Europe survives US offensive and secures the Ryder Cup

Shane Lowry sank a birdie putt from just under two meters on the 18th hole, securing Europe the crucial half point to reach 14 points and defend the Ryder Cup. Lowry went into the final hole one down against Russell Henley, but the American missed his own birdie putt – giving the Irishman the chance to level. "I've been so lucky to experience incredible things in this game, but honestly, these were the toughest two hours of my life. I just can't believe it. I can't believe that ball went in. I was standing over the putt thinking, 'This is it,'" said Shane Lowry. Europe started the Singles Matches on the final day at Bethpage Black (New York) against Team USA with a commanding lead of 11.5 to 4.5 points. Viktor Hovland had to retire from his match against Harris English due to injury, resulting in a halved point. The Americans were determined to put pressure on Europe. Cameron Young's winning putt on the 18th hole against Justin Rose earned the USA their first point of the day. Justin Thomas added to the USA's tally before Bryson DeChambeau staged an impressive comeback, turning a five-hole deficit against Matt Fitzpatrick into a halved match. Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler won their matches against Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy, keeping US hopes of a sensational comeback alive. Ludvig Åberg finally secured the first full point of the day for Europe with a 2&1 victory over Patrick Cantlay, increasing the score to 13.5 points while the USA stood at 9.5. JJ Spaun's victory over Sepp Straka narrowed the gap to three points before Lowry's half point made the decisive step towards defending the title. Ben Griffin's narrow 1up victory over Rasmus Højgaard was mere consolation for the US team. Tyrrell Hatton then sealed the overall victory for Europe with another half point against Collin Morikawa. The last two matches also ended in halved results – resulting in a final score of 15:13 for Europe, winning 11 of the last 15 Ryder Cups.