Tame Bethpage Black set-up backfires on US team
“I think I would have set up the course a little different,” admitted USA captain Keegan Bradley after Europe won the Ryder Cup 15-13 in dramatic fashion on Sunday.
Bethpage Black is considered a beast in American Major golf, but it was made to look tame as the PGA of America and/or Bradley and his team conspired to make it a soft birdie-fest.
Driving accuracy was not seriously tested with no rough to penalise and it made the event into a putting contest, where the Europeans came out on top, helped by slower greens from heavy rain on Thursday.
US captain Keegan Bradley during Sunday’s singles matches. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA
The tee at the par 4 1st hole was moved considerably forward, but not close enough for anyone to make it with their driver, while there was no danger, so it was not a risk-reward hole.
Holes like the 5th, 10th and 15th are some of the hardest par 4s in American golf, but even they were giving up birdies. It also negated star player Scottie Scheffler’s tee-to-green advantage that he was not getting the benefit from hitting the ball straight or shaping a difficult shot onto a green.
Shane Lowry’s career continues to be punctuated by incredible moments
By the time of the 15th hole in Shane Lowry’s high-quality match with Russell Henley, Europe’s hold over the Ryder Cup was slowly slipping away. With red on the board all around him and Lowry 2 down in his match, the Offaly man literally gritted his teeth and pulled out a birdie against the odds, another at 16 to stick with Henley and then with birdie the only option, stuck it to six feet at 18.
Shane Lowry celebrates with fans after Team Europe’s win. Photograph: Harry How/Getty Images
The putt to retain the Ryder Cup was fitting of his late salvo to get half a point and added to a legacy that includes winning the Open Championship in Ireland and winning the Irish Open as an amateur. He now follows in the footsteps of so many Irish before him in having his defining Ryder Cup moment. Lowry also had the best set of hole-in-ones you could imagine – at Pebble Beach, Augusta National and TPC Sawgrass.
“I’ve got an opportunity to do the greatest thing I’ve ever done, and I’ve done it and I’m very proud of myself,” Lowry said. It will be hard to top this again.
Data Golf shows Lowry beat the best
The excellent Data Golf website which tracks strokes gained in various metrics is a useful tool during a Ryder Cup where, unlike stroke play tournaments, there is no score-to-par aggregate total to judge who the best players were.
It tells us a lot of what you may have already guessed, that Tommy Fleetwood was the best player of the 24 at Bethpage with more than six strokes gained on the rest, while Cameron Young was just behind him on the USA team.
Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry celebrate after Europe’s Ryder Cup win. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA
There are some other interesting insights though, like how Bryson DeChambeau is ranked the fifth best player, despite winning only one of five matches, suggesting he was unlucky with who he faced.
Lowry did brilliantly to earn a half against Henley, who was the best player in singles on Sunday. Mind you, Lowry was ranked just behind him in second.
On the other end of the stick, Ben Griffin got a point in singles for the US despite being 23rd of 24 players, beating Rasmus Hojgaard, who was worst of the lot. Europe also had six of the seven best putters statistically, which made a big difference.
A surprising comeback generated the best Ryder Cup finish in years
Finally we got a close Ryder Cup again after a lot of anticlimaxes over previous years and this was really not the one that was expected.
In the end, the US team won the singles 8-3, but it could have been won an hour-and-a-half earlier had Justin Rose or Tommy Fleetwood holed putts on the 18th.
USA’s Bryson DeChambeau reacts after making his putt on the 12th green during Sunday’s singles matches. Photograph: Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Eight matches went to the 18th hole on Sunday, unusual for match play, and it was the most in a Ryder Cup singles since 1993. Considering a lot of home fans were looking to give away their tickets, expecting an onslaught, they were treated to an enthralling and dramatic day at Bethpage Black.
The spirited comeback by the USA was good for the competition and will fuel extra anticipation for the Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in 2027.
Expect better fan behaviour at Adare Manor
The bar is on the floor in terms of improving fan behaviour for the Ryder Cup at Adare Manor, so it is not having green-tinted glasses on to say that fans in Limerick will likely be much better behaved than those in New York this time around.
Rory McIlroy, who got the brunt of abuse that got personal, nasty and invasive, summed it up well when he said that the crowds were focused on being negative to the opposition, more than being positive to the team they support.
McIlroy also said he will be turning the other cheek and getting involved if it gets out of hand in two years time. “We will be making sure to say to our fans in Ireland in 2027 that what happened here this week is not acceptable,” he said.