Europe regain Ryder Cup with win over United States on dramatic day in Rome

Donald’s mantra all week was about getting off to a “fast start” and his players had delivered on Friday and Saturday, winning both morning sessions 4-0 and 3-1 as Europe built a 10½-5½ lead to take into Sunday.

And the Englishman, who won all four Ryder Cups he contested as a player, stacked the top singles matches with his best players.

The plan seemed to be working with European blue flooding the scoreboards as they led in five of the top six matches to the delight of most of the estimated 55,000 fans at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club.

World number four Viktor Hovland delivered the first point, racing three up after six against Collin Morikawa before sealing a 4&3 win.,

But it was the top match that was providing all the drama.

World number three Jon Rahm was taking on top-ranked American Scottie Scheffler in a heavyweight contest that was the Ryder Cup in microcosm, ebbing and flowing as the momentum switched between the pair.

Rahm was two ahead after five, then Scheffler punched back with three birdies in the next six holes to sneak one ahead after 11.

The intensity increased as Rahm birdied the next two to retake the lead; Scheffler retaliated with successive birdies of his own to claim the next two.

But the American was unable to deliver the knockout blow, missing from 15 feet to win the match on the 17th.

And when Rahm cosied a putt from about 60 feet to six inches on the last, it proved enough to win a half point, put Europe 12-6 ahead and ensure he finished unbeaten with three points from four matches.

World number two Rory McIlroy and Englishman Tyrrell Hatton added two more points with the Northern Irishman finishing as Europe’s top points scorer on four from five matches, while Hatton finished with three and a half points.

Neither player was behind as they saw off Sam Burns and Open champion Brian Harman respectively to take Europe to 14 points and on the brink of regaining the trophy they lost so heavily at Whistling Straits in 2021.

But the search for the vital half point had even Donald scratching his head.

“We kept looking at the board and thinking, where will we find 14 and a half points?” he said.

Patrick Cantlay, whose caddie Joe LaCava had been at the centre of an ugly confrontation with McIlroy at the end of Saturday’s fourballs, put the first red point on the board, holding off a Justin Rose fightback before holing a winning birdie putt on the 17th.

And the US team rattled off the next three points, with five-time major champion Brooks Koepka seeing off rookie Ludvig Aberg 3&2, moments before Max Homa beat Matt Fitzpatrick on the last, while Xander Schauffele defeated Nicolai Hojgaard 3&2.