Jamie Donaldson wins the Ryder Cup 2014 for the European Team at Gleneagles with a stunning second shot on the 15th green.
Played in Scotland for the first time since Muirfield in 1973, the Europeans were riding a two match-winning streak with a captain in Paul McGinley that was part of those last two victories as vice captain. T
he Ryder Cup at Medinah was two years’ past, but American captain Tom Watson was banking on his team to remember what happened outside of Chicago, losing a four-point lead during Sunday’s singles and earned its first victory across the pond since 1993 when Watson was the U. S. captain at the Belfry.
It didn’t take long to see McGinley’s plan, like chess pieces, McGinley maneuvered his players brilliantly in the first two days, taking a commanding 4-point lead into the Sunday singles, due primarily to a seven to one run in points in foursomes, which included six European victories and only two halves.
Most of the American struggles came over the last three holes in foursomes as the Europeans dominated 8-2-5.
The American talked on Saturday night about extinguishing the deficit as they had done at The Country Club in 1999, but they could never get the momentum on Sunday, losing the singles 6.5 to 5.5 and the Ryder Cup for the third successive time 16.5 to 11.5. Since 1979 when the Ryder Cup first included continental Europe, the Europeans hold a commanding 10-7-1 record.