2012 Ryder Cup

39th Ryder Cup Matches
Logo
DatesSeptember 28–30, 2012
VenueMedinah Country Club
Course No. 3
LocationMedinah, Illinois
Captains
United States 131⁄2 141⁄2 Europe
Europe wins the Ryder Cup
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Medinah CC is located in the United States
Medinah CC
Medinah CC
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Location in the United States
Medinah CC is located in Illinois
Medinah CC
Medinah CC
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Location in Illinois

The 39th Ryder Cup was held September 28–30, 2012, in the United States at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois, a suburb northwest of Chicago.[1] This was the first time that the Ryder Cup was held in Illinois. Europe went into the competition as the cup holders, having won in 2010 to regain it.[2] The team captains were Davis Love III for the U.S.[3] and José María Olazábal for Europe.[4]

At the start of the final day's play, the U.S. led 10–6 and required 41⁄2 points to win; Europe required 8 points to retain the cup and 81⁄2 to win it outright. Europe achieved one of the greatest comebacks in Ryder Cup history by winning eight and tying one of the 12 singles matches. Martin Kaymer's five-foot putt on the 18th hole to defeat Steve Stricker took the score to 14–13, allowing Europe to retain the cup with one match still in progress. Tiger Woods missed a putt on the final green and conceded the hole to Francesco Molinari, halving the final point and securing outright victory for the European team, 141⁄2–131⁄2. It was named by European media covering the event as the "Miracle at Medinah", and is widely regarded as one of the best sporting comebacks of all time and the greatest in Ryder Cup history.[5][6][7][8]

The victory was Europe's second consecutive and fifth in the last six contests.[9] European captain Olazábal dedicated the victory to his countryman Seve Ballesteros. The five-time major champion, who had scored 221⁄2 points in 37 matches and been part of four victorious European sides before captaining them to victory on home soil at Valderrama in 1997, had died of brain cancer in May 2011 at the age of 54, and in his memory, Team Europe wore navy blue and white garments – his traditional Sunday colors – on the final day.[10] Additionally, the team's kit also bore the silhouette of Ballesteros famously celebrating his win at the 1984 Open Championship at the Old Course at St Andrews.[11][12]

  1. ^ "2012 Ryder Cup headed to Medinah Country Club". PGA of America. July 7, 2010. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2012.
  2. ^ Dorman, Larry (October 4, 2010). "McDowell Seals Ryder Cup for Europe". The New York Times. Retrieved October 2, 2012.
  3. ^ Auclair, T.J. (January 20, 2011). "PGA picks Love III to lead Team USA". PGA of America. Archived from the original on February 25, 2015. Retrieved October 2, 2012.
  4. ^ "Olazábal named European Team captain for 2012 Ryder Cup". PGA of America. January 18, 2011. Archived from the original on February 25, 2015. Retrieved October 2, 2012.
  5. ^ "Sporting comebacks to rival the Ryder Cup's Miracle of Medinah". BBC Sport. October 1, 2012. Retrieved October 2, 2012.
  6. ^ Williams, Richard (October 1, 2012). "Europe seal Ryder Cup win with comeback of epic proportions". The Guardian. London. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
  7. ^ "Rewind 2012: Miracle at Medinah | RYDERCUP.com". Archived from the original on February 25, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  8. ^ "Miracle of Medinah - How Europe turned the 2012 Ryder Cup on its head". September 24, 2014.
  9. ^ "Ryder Cup 2012: Europe beat USA after record comeback". BBC. September 30, 2012. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
  10. ^ Murray, Ewan (September 24, 2012). "Ryder Cup 2012: Europe prepare final-day tribute to Seve Ballesteros". The Guardian. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  11. ^ "Europe Win Ryder Cup In Comeback Sensation". Sky Sports. October 1, 2012. Archived from the original on November 12, 2012.
  12. ^ "Europe Wins Golf's Ryder Cup". Sky News. October 1, 2012. Retrieved October 1, 2012.