, Europe entered today’s Sunday Singles with a four-point cushion, leading 10-6 after the first two days of play.
Records were smashed all over L’Albatros course, as the talismanic Molinari secured his side’s winning point, defeating Phil Mickelson 4&2, and became the only European player in history to win all five of their matches at a Ryder Cup.
Sergio Garcia became the most successful Ryder Cup player of all-time, securing his 25th and a half point as he defeated Rickie Fowler, surpassing Sir Nick Faldo’s record of 25.
Captain Thomas Bjørn’s Captain’s Picks, Paul Casey, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson proved the difference as they secured nine and a half points to the two secured by Tony Finau – the only Captain’s Pick made by Jim Furyk to win any points at Le Golf National.
The United States threatened a comeback as they claimed some early points, with Justin Thomas and Finau winning their matches against Rory McIlroy and Fleetwood, but Paul Casey’s half with Brooks Koepka stopped the rot and Europe started to take control of proceedings.
Jon Rahm became just the second player to defeat Tiger Woods in a singles match, emulating Costantino Rocca’s achievement in 1997.
Ian Poulter maintained his unbeaten run in singles, ending Dustin Johnson’s 100% streak of three wins 2 Up, and rookie Thorbjørn Olesen defeated Jordan Spieth in the singles to ensure that every member of Team Europe won at least a point for the first time since 2004.
Henrik Stenson defeated Bubba Watson 5&4 shortly after Molinari secured the winning point and Alex Noren ended the session in some style as he holed a 40-foot putt on the 18th green to defeat Bryson DeChambeau 1 Up and secure Europe’s largest winning margin since The 2006 Ryder Cup.
Thomas Bjørn said: “I felt all along that this was a good group of guys, but I have to say, when we got here on Monday, we got together. This turned out pretty exciting because the way that the 12 of them have just joined up together as a team and the way they looked after each other and been there for each other and been there for each other throughout the whole week made captaincy pretty easy.
“The hardest thing about the captaincy I think this week was that there’s so many guys playing well, and being in such good frame of mind that I didn’t really — I wanted to get everybody on the golf course, but you can’t.
“Today’s performance, there was a little moment in the middle of it all where I was getting a little bit worried, but then everybody stood up and did their bit. You know, I can’t describe how I feel about these 12. They have been amazing from day one, and I’m just so proud of them.”
Jim Furyk said: “The amphitheatre here, the venue, the golf course, the fans, I really can’t imagine, if you went down this line, if we could have — if you could ever have a better venue or better place to play or better crowd to play in front of.
“I don’t think we could have a better crowd, a better venue. We were treated great this week, maybe I’ll accept from The European Team.
“Hats off to what they accomplished this week. Thomas did a great job as captain. Players on their team, class acts, and gritty. When we put some heat on them early this afternoon, they responded. And they played some great golf this week, and I take my cap off. Thomas was a better captain, and their team out-played us. And there’s nothing else more you can say. They deserved to win. They played well.”
Fast Facts
- Sergio Garcia becomes the most successful Ryder Cup player in history with 25.5 points ahead of previous record holder Sir Nick Faldo (25)
- Francesco Molinari becomes the second player in the European era, and the first since Larry Nelson in 1979, to earn five points from five matches at a single Ryder Cup. He is just the fourth player in history to achieve this – Gardner Dickinson and Arnold Palmer did this in 1967
- Molinari had previously never won a Ryder Cup match (in six appearances across two Ryder Cups)
- This is Europe’s largest Ryder Cup victory since 2006 at The K Club (18½ – 9½)
- This is the first time since 1985 that Europe have come back from a two-point deficit after the first session
- Dustin Johnson becomes the first World Number One to lose four matches at a single Ryder Cup
- Europe’s Captain’s Picks earned 9½ points (Stenson and Garcia three, Poulter two and Casey 1½), while America’s earned two (both from Finau)
- All of Europe’s players earned at least a point for the first time since 2004
- This is Tiger Woods’ worst Ryder Cup performance, surpassing his 0.5 point return in 2012
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