Europe's finest golfers defeated the United States for the sixth time in seven tries Sunday to retain the Ryder Cup.
Top-ranked Rory McIlroy and crew didn't allow the U.S. to dig itself out of a deep hole on the final day as Europe polished off a 16½-11½ victory.
The Ryder Cup is a biennial men's golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is contested every two years with the venue alternating between courses in the USA and Europe.
Since 1979, Europe has won nine times outright and retained the Cup once in a tied match, with seven American wins over this period. The European team has included players from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden. The Ryder Cup, and its counterpart the Presidents Cup, remain exceptions within the world of professional sports because the players receive no prize money despite the contests being high-profile events that bring in large amounts of money in television and sponsorship revenue.
The current holders are Europe who won for the third successive time at the Gleneagles Hotel in Perth & Kinross, Scotland in 2014. The 2016 Ryder Cup will be at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota from September 30 to October 2.
