Europe has won the Ryder Cup, defeating Team USA at Bethpage Black for the first road win since 2012. Shane Lowry came back to halve a match with Russell Henley, clinching their 14th point. That's all they needed to retain the cup, but it took a lot longer thanks to an incredible USA comeback attempt.

“That was the hardest couple of hours of my whole life,” Lowry told NBC after the round. “I said to [caddie] Darren Reynolds on 18, ‘I have a chance to do the coolest thing in my life.'”

Lowry has won The Open Championship and been on a Ryder Cup winning team. But winning the matches on the road is historically one of the hardest things to do. Lowry was a big part of Europe's dominance in the first two days. And on the final two holes, he shut down the American comeback.

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The Europeans held an 11.5-4.5 lead over Team USA at the end of Saturday's matches. The largest comeback in Ryder Cup history, from down 10-6, meant it would take a historic effort to come back. And then, European Viktor Hovland withdrew from his match, forcing a tie with Harris English. From down 12-5, the Americans made an incredible effort.

Cam Young clinched the first point for the Americans, followed closely by Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele. Winning those points and beating European stalwarts Justin Rose, Jon Rahm, and Tommy Fleetwood in the process finally put some charge into the crowd.

But even with a sloppy Sunday, the Europeans had a historic lead to lean on. They were leading 5.5-2.5 after the first day, thanks to a 3-1 win in foursomes in the morning. The Ryder Cup felt over after Saturday, with the historic lead and a beleaguered American squad. But Keegan Bradley had his team ready to go for Sunday.

In 2023, Rory McIlroy pounded the table, saying the Europeans would win the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. It ended up being his good friend and fellow Irishman Shane Lowry who hit the clinching putt.