Europe controls its nerves and disgusts the United States at the Ryder Cup

2023-10-01 18:03:09

Europe had (a little) doubt, but it remained intractable within its borders with its victory on Sunday October 1 in Rome in the Ryder Cup, prolonging the drought of the United States which no longer imposed itself outside of their lands for thirty years.

Published on: 01/10/2023 – 18:03 Modified on: 01/10/2023 – 18:44

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The Europeans won the 44th edition of the biannual competition with a score of 16.5 points to 11.5 but experienced a big scare on Sunday when the American leaders finally played at their level.

In the results of the event created in 1927, the United States still leads by a wide margin with 27 victories against 15 (3 for Great Britain, 12 for Europe admitted since 1979) and two draws (1969, 1989).

But the Americans conceded their seventh consecutive defeat on European soil where their last success dates back to 1993.

For its first foray into Italy since its creation, the Ryder Cup was decided at the time of the first cappucinos, rather than at the time of the aperitif and spritz.

It was in fact on Friday morning from the first session on the Marco Simone Golf course that the Europeans distanced themselves from their opponents by winning the first four games, something unprecedented in the history of the event.

Irishman Shane Lowry exults after bringing, with Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, the point of victory for Europe in the Ryder Cup against the Americans, on October 1, 2023 in Rome © Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP

Ideally launched by the Spaniard Jon Rahm, the Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy and the Norwegian Viktor Hovland, the Europeans ended the first day with a five-point lead.

An advantage which increased to seven lengths after a demonstration on Saturday morning by Hovland and Swedish prodigy Ludvig Aberg who disgusted world No.1 Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka by inflicting on them the heaviest defeat in the history of the competition ( 9 & 7).

“Cap-gate”

But from Saturday afternoon (session won 3-1) and especially on Sunday during the singles, the Americans finally managed to get the measure of the course and their opponents.

The Englishman Tommy Fleetwood celebrates the victory point for Europe in the Ryder Cup against the Americans, October 1, 2023 in Rome © Paul ELLIS / AFP

They came back to three lengths (14-11) thanks to successes, but the Englishman Tommy Fleetwood and the Irishman Shane Lowry almost simultaneously ensured the European victory against the Americans suddenly overwhelmed by thousands of excited European supporters in a football stadium atmosphere.

The Americans may regret having neglected their preparation: they came, and not all of them, for just one day last month to scout out the Marco Simone with its fairways much more complicated than the American courses built for body-built players.

Worse, none of the twelve Americans selected had ever played before this week on the Roman course which has hosted a European circuit event since 2021.

The Europeans celebrate their Ryder Cup victory against the Americans on October 1, 2023 in Rome © Paul ELLIS / AFP

Without forgetting that unlike their European rivals, the Americans have played little since the end of August and the epilogue of the season on the PGA circuit.

This will be part of the inevitable post-mortems and controversies that American golf experiences after each of its Ryder Cup defeats.

We will also perhaps know more about the mysterious “cap-gate” which shook up “Team USA”, this boycott by Patrick Cantlay then Justin Thomas of the American team’s cap for financial reasons according to the specialized press.

The next edition will take place in 2025 in the United States, in Farmingdale, near New York, before returning to Europe in 2027, in Limerick in Ireland.

With AFP