Tens of thousands of people euphoric and chanting in unison “Europe!” Europe! », in Rome, it exists. There is no question here of the latest plan of Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, but of golf. Supported by enthusiastic spectators, the selection of the Old Continent won the Ryder Cup, Sunday 1er October, on the Marco Simone course in the suburbs of the Italian capital. The prestigious competition pits him against the best American players every two years.
This Sunday, it was the English player Tommy Fleetwood who made the shot which guaranteed victory for the European team. In the end, Europe won 16.5 points to 11.5 against the United States. This is a spectacular revenge for the European selection, which, in 2021, suffered a heavy defeat at Whistling Straits, in Wisconsin (19-9). “I am so proud of this team”said Fleetwood after his victory, moved, at the microphone of Canal+.
From Saturday evening, we knew that things were well underway for the Old Continent, which already led 10.5 points to 5.5 – the first team reaching 14.5 points being assured of the title. For their part, the Americans could only hope for a miracle on the third and final day, where 12 points remained to be distributed in twelve singles duels.
“We are in a good position, summed up the European captain, the Englishman Luke Donald, on Saturday evening. In the past week that I have been with these guys, I see a team that has heart and is united, I am confident. »
Never seen before in the history of the competition
This second day was marked by the tears of the American Scottie Scheffler, world number one, after his defeat, associated with Brooks Koepka, winner of five Grand Slam tournaments, against the Scandinavian prodigies Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg. The Norwegian and the Swede, 26 years old and 23 years old respectively, had just signed the largest match victory in the history of the Ryder Cup with a score of 9 & 7 (9 points ahead while he did not only 7 left to glean).
On Saturday, in a charged atmosphere, with thousands of spectators gathered around hole number 18, the Ryder Cup also experienced one of the incidents that made its legend. The caddy of the American Patrick Cantlay provoked the European public and then disturbed the Irishman Rory McIlroy, who still had to putt and could snatch a draw on this part.
On Friday, Europe entered the competition perfectly, leading by five points (6.5 to 1.5). We had to wait until the fifth hole of the fifth game for red – the color of the United States – to finally appear on the scoreboard of the 44e edition of the Ryder Cup. The players had knocked out. the United States from the morning session, concluded with a score of 4 to 0, unprecedented in the history of the competition for a team from the Old Continent. “This is perhaps one of the happiest days of my career, the Scotsman Robert MacIntyre then insisted. We experienced something very special. »