GOLF – EUROPE’S thrilling victory at this year’s unforgettable Ryder Cup has golf fans all over the world still wonderstruck.
An event that appeared headed towards a sensational blowout instead culminated in a nail-biting finish – an epic battle for glory and bragging rights that will live in fans’ memories for a lifetime.
Golf enthusiasts in Bahrain and across the Gulf were glued to their TV sets on the biennial tournament’s stunning final day, braving late hours locally – due to the time difference from the US – to watch European captain Luke Donald and his men prevail with a slim 15-13 win at Bethpage Black in New York State.
“The 45th edition of The Matches highlighted why, in my mind, the Ryder Cup is the greatest sporting spectacle on the planet,” Dubai-based Briton Rick Bevan, general manager of WSP Global, publishers of Worldwide Golf magazine, told the GDN.
“It had everything: blood and thunder, guts and glory, tears of joy and despair.”
Royal Golf Club (RGC) tournament director Sam Hobday from Britain concurs. “The Ryder Cup is the pinnacle of the golfing calendar and one of the best sporting events in the world,” he said. “It was great to see Europe close out the victory, but it should not have been that close by the end of the day on Sunday!”
Fans were treated to some European superiority on the first two days of foursomes and fourballs action, earning them a commanding 11-1/2 to 4-1/2 lead heading into the final day’s singles matches.
But the Americans were not going to roll over without a fight, and they mounted a sensational comeback that saw them get to within three points, 10-1/2 to 13-1/2, after JJ Spaun claimed a two-and-one win over Austrian Sepp Straka.
Up to that point, Swede Ludvig Aberg had claimed the only full point for Europe on the day, but later Irishman Shane Lowry provided the heroics, birdieing the 18th hole to halve his match against Russell Henley and push his team over the line to secure the Ryder Cup for the second straight edition.
Englishman Tyrrell Hatton then halved his match against Collin Morikawa to officially kick off Europe’s celebrations, before Scotsman Robert Macintyre and Sam Burns took a half-point apiece to peg the final score.
“The US team had different plans on the final day, and almost would have made the biggest upset in Ryder Cup history,” Bahrain Golf Association board member Duaij Khalifa Al Eid told the GDN.
“The matches were very igniting and made golf fans watch to the very end. For this reason, some players consider the Ryder Cup as a bigger event than golf majors.”
Awali Golf Club (AGC) member Susan Scott, from Britain, added: “Team USA fought back stoically on the last day, even though many thought the task of starting from seven behind was insurmountable.
“All Europe fans held their breath for the last few hours of the day’s play, as Team USA won match after match. Relief came when Lowry holed out to gain another half-point to retain the cup, but the real celebrations occurred when Hatton gained his half-a-point to win the cup outright.”
Said Bevan: “[It] was one of the most captivating and stressful six hours of sport I’ve ever watched, as the Americans produced a rally for the ages and Europe almost snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.
“But cometh the hour, cometh Big Shane Lowry – the sight of the much-loved Irishman doing a jig of joy after securing the vital half-point needed to confirm the Cup was staying in European hands highlighted perfectly what the tournament means to him, and to sports fans around the world.”
Europe’s victory was nothing short of historic. It was their 16th triumph in the 45 editions of the Ryder Cup – and the first time a team won on foreign soil in over a decade. The last time was in 2012, when the Europeans claimed an even tighter victory at 14-1/2 to 13-1/2, with Donald amongst their competing golfers.
“As a European, a win in the Ryder Cup – given its history – is one of the highest accolades there is,” AGC member Jasper Meinema from the Netherlands told the GDN.
“Fifty years from now, Shane Lowry will be remembered and praised for making that immensely important half-point, preventing a possible choke of the century had it gone the wrong way.”
Bahrain national team golfer Yaseen Le Falher added: “As someone who has competed for both the Bahrain national team and Racing Club de France, the atmosphere of the Ryder Cup resonated on a deeply personal level.
“The event was a powerful reminder of the privilege and responsibility that comes with pulling on a team shirt and striving for success together.”
While the match play from both teams was most memorable, certain events off the course also grabbed headlines worldwide – although for the wrong reasons.
World number two and Northern Ireland superstar Rory McIlroy was subjected to vicious, expletive-ridden taunts from unruly members of the crowd – incidents that have resulted in Sky News describing it as “the most abusive Ryder Cup in almost a century of matches”.
Meinema stresses that there is no room for such behaviour in the sport, which is widely considered as being ‘a gentleman’s game’.
“I have spoken with people who switched their TV off because of it,” said Meinema. “The American team didn’t do the poor behaviour, and had the European team lost, part of it would have been a great American comeback, yet another part would have been mentally drained Europeans, drained by the continuing attempts to offset them.
“I profoundly hope both teams will meet and agree that everything possible will be done to keep future Ryder Cups played in the spirit of the game, and that everything will be done by the organisers to prevent spectator behaviour as shown in this event, as there is no place for it in golf.”
Bevan adds: “For sure, the behaviour of some of the American fans was unacceptable by anyone’s standards, but it certainly added an edge to proceedings, and Rory McIlroy stiffing his approach on the 16th to three feet after being jeered relentlessly in the Saturday foursomes was one of the most satisfying moments in sport I’ve ever witnessed.”
Bahrain national team golfer and RGC Academy teaching professional Fahad Al Hakam is hopeful that what unfolded at Bethpage Black can have a positive spin on the future of the game.
“The atmosphere and storylines around this year’s Ryder Cup created incredible buzz, and I believe this can absolutely spark greater interest in golf, particularly among casual fans who may not usually follow the game,” Al Hakam told the GDN.
“All in all, it was a fantastic showcase of what makes the Ryder Cup so special, and why it continues to grow as one of sport’s great competitions.”
The Ryder Cup returns in 2027 when The Golf Course at Adare Manor in County Limerick, Ireland, hosts the event for the first time. It will also be the second occasion the Ryder Cup will be staged in Ireland, two decades after The K Club hosted the 2006 contest.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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