Just half a point but Shane Lowry had waited half a lifetime for it

The Ryder Cup was coming home to Europe and you’d imagine that pretty soon it will make its way to Clara.

WINNING FEELING: Shane Lowry celebrates making the winning putt to retain the Ryder Cup for Team Europe. Pic: ©INPHO/Matthew Harris

Shane Lowry stood in the middle of the 18th fairway and must have wondered how the hell he was here. Sent out eighth in the Sunday singles with his European team needing just 2.5 points to seal a historic and heavenly road victory, he surely thought the party would be started by the time he got in.

Instead European hopes were barely afloat as the evening gold poured down on the people’s country club. What a show they got on a Sunday unlike any other when Keegan Bradley’s home team conjured the kind of fightback that just doesn’t happen. Unless it’s the Ryder Cup.