[PHOTO: Jamie Squire]
Much was made about the actual punches thrown between fans on the 18th hole at Bethpage Black Saturday evening, but minutes later it was a kiss that perfectly encapsulated what the golf world has witnessed so far at the Ryder Cup.
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With Europe’s Matt Fitzpatrick already within kick-in range on the closing par 4 after a spectacular fairway bunker shot, his fourball teammate Tyrrell Hatton took aim at a front pin, spinning a wedge back just past the hole that came to rest inside two feet after gently nudging his partner’s golf ball. Nearby, Rory McIlroy cackled with joy at a sequence that was hard to believe. Unless, of course, you had been watching what had been taking place these past two days on Long Island.
After building a three-point lead on Day 1, Europe won both Saturday sessions by a 3-1 score to extend edge to a seemingly insurmountable 11½-4½ lead heading into the final day.
“Yeah, I didn’t really imagine this,” European captain Luke Donald said afterwards. “Obviously their job is not done yet, but to have this stand in New York with most of the cheers coming from our side is incredible. Just the resiliency and the confidence these guys have in themselves, in their partners, is really, truly incredible.”
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The scoring was truly incredible as well as Europe shot 22-under par in morning foursomes before a scorching 34-under in the afternoon fourball session.
“I’m seeing what looks like to be historical putting,” Keegan Bradley said of Europe’s effort. “They’re making everything. They’re a great team. They’re great players. They’re a tough team to beat.”
Many fans will point blame at the American players or Bradley’s captaincy decisions, but the fact of the matter is that Europe just played on another level (the US shot 16-under and 32-under in the two sessions, respectively). In fact, Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee made this lofty comparison after Saturday’s play.
“What we saw today was the absolute finest performance from a team,” Chamblee said. “I actually think this team’s performance, this European team’s performance, is the equivalent of what Tiger Woods did in 2000, literally, at the US Open.”
"The absolute finest performance I've ever seen from a team. This European Team’s performance is equivalent to what Tiger Woods did at the 2000 U.S. Open…what we saw yesterday & today is unprecedented." – @chambleebrandel on @GolfCentral Live From the Ryder Cup on @GolfChannel pic.twitter.com/dbIhm2Mu3g
— Golf Channel PR (@GolfChannelPR) September 27, 2025
Woods led by 10 heading into the final day at Pebble Beach that year before capping off his landmark 15-shot victory. But with one more day like this, Europe will cap one of the most dominant wins in golf history. And it’s been a true team effort.
Rasmus Hojgaard, a Ryder Cup rookie who has played in just one match through two days, is the only scoreless European. The other 11 members of Donald’s team have at least one full point, led by the brilliant Tommy Fleetwood, who is a perfect 4-0 (the first time a player has done that on the road) and has a chance to become only the sixth player to go 5-0 in a single Ryder Cup.
But it was Fleetwood’s partner on Saturday afternoon, Justin Rose, who shined even brighter. The 45-year-old blitzed Bethpage during the afternoon fourballs with six birdies on the front nine before adding two more on the back, including at the 15th hole after briefly getting into it with Bryson DeChambeau’s caddie for walking too close to him as he lined up his putt.
But it was a six-footer for par on 16 that was never in doubt that closed out a 3&2 win. Bradley, in an act of desperation, had sent out his two big guns, Bryson and Scottie Scheffler – and they were no match for this sizzling European duo.
“I felt pretty good, but watching Justin Rose on the golf course is some of my proudest few hours on the golf course,” Fleetwood said. “I absolutely loved it. So blessed to be by his side today. Absolutely amazing, what a golfer, what a human being, and to get another point on the board for the team, obviously feels massive, and yeah, Justin, I can’t speak highly enough about him.”
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For the match, Rose gained an incredible 5.84 strokes total, including 4.56 putting. Rose gained three times as many strokes as J.J. Spaun (+1.90), who was the second-best player in the session. So maybe Chamblee should have compared Rose to Tiger.
“The quality of golf was exceptional,” Rose said. “Tommy played incredible around the turn in the middle of the back nine, and it was an epic match to be a part of.”
