Rory Mclroy went nine matches with an 8-1-1 record, between his final Ryder Cup singles match, in 2021, and his singles encounter with Scottie Scheffler at the Bethpage Black Course, in New York.
McIlroy fell to Scheffler on the final day of the 2025 Ryder Cup but, fortunately for Team Europe, the massive points lead he and his teammates built up over the first two days was enough to see them home. Shane Lowry, who won 1.5 points from his two fourball matches with McIlroy, was the man to clinch a crucial tie that retained the cup, before extra ties from Tyrrell Hatton and Bob MacIntyre made it a 15-13 win.
McIlroy set his team’s stall out, after a convincing 2023 Ryder Cup win in Rome, when he declared a 2025 victory on American soil was possible. He fielded the first question in the victorious Team Europe press conference and remarked:
It’s nice to be right. I’m not right all the time.
I have absolute confidence in our team, absolute confidence in our leader, Luke Donald, the vice captains, the backroom staff… we won in Rome abd the wheels were set in motion for something that had not been done in a decade… I believe that we had a really special group in Rome. I said that [about winning in America] in the euphoria of winning a Ryder Cup, but I really felt we had way more of a chance than we did in Whistling Straits.”
That would not be the only time McIlroy would refer back to the 19-9 beating his side endured at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin, in 2021. He was clearly irked, around then, by American pundits and commentators proclaiming Team USA would dominate for at least a decade more.
Rory McIlroy of Team Europe celebrates after making his putt on the 15th hole during the 2025 Ryder Cup on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/PGA of America)
Scottie Scheffler edges out Rory McIlroy in tense singles clash
Rory McIlroy drew first blood on the second hole when Scheffler found trouble off the tee. The world number one would eventually card a bogey, leaving McIlroy with two putts to win the hole. He needed only one, from 26 feet away, and was muted in celebration as European fans roared their approval.
Scheffler got back level on the fourth hole after McIlroy could only get a par five. American fans were still giving the Northern Irishman a lot of stick, and they turned up the volume as the match headed to the fifth hole.
There was parity going into the back nine but the hecklers struck again, throwing off McIlroy as he was into his back-swing of his 10th hole drive. He pointed out the offender, who was duly removed, but McIlroy had lost concentration and skewed his drive left. It was later revealed, on NBC, that fans had been squeaking rubber ducks – handed out free with certain drinks at Bethpage Black concession stands – at McIlroy.
The five-time major winner needed five shots but never found the 10th hole green. He ended up putting from the fringe and making an ugly double-bogey to fall 1-Down.
Somehow, McIlroy was able to dig deep on the very next hole to hoop in a 35-foot birdie putt and level the contest. So it stayed, all the way until the 14th hole. McIlroy needed to scramble on the previous hole, but then pushed his approach to the par three hole. The home fans – still tweaking from a super Bryson DeChambeau birdie putt, moments before – loved McIlroy erring. McIlroy ended up under-selling his chip then missed his par putt to give Scheffler the edge.
Â
Scheffler had the advantage after the drives on the 15th hole and again after their approach shots. McIlroy, however, drained a 22-foot putt from the fringe of the green, for birdie, but the American answered with a great putt of his own.
The 16th was shared with pars and it was on to the par-three 17th. Scheffler drifted down to the bottom tier, while McIlroy left himself with with a 20-footer that he could not convert for birdie. Scheffler still had a tricky six-footer for par but found the centre of the cup. McIlroy was one down and playing for a half as he teed up on the 18th.
The 36-year-old veered into the bunkers to the right of the fairway and could only muster an approach to the edge of the green. His 60-foot putt just tailed away and Scheffler had two putts to close out the game. He needed both but got the win, bringing the deficit down to four points (13.5 to 9.5) with five matches still out on the course.
Following a first win, and point, from his five matches, Scheffler was asked what the mentaility was, heading into the singles matches.
Recommended
Just to keep fighting,” he replied. “I battled really hard yesterday and the first day. Things just did not work out the way I anticipated, but I was proud to be able to get a point today.
“It’s tough; playing all five matches is a grind. Rory and I even chatted about that a little bit today. It was a grind, and I’m pretty tired, but I’m proud of the fight that our team showed. Keegan did a good job putting us in position and keeping the energy up, and the guys were motivated to come out and play. We’ve showed a lot of fight today, and we’ll see what happens. We’ve still got a fighting chance.” Getting emotional, Scheffler continued:
This has been a really special team…this week did not go how I anticipated it going for myself, and I’m a little bit bummed, but these guys on this team, they picked me up when I needed it last night, and we’ve got a great team.
“We’ve still got a fighting chance. It’s something that means a lot to us, and like I said, I love these guys on this team. It’s a special group. The fight that these guys showed today, the fight that Bryson showed today and yesterday, I mean, the way he played in our match in the afternoon was amazing, and I don’t think I could have done what I did in my match today if he didn’t do what he was doing in front of me. He’s an emotional leader of our team and he’s been great, and I’m proud to be battling with guys like that out here.”
Ultimately, Team Europe won out 15-13 and McIlroy had a reminder for those brash commentators back in 2021.
READ NEXT: US Golf Journalists Stunned By Shameful Behaviour Towards Lowry And McIlroy As Cops Needed To Keep Peace
Rory McIlroy ‘extremely proud’ and extremely emotional
“I am extremely proud to be a part of this team,” Rory McIlroy told Sky Sports as European chants rang out across the Bethpage Black Golf Course.
“As soon as we won in Rome we turned our attentions to doing something that was pretty impossible to do – to win in America and in New York.
“It’s been an amazing week. To hear the ‘Ole Ole’s’ here in America, to do something people thought we couldn’t do, the comments after Whistling Straits (in 2021), about ‘decades of American dominance’ – we took a lot from that, we let it fuel us.
“We got so lucky in getting an incredible leader in Luke Donald and he shepherded us through the process and he’s been amazing. 11 of the 12 players from Rome came back. We did what we needed to do and we are going to celebrate like there is no tomorrow.”
“We did what people said we couldn’t.”
An emotional Rory McIlroy gives his reaction to Team Europe’s Ryder Cup win at Bethpage 💙 pic.twitter.com/xAIObg2pkP
— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) September 28, 2025
As if the emphasise how much those 2021 comments stung, both Rory McIroy and Shane Lowry had playful jabs at American golf-writer Alan Shipnuck when he asked Luke Donald a question.
“You guys told us we wouldn’t win one for 20 years, though,” Lowry remarked.
“What about the dominance, Alan?” McIlroy chimed.
To the victor, the spoils.
McIlroy even confirmed a fan interraction on the 16th hole, on Saturday afternoon, when he told a boorish fan that he was, “Really f***ing good”.
“I am,” McIlroy replied. He is.
Talk that shit pic.twitter.com/o3aQR5uoEb
— Rory Tracker (@RoryTrackr) September 28, 2025
READ HERE: Petulant Bryson DeChambeau Escalates Caddie Row As Ryder Cup Tensions Finally Boil Over