If there is breath in the body, there is hope. Team USA awoke on Sunday morning, knowing that it had to do the impossible and win ten of twelve singles matches outright to dethrone the European side as Ryder Cup champions. Samuel Ryder was a seed merchant in England, and he sewed the seeds for an impressive international exhibition, back in the roaring 20s of the previous century. Team USA sent out two of its strongest golfers (Cameron Young and Justin Thomas) in the day’s first two matches. Captain Keegan Bradley hoped that the pair would sew the seeds of an improbable comeback victory. Young and Thomas did their job, and for a large part of the afternoon, Team USA gave the adoring faithful hope.

In the end, Shane Lowry did what Shane Lowry does. He made birdie at the last to secure a half point with Russell Henley. Down two holes with four to play, Lowry won two, and Henley none, and the match was halved. It was the second half-point won by the visiting squad on the day. At daybreak, it was announced that Viktor Hovland would be unable to compete on Sunday. His absence gave Europe a free half point to begin the fifth and final round. Matt Fitzpatrick earned another half for his draw with Bryson DeChambeau, and Ludvig Aberg dispatched former USA stalwart Patrick Cantlay, by 2 & 1.

Unlike Saturday, when there was little to learned from the lethargic play of Team USA, and there was nothing new to be gleaned from Team Europe’s relentless march to victory after victory, Sunday provided a window for the souls of a proud dozen Americans, who would not go gently into that dark night. On that poetic note, let’s run down the five things that we learned on Sunday of Ryder Cup Bethpage 2025.

1. When Team USA finds its rhythm, it excels

Rhythm is precisely what wins competitions, no matter the sport. For some unknown reason, Team Europe finds its rhythm quicker and extends it longer in partner matches. Since these make up more points (16) than do the individual matches (12), the boys in blue and gold begin each Ryder Cup session with an advantage. Team USA demonstrated on Sunday that embarrassment is a strong motivator. If only it could have discovered this motivation on Friday morning. Bethpage 2025 would have been even more scintillating than it was.

One might ponder the notion that European golfers genuinely appreciate the good play of their opponents. In contrast, do the Americans get angry and frustrated when their fellow competitor outplays them? It doesn’t mean that the Europeans want to lose regular-season events. It simply means that they are able to recognize and applaud good play, better than the fellows from the USA. If Team USA gets better at saluting wondrous play throughout the year, perhaps it will be more comfortable in partner play.

2. Sometimes, what you do best doesn’t come through in the clutch

If you look at the latter parts of the video below of Shane Lowry’s cup-clinching putt, you see Russell Henley near the front of the green, watching helplessly as the individual match hangs in the balance. Moments before, Henley had a 10-foot putt to secure a half point at least, and he missed. Henley is one of the most gifted, natural putters since Ben Crenshaw, yet he missed from just over three yards. More moments before, Henley had recovered from a left-side, fairway bunker to give himself a chance, in heroic fashion. Great drivers miss fairways, great ironmen sail wide of putting surfaces, and great bunker players fail to get up and down in two shots. Henley will rise again tomorrow, and will continue to putt the eyes out of the hole. Come 2027, he may get another shot at a putt of such magnitude in Ireland.

3. Supplement cheers of You-Ess-Ay with some songs

I give the fans ringing the eighth hole loads of credit for their efforts to change up the tired U-S-A chant. The group on the starboard side of the green began the cheer with a hearty YOU and was followed by those behind the green with ESS. Finally, the patrol on the port side of the putting surface finished it off with a strong AAYYY. The angry quickness of USA USA USA was naturally defused by the pauses between each letter.

USA faithful, let’s take it a step further in future Ryder Cups. Are you telling me that you cannot come up with lyrics for songs that celebrate and serenade the American squad? What about Forever Young for Cameron? Howza bout Benny and the Jets for Ben Griffin? Try on Pink Sammy Club for Sam Burns. You get the idea? Put the lyrics on social or a site, and folks can sing along without much rehearsal.

I planned to plug in the video of the Guardians of the Cup, Euro superfans, but honestly, they’re not really on key. No one questions their enthusiasm, but we all need a bit more rehearsal if we’re a small group.

4. Let’s discuss the injury half-point

I’m certainly not saying that Harris English was going to take a full point from Viktor Hovland. Since Hovland’s neck worsened over the week, thanks to two foursomes matches, the following codicil was invoked:

3.d) When the Captain’s lodge their team selection for singles play, they must provide a sealed envelope containing the name of one player who is regarded as having been paired with a player who, through illness, injury or other emergency reason, has to withdraw from the other side. Such pairing is regarded as a tied match. If this requires the re-pairing of a match, this will be done down the order of the play.

Here’s my thinking: Hovland knew that he had neck issues. He knew that a bulging disc had been an annoyance for the past four months. That’s quite different from the car accident on Thursday evening of the 1991 matches at Kiawah Island. Pate bruised ribs and was ineffective in the one match that he played. He was an American stalwart, and his injury hurt the USA side immensely. In the case of a true accident, invoke rule 3.d. When it comes down to something that Team Europe knew about and could have replaced, I call shenanigans. English deserved a full point. I’d have written the same thing if the roles and scores had been reversed.

5. What was great and what do we have to anticipate in 2027?

Five great things from Bethpage Black: European cohesion; short rough that allowed players to hit the green from off the fairway; a massive course that did not allow cheers to truly intimidate or exhilarate opponents and teammates; New York City energy, when it is positive; success from rookies and aged veterans alike.

Five things that we need at Adare Manor in 2027: American humility that allows cohesion to enter the room (think Ted Lasso, people); a magnificent, majestic, manicured piece of the emerald isle, that charms us and challenges us in our thinking; some new European faces (11 of 12 guys returned, and the one guy you swap out is the identical twin of the guy you swap in?); some American players who take up the mantle, in a way that we haven’t seen since Fleetwood and McIlroy and Lowry and Rose…oh, wait; a match that comes down to the final golfers, after the first two days of partner play have been completely, precisely, halved.