Luke Donald relishing chance for Europe to make Ryder Cup history
Luke Donald is urging his players to seize their chance to make history as he sends out his big guns early to win the Ryder Cup.
Donald said: “I said it at the beginning of week we came here to try and win, to try and create history.
“Our goal is always to win every session, no matter where we are, and that will be our goal.
“We love to do things that haven’t been done before, and we’ve achieved quite a few things this week already. But the goal for me is still the finishing line. We still have a long way to go.”
“These guys are very aware of how difficult the environment is going to be. We’re excited for the challenge but our goal will be to win the session.”
European captain Luke Donald is backing his players to complete victory (David Davies/PA) (PA Wire)
Will Castle28 September 2025 10:02
Justin Rose’s beating of USA’s alpha duo DeChambeau-Scheffler will go down in Ryder Cup history
The Americans had been beaten up in the Friday foursomes, and the Friday fourballs, and then again in the Saturday foursomes. By midday, they were in desperate straits. So Keegan Bradley threw his Hail Mary: Bryson DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler, two alphas of the modern game, paired together in the Saturday fourballs.
Bradley is not a numbers guy and in that respect he is different to Luke Donald, whose every decision is put through the statistical analysis of his data guru Edoardo Molinari. Bradley prefers gut feel which can be the only reason why he paired Harris English, a Ryder cup rookie, with Collin Morikawa, who has long since abandoned his major-winning form of yesteryear. Harris and Morikawa were ranked the 132nd most effective pairing out of 132 combinations by Data Golf.
So this was not a pick from a spreadsheet. DeChambeau and Scheffler may not have been an optimal mix either, given their profiles are broadly similar. But the US needed something, anything to cling on to, to stop going under. Bradley reached into the bag, found his biggest grenades and pulled the pins.
What they were confronted with was one of the greatest Ryder Cup performances in history, and that is no hyperbole. Tommy Fleetwood was good, but Justin Rose was sensational.
Read Lawrence Ostlere’s analysis of Justin Rose’s Saturday masterclass in New York:
Lawrence Ostlere in New York28 September 2025 09:45
Will Castle28 September 2025 09:28
Justin Rose in furious row with Bryson DeChambeau and caddie as sparks fly at Ryder Cup
In a gripping fourballs match between Rose and Tommy Fleetwood and DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler, with the European duo winning 3&2, emotions spilled over on the 15th green and then again on the walk to the 16th tee.
Rose was upset at Bodine when he perceived the caddie to enter his area while preparing to putt and his line. The European stalwart eventually holed his birdie putt, though the American replied to extend the contest. But on the subsequent walk to the 16th hole, Fleetwood, Rose, their caddies and DeChambeau were all involved in a heated argumet.
“The level of golf was incredible,” Rose said when explaining what happened. “I was ready to hit my putt and I didn’t think that space was honoured. I asked them to move, maybe not so politely, but it was intense.
Jack Rathborn in New York28 September 2025 09:11
Insults, police and Rory McIlroy’s wrath: How the Ryder Cup boiled over at Bethpage Black
You know the golf’s probably got a little out of hand when the police are called. Men with big hats and small guns emerged through the trees to the fourth green like they were quashing an insurgency. Suffolk County Police, NYPD and Secret Service officers descended on match two – Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy against Justin Thomas and Cameron Young – as this simmering Ryder Cup finally boiled over.
No country in the world does obnoxious golf fans quite like America, and no country in the world does sincerely troubling security presence like America either.
It was a heady mix which turned the match into a travelling bear pit, with every passage to the next tee like a tunnel of rage directed at the Europeans, who had to be chaperoned through the chaos.
Read Lawrence Ostlere’s wrap of a crazy Saturdayday in New York:
Lawrence Ostlere in New York28 September 2025 08:54
Ryder Cup Sunday singles matchups and tee times
USA v Europe (all times BST)
1702: Cameron Young v Justin Rose
1713: Justin Thomas v Tommy Fleetwood
1724: Bryson DeChambeau v Matt Fitzpatrick
1735: Scottie Scheffler v Rory McIlroy
1746: Patrick Cantlay v Ludvig Aberg
1757: Xander Schauffele v Jon Rahm
1808: JJ Spaun v Sepp Straka
1819: Russell Henley v Shane Lowry
1830: Ben Griffin v Rasmus Hojgaard
1841: Collin Morikawa v Tyrrell Hatton
1852: Sam Burns v Robert MacIntyre
1903: Harris English v Viktor Hovland
Will Castle28 September 2025 08:37
Blimey, what a Saturday that was for Team Europe. They are on the brink of not just winning an away Ryder Cup for the first time since 2012, but embarrassing the United States.
They lead 11½ – 4½ and need just 2½ points to retain or three to win outright. A reminder that there are 12 points up for grabs today. The Americans are finished. Surely…
Will Castle28 September 2025 08:20
Ryder Cup 2025 – Sunday singles
Good morning and welcome to Independent Sport’s Ryder Cup 2025 Sunday singles coverage.
Europe require just 2.5 points to retain the cup over a dysfunctional USA side, with a 11.5-4.5 lead.
It was a chaotic, farcical and nonsensical day at Bethpage Black on Saturday, with Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry rallying from disgraceful scenes to down Justin Thomas and Cameron Young.
And the New Yorker returns to face Justin Rose in the first of 12 singles matches from 5:02pm BST.
Follow for all the latest updates, analysis and reaction with Luke Donald’s side set to confirm a thumping victory.
Jack Rathborn28 September 2025 01:51