Oct 2, 2016; Chaska, MN, USA; The USA Ryder Cup team pose for a picture during the closing ceremonies after the single matches in 41st Ryder Cup Hazeltine National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Team USA came out on top in seven of 12 Sunday singles matches at the Ryder Cup, helping them win by six points.
From trademark theatrics to typically outstanding golf, Sunday’s singles session at the Ryder Cup had just about everything. In the end, Team USA managed to hold its overnight lead and come out on top in one of the most prestigious events in golf for only the second time this millennium.
With the USA just five points away from victory at the start of the day, European captain Darren Clarke sent out his top players to kick off the session, hoping that the early pressure would be enough to spark a comeback. While his team managed to squeeze 3.5 points out of the first six matches of the day, the latter half of his lineup was hapless, losing five of six.
With so much golf to cover from a wild day, let’s dive right in. Here’s our breakdown of the singles session at the 2016 Ryder Cup.
Oct 2, 2016; Chaska, MN, USA; Patrick Reed of the United States reacts to a putt on the 12th green during the single matches in 41st Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports
Patrick Reed def. Rory McIlroy 1-up
The two captains sent out their big guns early — both Reed and McIlroy led their respective teams in points scored heading into Sunday. They didn’t disappoint, showcasing incredible skill as well as tons of emotion in one of the most thrilling matches of the weekend.
McIlroy got off to an early lead with a birdie on the third hole, but he couldn’t contain his opponent for long. Reed eagled the fifth to square things up, and the match took off from there, with the two competitors matching each other birdie for birdie and taunt for taunt over the next three holes.
From there, the level of play declined — both players made multiple bogeys over the next hour or so. Still, Reed managed to grab his first lead of the afternoon with a par on the 12th and continued to advance, reaching dormie after winning the 16th. While McIlroy got one back when Reed bogeyed the par 3 17th, he could only watch as his opponent rolled in a birdie putt on the 18th green to clinch this epic battle.
Oct 2, 2016; Chaska, MN, USA; Henrik Stenson of Sweden chips on the 11th hole during the single matches in 41st Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports
Henrik Stenson def. Jordan Spieth 3 & 2
Stenson and Spieth were expected to help lead their respective squads at the start of the week, but both looked somewhat off throughout the five sessions. In the end, it was the Swede who came away with a point after this showdown, taking control with a flurry of birdies around the turn while his opponent struggled to gain momentum.
Spieth was the one applying the pressure for much of the front nine, winning two of the first five holes to hold a 1-up lead through seven. Stenson caught fire with a terrific birdie on the par 3 eighth, however, and the Texan never held the advantage again.
While Stenson gave one back with a bogey on 12, a pair of eagles on 13 and 16 were enough to lift him to the victory. As the first completed match of the day, the victory put Team Europe on the board and cut into Team USA’s lead.
Oct 2, 2016; Chaska, MN, USA; Thomas Pieters of Belgium chips on the first hole during the single matches in 41st Ryder Cup Hazeltine National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Thomas Pieters def. J.B. Holmes 3 & 2
This match gave a fitting end to what could stand as one of the most consequential sub-plots from this year’s Ryder Cup. After winning three consecutive matches playing with Rory McIlroy on Friday and Saturday, Belgium’s Thomas Pieters stepped up to the plate as a solo competitor and more than delivered.
Not that it was easy. Holmes, rested after playing just two of the first four sessions, had torched Hazeltine for seven birdies on Saturday afternoon, and he kept it going to start today’s match, winning the first two holes to take an immediate lead. However, Pieters squared it up after just two more, creating a back-and-forth dynamic that would persist for much of the match. The lead changed a couple more times, but it was all square after the first nine.
Pieters started to take control on the back, circling birdies on 11 and 14 to apply the pressure. Holmes, meanwhile, looked lost, with his prodigious length doing little to help his ball find the cup. A birdie on the par 5 16th was all Pieters needed to win the match and secure a sterling 4-1 record for the week, the best on either side. If the 24-year-old makes good on his considerable promise and evolves into a world-beating superstar, we’ll look back at this week as the one where it all began.
Oct 2, 2016; Chaska, MN, USA; Rickie Fowler of the United States chips on the first hole during the single matches in 41st Ryder Cup Hazeltine National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Rickie Fowler def. Justin Rose 1-up
Heading into the week, much was made about Fowler’s winless record in two previous Ryder Cup appearances. He won’t have to worry about such criticisms in 2018 — Fowler posted a 2-1 mark at Hazeltine, including a tense victory over stalwart Justin Rose.
Rose led for nearly half the match, but it was close throughout. The Englishman took the lead after a birdie on the first and held it for most of the front nine, but a Fowler birdie on the par 5 10th squared things up. After trading pars over the next five holes, Fowler rolled in a birdie on 16 to take a 1-up advantage, which he maintained until the end.
For the Americans, this win came at a crucial point in the competition. With his team trailing by just one point, Rose could have tied things up with a victory, but Fowler instead extended his team’s advantage to two.
Oct 2, 2016; Chaska, MN, USA; Rafa Cabrera Bello of Spain reacts to a putt on the 12th green during the single matches in 41st Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports
Rafa Cabrera-Bello def. Jimmy Walker 3 & 2
It seems that at every Ryder Cup, one or two European rookies rise to the occasion and outplay their projections for the week. In 2010, it was Ross Fisher. In 2014, it was Jamie Donaldson and Victor Dubuisson. And in 2016, along with the aforementioned Thomas Pieters, it was Rafa Cabrera-Bello.
The 32-year-old Spaniard drew reigning PGA Champion Jimmy Walker in singles and never trailed in the match, claiming the advantage with a birdie on the third and leading by multiple holes for most of the rest of the afternoon. While Walker battled back to 1-down after making two birdies in three holes on the back nine, Cabrera-Bello was relentless, circling one of his own on the par 3 13th to push the margin back to two. An ugly Walker bogey on the 16th handed him the victory.
With a 2-0-1 record for the week, Cabrera-Bello is just the second European Ryder Cup rookie to go undefeated in the last two decades (Dubuisson was the other). He didn’t get to hold the cup in the end, but it was an outstanding performance nevertheless.
Oct 2, 2016; Chaska, MN, USA; Phil Mickelson of the United States reacts to the gallery on the 15th green during the single matches in 41st Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports
Phil Mickelson halves Sergio Garcia
This was one of the most intense matches of the day. Two of the most experienced players on either side, Mickelson and Garcia engaged in a breathtaking display of golf that ended in the most fitting way possible: a draw.
While Mickelson enjoyed more time in the driver’s seat than his opponent, it was an even match throughout. Garcia took the early advantage after he birdied the opening hole, but a rash of strong shotmaking from Lefty put an American flag on the board after four. The two men wrestled over the lead for the rest of the day.
Mickelson birdied the par 4 14th to take a 1-up lead into the final four holes, but he couldn’t shake Garcia. The Spaniard closed with three straight birdies to even the score with his opponent, leading to a half that left both sides spent and disappointed.
Oct 2, 2016; Chaska, MN, USA; Ryan Moore of the United States chips on the ninth hole during the single matches in 41st Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Ryan Moore def. Lee Westwood 1-up
This match was the one that sealed the Ryder Cup for the United States. As Davis Love’s final captain’s pick, Moore wasn’t even fitted for a uniform prior to competition week, but he ended up at the center of what will stand as an iconic moment from the event.
The UNLV product didn’t have his best stuff on Sunday — while he led for a good bit of the front nine, a pair of bogeys on the back allowed Westwood to come crawling back and establish a 2-up lead. Moore got hot at the end, however, reeling off an eagle on the 16th and a birdie on the par 3 17th to knot things up as they headed for the finisher.
For the second time this week, Westwood crumbled under the pressure, making bogey to allow Moore to win with a par. The win clinched Team USA’s first Ryder Cup since 2008, and with Moore’s 2-1 record for the week, Love can smile in knowing that his final wildcard choice was right at home at Hazeltine National.
Oct 2, 2016; Chaska, MN, USA; Brandt Snedeker of the United States lines up a putt on the ninth green during the single matches in 41st Ryder Cup Hazeltine National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Brandt Snedeker def. Andy Sullivan 3 & 1
This match turned out to be a lot closer than it looked like it was going to be. While Snedeker clearly outclassed his opponent, Sullivan held on for much of the afternoon and refused to give the U.S. an easy point.
While Sullivan took a 2-up lead after three holes, Snedeker quickly responded with back-to-back birdies to even things up. The Vanderbilt product took the lead with another birdie on seven and never surrendered it, making a pair of birdies on the back nine to clinch it on the 17th green. While Sullivan continued to fight, he never made a serious charge once his opponent took control of the match.
Oct 2, 2016; Chaska, MN, USA; Dustin Johnson of the United States chips in on the 16th hole during the single matches in 41st Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports
Dustin Johnson def. Chris Wood 1-up
Wood got off to a fast start in this match, but it was only a matter of time before Johnson warmed up. The world No. 2 seized control of the lead on the eighth hole and didn’t give it up for the rest of the afternoon, dragging his opponent to the 18th green before closing things out with a par.
Wood won two of the first five holes to scramble into the driver’s seat, but Johnson’s steady play evened things up after six. He ended up carding seven birdies on the day, so credit to his English opponent for keeping things so close. In the end, however, Johnson managed to bomb and gouge his way to a meaningless win for Team USA, after which he joined his teammates in celebration.
Oct 2, 2016; Chaska, MN, USA; Brooks Koepka of the United States celebrates on the 14th green during the single matches in 41st Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports
Brooks Koepka def. Danny Willett 5 & 4
After securing his spot on Team Europe with a dream victory at the Masters, the Ryder Cup was a nightmare for Danny Willett. The Englishman lost in all three sessions he played, tying Lee Westwood for the worst performance of any player on the squad.
Koepka was much better, channeling some of the winning form he displayed alongside Brandt Snedeker on Friday and Saturday. He got off to a slow start, but a run of five birdies over six holes as he made the turn put a massive amount of pressure on his opponent. Willett, who made a pair of bogeys on the day, was hard-pressed to respond, and Koepka closed out the match on the 14th green.
Oct 2, 2016; Chaska, MN, USA; Martin Kaymer of Germany putts on the first green during the single matches in 41st Ryder Cup Hazeltine National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Martin Kaymer def. Matt Kuchar 1-up
As the last to finish, this match didn’t have any bearing on the final result, but it did provide a nice consolation for Kaymer. One of Darren Clarke’s three captain’s picks, the German went winless in team play, but he rose to the occasion against Matt Kuchar in front of a rowdy crowd on Sunday.
Kuchar was in front for much of the day, opening up a 2-up lead as he made the turn. Kaymer battled, however, circling three straight birdies on 13, 14 and 15 to take control. Kuchar, who at that point hadn’t made a birdie since the seventh, was out of momentum and couldn’t get it back, leading to the late point for Europe.
Oct 2, 2016; Chaska, MN, USA; Zach Johnson of the United States celebrates winning the Ryder Cup during the single matches in 41st Ryder Cup Hazeltine National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Zach Johnson def. Matthew Fitzpatrick 4 & 3
Zach Johnson was arguably the coldest member of Team USA heading into this week, but he didn’t play like it, posting a solid 2-1 record. On Sunday, he preyed upon Matthew Fitzpatrick, who couldn’t overcome mediocre form and a lack of Ryder Cup experience.
While Fitzpatrick managed to square things up with a birdie on the eighth, Johnson led after every single one of the 14 other holes. It wasn’t a great display of golf, but Fitzpatrick’s four bogeys on the day left the door wide open. With the Ryder Cup already secure, there wasn’t much pressure as Johnson birdied the 15th to put away the match.
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