Europe held off a stirring fightback from the United States at Bethpage Black,<\/a> where the Americans had gone into the final session 12-5 down before mounting a comeback in the singles, ultimately coming up short.<\/p>\n Tyrrell Hatton\u2019s half point against Collin Morikawa<\/a> secured outright victory after Shane Lowry\u2019s putt at the 18th had earlier made sure the trophy would be going back on the European plane.<\/p>\n But this wasn\u2019t recognised in Rea\u2019s 10-word congratulatory message during the trophy presentation, who asserted that Europe had \u201cretained\u201d – rather than won – the Ryder Cup.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to speak on behalf of everyone but we did feel there was a little bit of bitterness when they presented the trophy there and shook hands,\u201d Fitzpatrick noted at a press conference.<\/p>\n \u201cMe and Rosey (Justin Rose<\/a>) both looked at each other as if to say, \u2018that wasn\u2019t a very heartfelt congratulations\u2019 \u2013 and he said we only retained it but actually we won it.\u201d<\/p>\n Fitzpatrick also hit out at \u201coffensive\u201d suggestions from PGA president Don Rea that the hostile reception from home crowds in New York<\/a> were the same as from European fans in Rome two years ago.<\/p>\n Luke Donald<\/a>\u2019s team \u2013 and Rory McIlroy<\/a> in particular \u2013 were on the end of some unsavoury abuse from a partisan crowd<\/a>.<\/p>\n USA captain Keegan Bradley<\/a> refused to condemn the \u201cpassionate\u201d home fans at Bethpage and said he had heard \u201ca lot of stories that Rome was pretty violent as well\u201d when Europe won on home soil two years ago.<\/p>\n Rea, meanwhile, had given an interview to the BBC ahead of Sunday\u2019s singles where he addressed the behaviour of spectators in New York \u2013 with a beer tossed from the crowd hitting the hat of McIlroy\u2019s wife Erica \u2013 and suggested that it \u201chappened when we were in Rome\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI saw the interview with the PGA guy discussing how it was the same in Rome. It is pretty offensive to European fans the fact that he said that really,\u201d Fitzpatrick added.<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t say we were looking for an apology but I would say it\u2019s understandable that they would apologise.<\/p>\n \u201cI have had a number of friends who are American send messages, texts, all sorts, apologising for the fans and saying really sorry that you had to deal with that stuff, but we knew what we were going to deal with going in.\u201d<\/p>\n Fitzpatrick, who won the 2022 US Open in Brookline, will be back in action at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland this weekend, along with fellow European team members Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood<\/a> and Robert MacIntyre.<\/p>\n![\"United](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/21b0629e1c9848dd703dfe599ac90169Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzU5NDA2Mjg4-2.81795895.jpg\")
United States captain Keegan Bradley felt the American fans did not overstep the mark in New York (Mike Egerton\/PA)<\/p>\n