2012 Ryder Cup Recap: US Folds to Europe in Ryder Cup Collapse

Rory McIlroy, who admitted to watching too much of the Golf Channel the night before his final round of the Ryder Cup, was slightly confused after repeatedly hearing ‘eastern standard time’ regarding his tee-time.  This time zone confusion caused McIlroy to arrive at Medinah a mere 11 minutes before his tee-time, making most feel that the USA would have an advantage with the 23 year old not being warmed up.   That was not the case on Sunday as Rory McIlroy defeated the hot Ryder Cap rookie Keegan Bradley in a singles match that swung the momentum in favor of Europe.

“I had been watching television and it kept saying how I would start at 12:25,”  McIlroy told reporters as he rushed to the tee box.  “It kind of threw me off and I have had to hurry to make sure I got here on time. It is pretty embarrassing…”

The momentum certainly did shift as the American team began to miss crucial putts which left windows of opportunities for the Europeans to cash in.  The match ended with the second to last pairing as Martin Kaymer drained his putt and leapt into the arms of his teammates.  The “Ole, ole, ole, ole” chants brewed from the crowd as their respected flags were draped over their shoulders with pride.

Ryder Cup 2012 – Medinah

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The final score was 14 ½ to 13 ½ which marks the largest comeback in Ryder Cup history.   It was a shocking ending on Sunday as the US team looked poised to take back the cup from Europe leading into Sunday’s singles matches.

“We’re all kind of stunned,” said U.S.captain Davis Love III, a member of the famous 1999 team.  “We know what it feels like now. … We just got a couple of matches flipped there in the middle that cost us.”

Europe is lucky they got McIlroy to Medinah in time…that would have been a huge mistake which would have cost them the Ryder Cup.  Hats off to Jose Maria Olazabal and his team for an impressive come from behind win when it mattered the most.

Until 2014…

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