EUROPE RECAPTURED THE Ryder Cup with a 16.5 to 11.5 win over the USA at Marco Simone in Rome. Here are the second set of scorecards, with all ratings out of 10.
Europe
Rory McIlroy 9
An impeccable response to what now looks a nadir at Whistling Straits. This was McIlroy’s best-ever showing at the Ryder Cup, winning four points out of five, which was more than anyone else. He formed a brilliant foursomes partnership with Tommy Fleetwood and pulled out plenty of shots for his career highlight reel – think the approach to the par-three 17th to kill his first foursomes match, and the drive to the par-four 11th green on Saturday morning – and delivered in key moments. He channeled the Saturday-night jostling in the right way, and this was a week of sweet redemption.
Jon Rahm 9
He won fewer points than McIlroy but took them from some of the USA’s biggest hitters. His end to Friday, making eagle across two of the last three to somehow tie the fourball match with Scheffler and Koepka, will be remembered forever. He made some iconic shots earlier in the day, particularly the Larry Mize-style chip in on 10 on Friday morning and the near-hole out on the par-three 17th. He typically clawed back a tie on the final hole on Sunday against Scheffler, which was crucial in its own way. It made Europe’s mid-session wobble a lot less squeaky.
Viktor Hovland 9
The chip in from the fringe of the first green on Friday morning set the tone for the rest of the week. Hovland has developed into one of the world’s best players since Whistling Straits, and he backed up that status across the week. His unerring series of irons must have felt like a kind of relentless aerial bombardment to the Americans.
His foursomes partnership with Aberg went 2-0, the second securing an astonishing 9&7 win over Scheffler and Koepka on Saturday morning. Fatigue might have played a part in Hovland’s fourball loss to Sam Burns and Collin Morikawa later that day, but Hovland then replied by snuffing out any hope of American momentum with a 4&3 win over Morikawa in Sunday’s singles. Europe needed their top three guys to deliver, and they more than did so: Hovland, Rahm, and McIlroy combined for 10.5 points between them.
Robert MacIntyre 6
Europe’s lowest-ranked player had to force his way into this team, as his form didn’t exactly scream captain’s pick. Justin Rose had to carry him through his debut in Friday’s fourballs, but he pulled his weight in Saturday’s reprisal and then beat US Open champion Wyndham Clark 2&1 in the final singles’ match. Incredibly, he ended up unbeaten, and with more points than every American player aside from Max Homa.
Matt Fitzpatrick 6
Fitzpatrick came into this with a shocking Ryder Cup record, losing all five of his previous matches. He had also never played in fourballs before, which is evidently his kind of format. He went supersonic alongside McIlroy on Friday afternoon, going six-under through six to give Europe a 6-UP lead through seven against Morikawa/Schauffele. He cooled off from there and didn’t make another point, missing a putt to win the Cup on the 18th on Sunday. He shone briefly but very brightly.
Tyrrell Hatton 9
Maybe we should have been talking about Hatton rather than an, er, hat off all week. Europe’s best performer outside of the Big Three, delivering 3.5 points, second only on the scoreboard to McIlroy. Wasn’t Europe’s best putter but he sank a series of clutch putts, and went unbeaten across his four sessions. He channeled the energy and emotion of the occasion perfectly. His rising to meeting Rahm, Hovland, and McIlroy’s level was crucial in swinging the Cup Europe’s way.
Shane Lowry 7
Lowry rated low in Strokes Gained but was way out in front of Morale Gained. In a unique event in which the sheer will to win makes a material difference, don’t underestimate the importance of Lowry’s magnificent passion. His record was the definition of a mixed bag: one win, one defeat, and one tie in three outings. His irons bailed out a nervy Sepp Straka across the early holes of Friday, but didn’t have his best stuff on Saturday until he became central to the McIlroy/LaCava drama.
He genuinely played well in his Sunday’s singles against Spieth, swinging a two-shot deficit for a 1-UP lead down 18. Perhaps he would have sealed it had Fowler forced Fleetwood to putt on 16. Believe him when he says this was the greatest week of his career, and a delightful riposte to those who questioned his inclusion.
Tommy Fleetwood 8
Fleetwood ultimately got it done on Sunday with a stunning drive to the 16th green after Fowler went ker-plunk. He went to win it rather than merely not lose, driving the green rather than playing for the safety of the bunker. His foursomes partnership with McIlroy was perfect, and he delivered some fabulous moments before he sealed the last half-point that Europe needed. Nobody was better around the green this week than Fleetwood.
Ludvig Aberg 6
Made history in becoming the first player to appear in the Ryder Cup before playing a major. Was given the ideal foursomes partnership with Hovland but struggled without him, taking comprehensive defeats in his sole fourball outing and then in his singles tussle with Brooke Koepka.
Justin Rose 8
Europe’s oldest team member beamed that he had finally been given a momentous Ryder Cup moment with his 18th-green putt on Friday to somehow wrestle a tie from the fourball match with Max Homa and Wyndham Clark. He won 1.5 points and led a brave resistance to Patrick Cantlay in the singles. Rose sank a series of nerveless putts, and led the competition in strokes gained on the greens. If this is to be his final performance, then what a way to bow out.
Nicolai Hojgaard 6
Like Aberg, had his best moments on Friday, making seven birdies in his fourball match with Rahm and against Scheffler and Koepka. Struggled from there, winning just one hole in his Saturday fourball alongside Fleetwood and then beaten 3&2 by Xander Schauffele in their singles clash.
Sepp Straka 7
Another who can be happy with his debut. Leaned on Lowry after a nervy start on Friday, but was the partnership’s main man on Saturday in defeat to Max Homa and Brian Harman. Took his singles match with Justin Thomas to 18 with a superb chip-in on 16, but unlike many of his team-mates, struggled off the tee.
USA
Scottie Scheffler 6
That the world number one collected fewer points in four matches than Bob MacIntyre did in three was a disaster for the US. He was left in tears by his historic defeat to Hovland and Aberg, but Scheffler competed well in all of his other matches, and would have twice seen off Rahm had it not been for his never-ending putting woes. He was one of his side’s better performers, to damn him with faint praise.
Wyndham Clark 5
Clark genuinely played well in his debut in Friday fourballs, but then wasted his good work with a horror approach from the 18th fairway, blowing it further right than his final tee shot at the US Open. He then went and did the same thing on Saturday, but was bailed out by Cantlay’s steely excellence. He at least didn’t do it three times in a row…because MacIntyre had him beaten on the 17th. A rough introduction to the Ryder Cup.
Brian Harman 6
The Open champion made his debut on Friday morning and flopped. Amid calls that he should be benched until Sunday, he performed admirably in Saturday’s foursomes alongside Homa, belatedly winning his side’s first match of the week. Battled against Hatton on Sunday, but was ultimately beaten by one of Europe’s best performers.
Xander Schauffele 4
His once-imperious partnership with Cantlay fell apart largely because of his own awful putting. Was among the handful of Americans who went hatless in their curious kind of solidarity with Cantlay on Sunday, and at least put a point on the board by beating Hojgaard. One of his side’s biggest disappointments.
Patrick Cantlay 7
Led a single-handed effort to not only save his team, but keep the Ryder Cup interesting. By the time he denied his not wearing a hat was a protest at not being paid for his appearance, the news had fled across the course. Hence he spent Saturday being heckled wherever he stood, with fans waving their caps and singing about his bank account.
His reaction was genuinely outstanding, birdieing 16, 17, and 18, to flip a fourball match against McIlroy and Fitzpatrick from a defeat into a win, sparking the celebrations that so irked McIlroy. He saw off Rose to post another win in singles, and, in many ways, this was Patrick Cantlay’s Ryder Cup.
Collin Morikawa 4
Brilliant at Whistling Straits, he flopped in Rome. His fourball win with Sam Burns over Hovland and Aberg was admirable, but it came between some brutally heavy defeats to Hovland, first in foursomes and then in Sunday’s singles. Had a horrible week on the green.
Brooks Koepka 5
At times he gave the distinct impression he would rather be anywhere else, but then again, he has exuded that kind of cool detachment at some of his major victories. Zach Johnson took some heat for not playing Koepka in the Friday foursome whitewash from which the US could not recover, but Koepka then gave little evidence for the prosecution. Offered little in the fourball partnership with Scheffler that they let slip on 18, and was then part of the ignominious hammering to Hovland and Aberg. Salvaged a point in singles win over Aberg, and also found the time to sound off about Rahm “acting like a child.” He didn’t exactly make a compelling argument for the future inclusion of LIV players.
Sam Burns 5
One of the more contentious captain’s picks, he made Johnson look a fool by offering nothing in the Friday morning foursome with his good friend Scheffler. But, like Harman, he responded well, combining with Morikawa to beat Hovland/Aberg in foursomes. He battled gamely against McIlroy in Sunday’s singles, and, statistically, was his side’s best performer with the putter in hand. Perhaps that was the rationale for his pairing with Scheffler, but it didn’t work out.
Jordan Spieth 3
This was a disaster from Spieth, really, collecting a couple of half-points in four outings. His partnership with Justin Thomas is the rock on which the US have built past successes, but Spieth’s awful performance off the tee wrecked their foursomes partnership. Spieth lost nearly six shots off the tee to the rest of the field, 33% more than then next-worst-ranked player, Straka. He sank a few impressive putts and held his best golf for his singles match with Lowry, in which he still couldn’t deliver a win. Chastening.
Justin Thomas 5
Thomas was the most controversial of Johnson’s captain’s picks, and it’s hard to argue he backed up the selection. Then again, Thomas was far from the worst American performer. While he held off Straka for a 1-UP singles victory, that was his only win of the week. Poured his heart into his performance, but a cold putter and a lack of support from playing partner Spieth meant he couldn’t turn things around.
Rickie Fowler 2
The only man in the field to register zero points. He has apparently been struggling with a virus all week, and wasn’t seen again until Sunday after playing in Friday morning’s foursomes. He was at the scene of victory, conceding a putt to Tommy Fleetwood that officially settled the contest.
Max Homa 8
The only American player with a winning record this week, collecting 3.5 points on his debut. He played in all five sessions and largely played brilliantly, gaining more strokes on approach than anyone else in the field, even Hovland. He will rue his final tee shot in Friday’s fourballs, he and Clark opening the door for Rose’s improbable putt to half. Showed admirable courage to get up and down on 18 to close out his win over Fitzpatrick and extend the contest. The only American player who leaves Rome with his reputation enhanced.
MVP: Jon Rahm
It’s almost impossible to split Europe’s top three, but Rahm perhaps delivered the most. He made a string of iconic shots, hoarding a lot of points that were, crucially, taken from the Americans’ most important players. The two eagles down the stretch on Friday will become the stuff of Ryder Cup legend.
