- Europe holds a commanding 11.5-4.5 lead over the American team heading into the final day of the 2025 Ryder Cup.
- The European team is the first visitor to win the first three sessions on foreign soil in Ryder Cup history.
- Europe needs to win just three of the 12 singles matches on Sunday to retain the Ryder Cup.
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – Uncancel those NFL Sunday plans. Nothing to see here at the 2025 Ryder Cup on the tournament’s final day of 12 singles matches.
Unless you’re from Europe. Or rooting for Europe. Then, definitely watch and bask in the glory of a trouncing that should leave the American side officially embarrassed by the time the sun sets Sunday at Bethpage Black.
Europe enters the final day leading 11.5-4.5 after another dominant performance in both Saturday sessions.
The Americans lost both the foursome and fourball sets 3-1; their best player, Scottie Scheffler, is 0-4 through two days. The world’s top-ranked golfer now owns the distinction of being the first American player ever to lose a match in each of the first four sessions of a Ryder Cup.
Europe is the first Ryder Cup visitor to win the first three sessions on foreign soil. Their lead, besting the Americans’ 11-5 advantage after two days at Whistling Straits four years ago, is the largest in the history of the modern Ryder Cup format (since 1979).
If not for some late-stage heroics by J.J. Spaun, the reigning U.S. Open champion who birdied the final two holes to give he and Xander Schauffele the lone American victory in the late slate, the deficit would be that much worse. Actually, that much more embarrassing – the real word to describe the first two days of play here on Long Island.
“I know it’s quite lopsided,” said Bryson DeChambeau, who won a morning foursome with Cameron Young – the only American victory of the session. “But it would make for a great comeback story.”
Like one a child would find in the fiction section of the library.
All Europe has to do to pop champagne is win three matches – technically two and halve another – to remain Ryder Cup champions and become the first team to win on the other side of the Atlantic since 2012. Thus, barring something truly miraculous Sunday, this tournament is over. The largest comebacks ever on Sunday, which features 12 1-on-1 matches, is from teams trailing 10-6, which has happened twice: the U.S. did so in 1999 and Europe accomplished the feat in 2012. The winning team went 8-3-1 on Sunday to pull it off – the U.S. must go 10-2.
Every birdie from the U.S. on Saturday received a European answer. At least, it certainly felt that way. Until the Spaun-Schauffele victory, the U.S. hadn’t led in any afternoon match for more than 3.5 hours. The Europeans in the crowd chanted, asking where the red on the board was. Rory McIlroy pointed to the various scoreboards throughout the track as a sign he was perfectly aware of his team’s dominance.
Jon Rahm chipped in a birdie on the par-3 8th with his feet in a bunker. Robert MacIntyre and Viktor Hovland matched Scheffler and Russell Henley in the morning session with clutch shot after clutch shot.
Rahm is a machine in any format, and Tommy Fleetwood cemented himself as one of Europe’s greatest Ryder Cup players ever with a 4-0 showing over the first two days. He’s almost outscored the entire U.S. team by himself. Justin Rose, 45, is showing out in the 45th Ryder Cup; he birdied three of the first eight holes to help take down the DeChambeau-Scheffler pairing in the afternoon – and added some spice to the rivalry by reprimanding DeChambeau’s caddie, which led to a spat between the parties.
“Well, I’m seeing what looks like to be historical putting,” Bradley said after play ended. “They’re making everything.’
According to datagolf, Europe has beaten the U.S. on the green by 20 shots. Maybe leaving the rough long at Bethpage Black wouldn’t have mattered, after all.
Bradley also complimented the Europeans’ mental toughness.
‘They have come into a hostile environment and played great golf,’ he said. ‘Sometimes as a competitor, as an athlete, you have to take a step back and again sort of tip your cap to something like that.’
Bradley came under fire for throwing Collin Morikawa and Harris English back out against the dynamic duo of Fleetwood and McIlroy. A lamb to a wolf would have been more merciful.
In multiple media appearances Saturday evening, Bradley referenced the New England Patriots’ Super Bowl victories over the Atlanta Falcons, in which they trailed 28-3, and the Seattle Seahawks, in which Malcolm Butler recorded an improbable interception in the last minute at the goal line. Maybe he’ll have time to check out the end of their game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. There shouldn’t be too much going on by the late afternoon.
‘Of course I want to go out there and make history tomorrow. (The players) all do,’ Bradley said. ‘But I think you’ve got to relish in the opportunity to get out on the course tomorrow and play for your country at a course like this, at a venue like this. I think it’s something that you’ve got to look forward to.’
It’s not as if everything is going perfectly for the Europeans. Tyrrell Hatton had to sub for Hovland in the final match of the day after the latter suffered a neck injury. Hatton’s playing partner, Matthew Fitzpatrick, hit his drive on No. 18 into a bunker. From 110 yards away, he stuck it to three feet. Hatton followed by spinning his approach shot back to gently nestle next to Fitzpatrick’s ball. Match over.
Ryder Cup over.
This story has been updated with new information.
