FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — There were only 37 living competitors of European Ryder Cup teams past and present who had ever won on U.S. soil, including current players Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy, who had been part of the victorious side in 2012, the last time Europe tasted victory on this side of the pond. Well, make it 47 after Europe withstood a furious rally by the Americans in the 45th Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black to win 15-13.

Led by European Luke Donald, the first captain to win the Cup in consecutive matches since fellow Englishman Tony Jacklin in 1985 and 1987, Europe built an unprecedented seven-point lead heading into Sunday singles, becoming the second team since the 28-point format started in 1979 to win each of the first four sessions. In the end, Europe won for the 11th time in the last 15 Ryder Cups.

“It’s been the most stressful 12 hours in my life,” Donald said. “Shout-out to the Americans . . . I knew it would be tough. I didn’t think they would be this tough.”

U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Keegan Bradley crossed his arms and looked to be the loneliest man in a crowded arena on Saturday as he watched his big guns, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (0-4) and two-time U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau (1-3), combine for a record of 1-7 during the first two days. But Bradley is a die-hard New England Patriots fan and he told his team on Saturday night that he had been at Super Bowl LI when the Patriots rallied from a 28-3 deficit against the Atlanta Falcons before winning in overtime, the largest comeback in Super Bowl history. His message to his team was let’s go make history. While a partisan crowd came out in support to roar their team to a miraculous comeback, it was not to be. But not without an incredible fight.

DeChambeau was 5 down after 7 holes as England’s Matt Fitzpatrick birdied four of the first six holes. But DeChambeau came raging back, winning the eighth, ninth, 14th and 15th and when Fitzpatrick lipped out at 17 the match was tied and finished with a half point for each side.

"Man, I gave it everything I had today for the team," DeChambeau said. "Like my dad always said, you've just got to keep swimming. You can't give up. That's what I did today."

For the first time, world No. 1 faced world No. 2 in a Ryder Cup match. Scheffler, the top-ranked player, and McIlroy, his nearest competitor, were two welterweight champions shadow boxing for the first 10 holes as the two tired golfers, who had both played five matches, didn’t have their best stuff. "It was a bit of a pillow fight, let's be honest," McIlroy said. Scheffler pulled ahead with a bogey at the 10th but McIlroy answered right back with a birdie at 11. Scheffler regained the lead at 14, winning again with a par. At 15, McIlroy’s birdie putt circled the cup and he turned to the crowd and pounded his chest. But Scheffler responded with a birdie to halve the hole and clenched his fist. He held on for a 1-up victory and avoided going winless for the week.

"The fight that these guys showed today, the fight that Bryson showed today and yesterday, I mean, the way he played in our match in the afternoon was amazing, and I don't think I could have done what I did in my match today if he didn't do what he was doing in front of me," Scheffler said. "He's an emotional leader of our team and he's been great, and I'm proud to be battling with guys like that out here."

There would only be 11 matches instead of a full sale of 12 contested as an injured Viktor Hovland was scratched due to a neck injury and his match with American Harris English – based on the captain’s agreement – was ruled a tie.

"He's devastated. He's gutted," Donald said of Hovland.

The U.S. tied a record with 8½ points in singles, winning six matches and halving five others. American Cameron Young went out first and canned a 15-foot birdie putt at 18 to edge England’s Justin Rose and claim a hard-earned point. Young was one of the few bright spots for the Americans, winning 19 holes for the week, best on the team, and finishing with a record of 3-1.

"I've been thinking about having a putt like that for a while," Young said. "The way things were going halfway through the back nine today, I didn't want that putt, and then the way things were going through 17, I was very grateful that I had a chance there."

Justin Thomas prevented England’s Tommy Fleetwood from becoming the first European to win all five matches on foreign soil, sinking a 12-foot birdie putt on 18 for a 1-up win. Moments later, American Xander Schauffele dispatched Jon Rahm 4 and 3 and the U.S. had closed the gap to 12-8 with only one match at the time being led by Europe. Not long after, J.J. Spaun, the reigning U.S. Open champion, rolled in a birdie at 15 to go 3 up and beat Sepp Straka 2 and 1. The momentum had swung to the U.S. and suddenly the most improbable of comebacks seemed possible.

Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg got a much-needed point for the Euros, downing Patrick Cantlay 2 and 1, to put Europe on the doorstep of victory.

"It is nervy. You're playing for a lot more than just yourself which is also why this is so fun. This is why this is the best tournament in the world and I'm glad to have contributed to my team," he said.

That left it to Ireland's Shane Lowry to hole a birdie putt of 6 feet to win the 18th hole and tie his match with Russell Henley, who left his 10-foot putt short, and earn the 14th point that Europe needed to retain the Cup.

"I've never felt nerves quite like that," Henley said. "It was quite an experience, quite an atmosphere." Lowry, who had a record of 1-0-2, seconded that notion. "I've been so lucky to experience amazing things in this game. That was the hardest couple of hours of my whole life, honestly. I just can't believe that putt went in."

Lowry said to his caddie Darren Reynolds walking down 18, "I have a chance to do the coolest thing in my life here." And he got the job done. "The Ryder Cup means everything to me," he said. "I've won the Open in Ireland; it's amazing, it's a dream come true. But the Ryder Cup for me is everything."

American Ben Griffin won 1 up over Rasmus Hojgaard after both sat all day on Saturday. That brought the score to 14-12. England's Tyrrell Hatton, who earned a record of 3-0-1 this week, secured the winning half point by tying his match with Collin Morikawa. In the final match, American Sam Burns missed a putt on 18 to lose the final hole and tie Robert MacIntyre. The European side won just one singles match, the lowest such total since 1957 when Great Britain managed just one singles win along with six losses and one tie. But they did enough to win on foreign soil for the fourth time in the last eight away matches and fifth time overall.

Two years ago, McIlroy said that winning an away Ryder Cup was one of the biggest accomplishments in golf. “And that's what we're going to do at Bethpage.”

He went 3-1-1 for the week, finishing on the winning side for the sixth time in his eight Cups, and was the talismanic leader of one of the great team victories in all of sports.

"When you win a Ryder Cup, it isn't about you," McIlroy said. "It's about the team, and we did enough to get the job done."

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Europe wins Ryder Cup on U.S. soil for first time since 2012

Reporting by Adam Schupak, Golfweek / Golfweek

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