Ryder Cup 2025: Justin Thomas holing out for eagle from the fairway is the new ‘Chris Paul hits three to cut lead to 42’ meme

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One of the best sports memes ever is “Chris Paul draining a huge three … to cut the lead to 42.” It sums up the oft-disposable nature of the highlight-verse while remaining painfully relatable:

We’ve all been there, watching our loser team long after the game was functionally over, because of some misplaced sense of duty.

https://www.golfdigest.com/content/dam/images/golfdigest/fullset/2025/cp_meme.png

That was the situation for pretty much every U.S. Ryder Cup fan on Sunday, who tuned in and showed up to the Blowout at Bethpage for no other reason but to watch the inevitable unfold. Along the way, however, Chris Paul, er, Justin Thomas delivered a much-needed reason for American fans to cheer, holing an 80-yard eagle from the 6th fairway … to cut Tommy Fleetwood’s lead to 1-up. Check it out.

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Will this change the outcome of the 2025 Ryder Cup? Likely not. Will it be remembered in two years’ time let alone two weeks’? Also probably not. For the fans at home and in attendance, though, at it provided some eye candy and cause to stretch the ol’ vocal chords. JT will be the first to tell you it’s too little, too late, but unlike some on Sunday [cough BRYSON cough], at least he’s playing to the whistle.

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This article was originally published on golfdigest.com