Then, the US threatened to produce one of the most famous sporting comebacks in living memory. European palms sweated in the searing Rome sun.
Europe, guided superbly by Luke Donald and roared on by an inspired McIlroy, withstood what was thrown at them. A 162-112 victory comfortably erases the pain caused at Whistling Straits in 2021, when the US were supposedly set for a decade or more of Ryder Cup dominance.
Zach Johnson arrived in Rome with the world No 1, the US PGA champion, the Open champion and the US Open champion yet still proved unable to cure travel sickness dating back to 1993. Europe outplayed, outfought and outthought their opposition.
Donald's captaincy will be celebrated. He was part of a meeting the day after the Whistling Straits debacle, seeking to ensure nothing like it ever happened again. Donald completed the circle here. A typically unemotional figure, he was close to tears as the cup was won. It strengthens the case for him leading Europe again in 2025. A lack of alternatives renders that a serious possibility.
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