Luke Donald’s Team Europe has defeated Zach Johnson's Team USA to win the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone in Italy.
Europe and USA shared the Sunday Singles 6-6 as the hosts ran out a worthy 16.5-11.5 victory in Rome.
While the scoreline looked fairly comfortable for the Europeans, they were made to sweat on the final day as the stars and stripes rallied late.
But if truth be told, Johnson's side left their run far too late and the damage was done on Friday when they suffered a heavy five-point deficit.
The opening day also marked the first time in Ryder Cup history that the USA had failed to register a single full point from a match.
Europe led 6.5-1.5 after the first day's play, and the teams then shared the points on Saturday to see Europe lead 10.5-5.5 heading into the 12 Sunday Singles.
Viktor Hovland put the first point of the final day on the board to extend Europe's lead to six points at 11.5-5.5.
Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler could not be separated in the top match and half a point each went down on the board; 12-6.
Patrick Cantlay then got the first full red point on the board in match three following a 2&1 victory over Justin Rose.
But Rory McIlroy quickly made amends in match four as he took down Sam Burns 3&1 to move Europe into a 13-7 lead.
Tyrrell Hatton then made it 14-7 courtesy of a comfortable 3&2 victory over Brian Harman.
Brooks Koepka then defeated Ludvig Aberg in match seven to make it 14-8.
Matt Fitzpatrick then had a putt on the 18th to win the Ryder Cup as he attempted to tie up his match with Max Homa, but he missed. Homa then brushed home his six footer to earn USA another point; 14-9.
Xander Schauffele made it 14-10 with a comfortable 3&2 victory over Nicolai Hojgaard, shortly before Justin Thomas made it 14-11 after a 2up victory over Sepp Straka.
But while all that was going on, Tommy Fleetwood then secured at least half a point to win the Ryder Cup when going 2up with two holes to play in his match against Rickie Fowler.
Fleetwood then won the match by taking the 17th to see out a 3&1 win over Fowler.
That took the scoreline to 15-11.
Bob MacIntyre then made it 16-11 with a 2&1 victory over Wyndham Clark.
Jordan Spieth and Shane Lowry then saw out a tie after the American won the 18th while the crowd closed in on the green.
USA's wretched Ryder Cup record on European soil remains having never won away from home since 1993.
RYDER CUP FINAL SCORE
EUROPE 16.5 - 11.5 USA
Scroll below to see how the final day played out at the 2023 Ryder Cup...
MacIntyre defeats Clark in the bottom match 2&1 as Lowry and Spieth see out a tie in the penultimate match.
Final Score
Europe 16.5 - 11.5 USA
EUROPE WIN THE RYDER CUP #RyderCuppic.twitter.com/ze9NaPKU7D
— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) October 1, 2023
Fleetwood went on to win the 17th to win his match 3&1 over Fowler.
Europe 15 - 11 USA
Fleetwood has secured at least half a point after going 2up with two holes to play.
It means Europe will at the very worst reach their required target of 14.5 points.
Schauffele comfortably sees off Hojgaard 3&2.
Europe 14 - 10 USA
Still half a point required for Europe to win.
Koepka defeats Aberg in match seven 3&2 and then Homa brushes home a six footer on 18 to see of Fitzpatrick.
England's Fitzpatrick had a putt from 18 feet to win the Ryder Cup on 18 but his putt slid past the right side.
It's now Europe 14-9 USA
Donald's men just need half a point from the remaining five matches.
USA are up in two, Europe are up in two, and one is a tie as it stands.
Hatton birdies the 16th to defeat Harman 3&2.
Europe 14-7 USA
Europe just need to find half a point from the remaining seven matches on the course.
USA lead in four of them.
McIlroy birdies the 17th to see out a comfortable 3&1 victory over Burns.
The Northern Irishman finishes top points scorer for the week on 4 points.
Europe 13-7 USA
Just 1.5 points required from Europe to regain the Ryder Cup.
Cantlay buries another putt from 20 feet to see out a 2&1 victory over Rose, who put up a resiliant fight only to come up short.
The American has played some tremendous golf the past 24 hours.
Rahm ties up the match on 18 with a two-putt birdie after Scheffler made a mess of his chip shot sailing it through the back of the green.
Europe 12-6 USA
Hovland has defeated Morikawa 4&3 to make it Europe 11.5-5.5 USA.
Europe need just three more points to win the Ryder Cup.
Hovland earned 3.5 points from a possible 5 at Marco Simone.
Only McIlroy, who is set to pick up a fourth point this week, will have more.
In what could prove a decisive match in the outcome of the Ryder Cup as it stands, Hatton has just birdied the 11th to go 2up on Harman.
Europe are still on the verge of victory here but USA are certainly making a big push on the closing stretch.
In a ding-dong battle in match one, Scheffler has turned things right around to go 1up thru 15.
Scheffler has just birdied the 14th and 15th to nose ahead of Rahm.
USA now lead in seven of the 12 matches as they look to turn the screw.
This thing isn't over yet!
Wow, what a 15 minutes for Team USA.
They are currently leading by two or more in five matches.
Overall, they lead in six thanks to Xander Schauffele's slender lead over Nicolai Hojgaard.
Blimey! Jordan Spieth is already 3UP against Shane Lowry.
Likewise Brooks Koepka against Ludvig Aberg.
Spieth has birdied three of the opening five holes and Lowry has no answers yet.
Koepka just birdied No. 10.
Aberg has been sublime so far but he was trounced in his afternoon fourballs match yesterday. Has he now run out of steam?
Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler, two titans of the game, are delivering in match one.
Rahm has been ahead by two in this contest so far and Scheffler has been up by one.
Now it's Rahm's turn to edge in front after he birdies the 13th.
Scheffler has a birdie putt from inside 10 feet but it leaks right...
In match three, Justin Rose sinks a gutsy putt for par at Marco Simone's 10th.
The Englishman immediately turns to someone in the crowd who had been giving him a bit of jip and gestures for them to remain quiet.
Cantlay has just inside five feet to tie the hole...and he does!
The American remains 2UP.
Europe are still very much in the driving seat but momentum does appear to be shifting a little this afternoon as a lot more red is going down on the board.
Scheffler has just made another birdie on 11 to pull ahead against Rahm for the first time.
Here's a look at the latest scores:
Latest score update with all singles matches now out on the course #RyderCup
1: 1up (11)
2: 2up (10)
3: 2up (9)
4: 3up (8)
5: Tied (8)
6: 2up (7)
7: 2up (6)
8: 2up (5)
9: 2up (4)
10: 2up (3)
11: 1up (2)
12: Tied (1)
Europe need 4 points to win pic.twitter.com/GmebYdlL12— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) October 1, 2023
Scheffler has rallied well in the top match against Rahm.
The World No.1 has just won two of the last four holes following birdies at 6 and 9.
The match is now tied despite Rahm having been 2up thru 5.
Potentially a big moment for the USA if they can turn this one around and build some sort of momentum.
It gives them faint hope at least.
Remember no team has ever come from five or more points behind entering the final day to win the Ryder Cup.
USA need 8.5 points out of these 12 singles matches to retain the Ryder Cup.
As they are defending champions they only need to get to 14 points.
Europe need just 4 points to get to the magic 14.5 number.
USA have no won the Ryder Cup on European soil since 1993, and the wait very much looks like it's about to be extended for another four years.
Cantlay goes 2up on Rose thanks to converting a par save from six feet on the 7th.
Hovland has just been pegged back to 2up in his match against Morikawa, who won the 8th hole with a par.
Hojgaard has birdied the 1st to go 1up in his match against Schauffele.
Europe up in six of the nine matches out on the course right now.
USA are up in two (Koepka and Cantlay), and one match is tied (Straka / Thomas).
Fitzpatrick was briefly pegged back to a tie but has now gone back in front 1up courtesy of a brilliant eagle-two at the par-4 5th.
The Englishman sent his drive on the short par-4 to within 15 feet and he converted the putt.
McIlroy moves back to 2up thru 5 after converting a five-footer for birdie.
Morikawa makes a mess of the 6th and he concedes the hole to Hovland who goes 3up thru 6.
Hovland in cruise control.
Burns makes birdie on the 4th to pull it back to just 1 down.
Koepka puts some much-needed red on the board for USA.
Seven games are currently on the course.
Europe up in five.
USA up in two.
Europe need just four points to win the Ryder Cup.
