But Shane Lowry did as he often does on the big occasion: he fought the gravity with every fibre of his being. And so he resisted America’s terrifying momentum to birdie the 18th hole and gouge out the final half-point Europe needed to retain the Ryder Cup. Sam Burns then bogeyed the final hole to give Bob MacIntyre a closing tie, which at least meant Europe did not win because of Hovland’s injury. But Hatton and MacIntyre did not face the packed stands, and they did not face the deadening pressure Shane Lowry faced. He said at the start of the week that he lives for the Ryder Cup.