2023 Ryder Cup

Nicklaus handed Jacklin the half-point unplayed; the match tied, the gesture outlasted both careers.

At Royal Birkdale, the 1969 Ryder Cup produced one of sport's greatest acts of sportsmanship. With the entire contest hinging on the final putt of the final match, Jack Nicklaus conceded Tony Jacklin's short putt on the 18th green, ensuring a 16–16 tie. "I don't think you would have missed that putt," Nicklaus told Jacklin, "but I was not going to give you the chance." The gesture defined the spirit of the Ryder Cup for generations.

Six years after Europe's doors opened, 28 years of waiting finally ended.

At the suggestion of Jack Nicklaus, the team was expanded from Great Britain and Ireland to include all of continental Europe. The change was transformative. Players like Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer and José María Olazábal brought new fire to the European side. Within six years, Europe would win the Cup for the first time in 28 years, and the contest became genuinely competitive again.

Twenty-eight years of American dominance, undone by a single putt on the 18th.

Captained by Tony Jacklin, Europe defeated the United States 16½–11½ at The Belfry, ending a 28-year American stranglehold on the trophy. Sam Torrance holed the winning putt on the 18th, arms raised in triumph. It was a watershed moment. Europe would go on to win three of the next four Ryder Cups, establishing a rivalry that has remained tight ever since.

Four points down with one session left; America won anyway.

Trailing 10–6 heading into the Sunday singles at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, the United States staged one of sport's great comebacks to win 14½–13½. Justin Leonard's 45-foot birdie putt on the 17th sparked wild celebrations on the green before José María Olazábal had even putted. The scenes were controversial, but the drama cemented the Ryder Cup's status as one of the most compelling occasions in world sport.

Eight and a half points from twelve on the final day. Olazábal's side turned a four-point deficit into legend.

Europe trailed 10–6 going into the final day at Medinah Country Club near Chicago. What followed was the greatest comeback in Ryder Cup history. Led by captain José María Olazábal, who carried the memory of the late Seve Ballesteros as inspiration, Europe won 8½ of the 12 Sunday singles matches to retain the Cup 14½–13½. Martin Kaymer holed the decisive putt. It was sport at its most improbable.

Thomas Bjørn's Europe won a commanding 17½–10½ at Le Golf National, proving the Ryder Cup can thrive beyond its traditional heartlands.

Thomas Bjørn captained Europe to a commanding 17½–10½ victory at Le Golf National outside Paris, the first Ryder Cup held in continental Europe since 1997. The French crowds were raucous and passionate, and the occasion demonstrated that the Ryder Cup could thrive beyond its traditional British and American heartlands. It set the stage for Italy's turn as host.

Europe had the match won before Sunday's singles even mattered; Rome delivered its first Ryder Cup and a 16½ to 11½ statement.

The 44th Ryder Cup was held at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Guidonia Montecelio, just outside Rome, from 29 September to 1 October 2023. It was the first Ryder Cup ever staged in Italy. Captain Luke Donald led a European team that dominated from the opening session, building a commanding lead through the foursomes and fourballs. Europe won 16½–11½, with the result effectively sealed before the Sunday singles were complete. Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood were standout performers. The Italian crowds brought a football-match atmosphere to proceedings, with chants echoing across the Roman hills. Zach Johnson's American team, despite featuring several major champions, never found a foothold on European soil.