In a dominant display of match-play prowess, the Britain & Ireland team won the Team Cup in convincing fashion, defeating Continental Europe 17-8 at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort. The resounding victory provides a timely boost of confidence for the European side as they set their sights on reclaiming the Ryder Cup from the United States later this year at Bethpage Black.
Fleetwood Delivers Clinching Point
Tommy Fleetwood, who secured the winning point for Europe in their 2023 Ryder Cup triumph, once again played the role of closer. With Britain & Ireland leading 11-4 heading into Sunday’s singles matches and needing just two points to clinch, Fleetwood defeated Matthieu Pavon 3 and 1 to mathematically seal the outcome.
“Slightly different circumstances this time, but it feels great. What an unbelievable group of lads we had again this week and an unbelievable captain, so it was good to be a part of it.”
– Tommy Fleetwood
Rose’s Leadership Shines
Britain & Ireland captain Justin Rose set the tone for his squad, encouraging them to stay aggressive in the singles session even with a commanding lead. His team responded by capturing five of the first six matches to remove any doubt about the final result.
“I have loved the challenge and the experience, and the lads have made me look incredibly good at it.”
– Justin Rose
Key Singles Results
- Tyrrell Hatton def. Thorbjorn Olesen 3 and 1
- Justin Rose def. Julien Guerrier 3 and 2
- Paul Waring def. Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen 4 and 3
- Niklas Norgaard def. Matt Wallace 2 up
- Antoine Rozner def. Ewen Ferguson 1 up
Valuable Ryder Cup Preparation
Though the Team Cup featured a Britain & Ireland vs Continental Europe format rather than the Europe vs USA rivalry of the Ryder Cup, the event still provided invaluable match-play experience for prospective European team members. Six players from the 2023 Ryder Cup sides participated this week.
Europe will need to lean on that match-play pedigree as they face the daunting task of winning on American soil at Bethpage Black in September. The U.S. currently holds the Cup after a 17.5-12.5 win in Rome last time out. But if the Team Cup is any indication, Europe appears to be rounding into top form at just the right time for another stirring away victory.
