Ryder Cup: Europe regain trophy, final score 16-5-11.5

(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 1 - Europe regained the Ryder Cup Sunday in Rome, the first event to be held in Italy, with the final score 16.6-11.5.
    The last two games both finished all square, as Shane Lowry and Jordan Spieth and Robert MacIntyre and Wyndham Clark shared the points.
    Earlier Mick Fleetwood went two up with two to play against Rickie Flower to secure the half point that gave Europe the winning margin of 14 and a half points.
    Fleetwood went on to beat Fowler 3&2 after Justin Thomas beat Sepp Straka 2&1, with the Ryder Cup coming back to Europe five years after their 2018 victory in Paris.
    USA had needed 14 points to retain the trophy they won with a 19-9 mauling at Whistling Straits two years ago.
    It was a stirring fightback by the Americans after Europe dominated the first two days having swept the opening foursomes for the first time in Ryder Cup history.
    At the start of the last day's 12 singles matches, Team USA's MVP Patrick Cantlay was jeered by home fans after a spat between his caddy and Team Europe ace Rory McIlroy on the last green in Sunday's last four-ball which the American won with a clutch birdie putt, celebrated by bagman Joe LaCava in a riotous fashion that putt the Northern Irishman off his successive putt to halve the hole.
    Standing in McIlroy's eye line, LaCava whooped and waved his cap in a now iconic salute to Cantlay, who has not been wearing headgear in a rumoured protest against not getting paid for golf's epic team clash.
    McIlroy angrily confronted LaCava after he and Robert MacIntyre lost the match to Cantlay and Wyndham Clark, earning the Americans a crucial point to lag by five points instead of five and a half or six going into the final day.
    The row continued in the car park, where four-time major winner McIlroy had to be bundled away by former Open champ Shane Lowry of Ireland.
    Italian officials hailed the success of the event.
    The success of the Ryder Cup in Rome, the first ever edition of the event in Italy, is the best advert for other Italian sporting bids like the joint one with Turkey to host Euro 2032, Italian Olympic Committee (CONi) President Giovanni Malagò said Saturday.
    "This is the best advert that we could have made for our future bids and obviously for those already ongoing," he said as Europe took their big lead in the golfing team classic.
    "And all for the credibility of our country and for its capacity to be the best place that everyone wants for a sporting event".
    (ANSA).