Ryder Cup 2018

New heroes emerge as Europe hold off tense US fightback for emotional Ryder Cup triumph.

- Jim Slater

Europe's finest golfers, sparked by a record-setting victory for Italy's Francesco Molinari, recaptured the Ryder Cup on Sunday, denying a dramatic United States fightback to complete an emotional 17.5-10.5 upset victory.

Reigning British Open champion Molinari defeated five-time major winner Phil Mickelson 4 and 2 as Europe took an insurmountable edge over the favoured Americans, including point-less flop Tiger Woods, in the biennial team showdown at Le Golf National. "It was amazing," Molinari said. "It's an incredible achievement. We did just an amazing job."

In the process, Molinari, who had been winless in six prior Ryder Cup matches, became the first European and only the fourth player ever to go 5-for-5 in a Ryder Cup and did so just two months after hoisting the Claret Jug. "It feels great but it's not about me," he said. "It was about time to have them but it's about the group not the individual. I couldn't even dream of a summer like this."