This morning, the US was looking like they were going to make a good amount of points, but as we saw in the days before, Europe managed to find a way to make a comeback in most of the rounds that the US were leading. Here is a recap of today's singles matches (note that the matches are out of order):
1) Graeme McDowell VS Jordan Spieth > EUROPE 2&1
This was probably one of the most watched and anticipated matches today. From the start, it was looking bad for McDowell and Europe, as Spieth went 3UP through 5 holes. However an error by Spieth on the 10th sparked the start of a major comeback by GMac, who then went on to win the next four holes. As we've seen before, it was his putting that fueled his comeback. Another win on the 15th hole was good enough for the match to conclude at the end of the 17th hole. This is the GMac we all knew, the one who thrives and exceeds expectations even while under pressure.
2) Rory McIlroy VS Rickie Fowler > EUROPE 5&4
From the start of this match, Rory was on fire and and winning. By the 7th hole, he was 5UP and from there on until the end of the match (which was on the end of the 14th) Fowler only won a single hole (the 8th). Fowler wasn't playing bad golf, by as we saw just months ago on tour, Rory was playing just that much better. We saw in this match today who Rory is the #1 player in the world. Unfortunately this loss for Fowler means that he has never won a point for the US in all of the Ryder Cup career.
3) Henrik Stenson VS Patrick Reed > US 1UP
This was a good match played between two very good golfers. The match was back and forth all through 18 holes, but eventually Reed won it after Stenson missed a short putt on the 18th that would've halved the match. Reed was by far the most enthusiastic American this week. During his match today, after hitting a nice iron, he turned to the European crowd and put his finger to his mouth, shhhh-ing them. Reed was the only undefeated American this week, and that's saying a lot considering this was his first Ryder Cup.
4) Martin Kaymer VS Bubba Watson > EUROPE 4&2
This match showed us another European dominance by Kaymer. He was 4UP against Watson for the majority of the match. It may have been obvious that Kaymer was going to win, but he won in excellent style on the 16th hole. After hitting his second shot right of the green, Kaymer decided to chip and ended up holing out from off the green. He reacted with just as much enthusiasm as he did when he holed the winning putt. Kaymer has been solid all week and was really a key player for Europe.
5) Justin Rose VS Hunter Mahan > HALVED
This match was mostly dominated by Mahan for the first nine. But then, just like we saw with McDowell, Rose went on a run winning four straight holes to square up the match. Going into the last hole however, near the green, Mahan tried to flop his ball onto the green, but overshot it. Mahan was 1UP at the time, but as we saw in 2010, he had trouble closing the match again. Rose took advantage of this and scrambled for a half point, which was all he could do at that point. Rose was also undefeated this week throughout all his matches.
6) Stephen Gallacher VS Phil Mickelson > US 3&1
This was another back and fourth between the European and hometown rookie and the US veteran. Both played great golf all throughout the match and both held the lead at one point in the match. However, Mickelson won the last three holes of the match and as a result won the match on the 17th hole, where Gallacher bogeyed and Mickelson parred.
7) Thomas Bjorn VS Matt Kuchar > US 4&3
Kuchar, despite not winning a single point or half-point this week, ended up winning this match after Bjorn wasn't playing his best golf (only winning two holes out of 15). Kuchar also played pretty good golf too and was able to capitalize on Bjorn's errors
8) Sergio Garcia VS Jim Furyk > EUROPE 1UP
Both Garcia and Furyk played great rounds of golf and just like other matches today, the score went back and forth between the two. However, Garcia managed to win both the 15th and 16th holes which put him from 1 DOWN to 1UP. He held onto this lead right until the last hole of the match. Garcia's putting was also exceptional today, having made a 40-foot putt for par and a half on one of the holes.
9) Jamie Donaldson VS Keegen Bradley > EUROPE 4&3
Donaldson was on form for his entire match and Keegan Bradley couldn't match his performance unfortunately. After winning the first point of the match on the 5th hole, Donaldson held on to the lead for the entire match. On the 14th hole, Donaldson ensured that Europe would retain the Ryder Cup at least, by staying 4UP with four to play (ensuring the half-point that Europe needed at the time to get to 14 points). On the 15th hole, Donaldson put his second shot to within two feet, after which Keegen Bradley conceeded the hole, and thus Donaldson won the match and the Ryder Cup for Europe.
10) Ian Poulter vs Webb Simpson
Again, another back and forth match here in which Poulter led a good portion of it. Towards the end though, Simpson caught up and was 1UP going into the last hole. However, a birdie on the 18th by Poulter ensured that the Ryder Cup veteran would remain undefeated in Ryder Cup singles matches, and more importantly win the half-point for Europe.
11) Lee Westwood VS Jimmie Walker > US 3&2
This match was not lost by Westwood, but rather won by Walker. Westwood played good golf but managed very few birdies, whereas Walker's points came off birdie's he made, most of the time. This caps off a good Ryder Cup for Walker and in a post-match interview, he said that he would love to play in more Ryder Cups.
12) Victor Dubuisson VS Zach Johnson > HALVED
This was a rather uneventful match for the first 10 holes, as neither Dubuisson or Johnson won any holes, just pars between the two of them. Then on the 10th, Johnson took a 1UP lead, which kicked off a rally between the two for the lead over the next two holes. It ended with Johnson making a putt to half the match. Dubuisson played great golf all week, and as McDowell said, he's probably the next biggest thing in European golf.
Overall, the 2014 Ryder Cup may not have been as down-to-the-wire as the 2012 Ryder Cup in Medinah, but it was still one full of excitement and great golf, as is always promised with a Ryder Cup. Let's hope the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club in the US.
What was your favourite part of this year's Ryder Cup? Leave a comment and let us know,
-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews
(Jamie Donaldson: The Man Who Won the 2014 Ryder Cup for Europe)
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