Scottie Scheffler secured his first win in the Ryder Cup since 2021 at the perfect time as far as Keegan Bradley was concerned, with the world number one beating Rory McIlroy in the Sunday singles.
Heading into the week, many were dreaming of seeing Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler face off at the Ryder Cup. However, Sunday’s matchup between the pair appeared set to be an anticlimax, with Team USA facing a mountain to climb just to make the scoreline respectable.
But Keegan Bradley‘s side produced a stunning performance on Sunday at Bethpage.
Scheffler managed to claim his first point of the week after losing his first four matches in New York. He beat McIlroy 1 up to help the home side strengthen their hopes of arguably the greatest comeback in sporting history.
Scottie Scheffler reacts to his win over Rory McIlroy at the Ryder Cup
Scheffler’s point came at a crucial time, with Bryson DeChambeau managing to come from five down to earn half a point against Matthew Fitzpatrick in the match ahead.
And speaking after his match with McIlroy, the 29-year-old insisted that so much has been taken out of him this week having featured in every single session.
“To keep fighting. I battled really hard yesterday and the first day, things just did not work out the way I anticipated them. But I was proud to get a point today. It’s tough. Playing all five matches was a grind. Rory and I even chatted about that today. It was a grind but I’m proud of the fight our team showed. Keegan did a good job putting us in position and keeping the energy up and the guys were motivated to come out and play,” he said.
“We will see what happens.”
Bryson DeChambeau lauded by Scottie Scheffler after his fightback
DeChambeau’s performance really set the stage for the fightback. Fitzpatrick was superb in the early stages and appeared to be on his way to securing the largest win by a European in the singles.
But the LIV Golf star did not accept defeat. He tied things up on the 16th hole. At that stage, it would have taken a brave person to bet against DeChambeau.
He had to settle for a half point. But Scheffler suggested that seeing him battle back changed everything in his mind.
“Keegan has been amazing. All our vice captains have been great. It’s been a really special team and it’s been a lot of fun. This week did not go as I anticipated for myself and I’m a little bit bummed but these guys picked me up on this team when I needed it. We have a great team. I love these guys and this team, it’s a special group. The fight these guys showed today and the fight Bryson showed today and yesterday. The way he played in our match in the afternoon was amazing and I don’t think I could do what I did in my match today if he didn’t do what he did in front of me,” he added.
“He’s an emotional leader of our team. He has been great and I’m proud to be battling with people like that.”
It was an amazing showing from the Americans who had absolutely no right to give themselves a chance. DeChambeau and Scheffler certainly played their part after such a difficult week for Team USA’s top two players.
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