Video gamer Electronic Arts to be acquired for $55 billion in largest-ever private equity buyout

Video gamer Electronic Arts to be acquired for $55 billion in largest-ever private equity buyout

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE AND MICHELLE CHAPMAN The Associated Press

Electronic Arts, the maker of video games like “Madden NFL,” “Battlefield,” and “The Sims,” is being acquired for $55 billion in what could become the largest private equity-funded buyout in history.

Silver Lake Partners, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund PIF, and Affinity Partners will pay EA’s stockholders $210 per share. Affinity Partners is run by President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

The equity value of the deal is $55 billion, far exceeding the $32 billion price tag to take Texas utility TXU private in 2007, which had shattered records for leveraged buyouts.

PIF, which was currently the largest insider stakeholder in Electronic Arts, will be rolling over its existing 9.9% investment in the company.

The commitment to the massive deal is inline with recent activity in the gaming sector by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, wrote Andrew Marok of Raymond James.

“The Saudi PIF has been a very active player in the video gaming market since 2022, taking minority stakes in most scaled public video gaming publishers, and also outright purchases of companies like ESL, FACEIT, and Scopely,” he wrote. “The PIF has made its intentions to scale its gaming arm, Savvy Gaming Group, clear, and the EA deal would represent the biggest such move to date by some distance.”

PIF is also a minority investor in Nintendo.

If the transaction closes as anticipated, it will end EA’s 36-year history as a publicly traded company that began with its shares ending its first day of trading at a split-adjusted 52 cents.

The IPO came seven years after EA was founded by former Apple employee William “Trip” Hawkins, who began playing analog versions of baseball and football made by “Strat-O-Matic” as a teenager during the 1960s.

CEO Andrew Wilson has led the company since 2013 and he will remain in that role, the firms said Monday. Electronic Arts would be taken private and its headquarters would remain in Redwood City, California.

“Electronic Arts is an extraordinary company with a world-class management team and a bold vision for the future,” said Kushner, CEO of Affinity Partners. “I’ve admired their ability to create iconic, lasting experiences, and as someone who grew up playing their games – and now enjoys them with his kids – I couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead.”

The size of the video game market has attracted large investors in recent years.

One of EA’s biggest rivals Activision Blizzard was snapped up by technology powerhouse Microsoft for nearly $69 billion in 2023, while the competition from mobile video game makers such as Epic Games has intensified.

This marks the second high-profile deal involving Silver Lake and a technology company with a legion of loyal fans in recent weeks. Silver Lake is also part of a newly formed joint venture spearheaded by Oracle involved in a deal to take over the U.S. oversight of TikTok’s social video platform, although all the details of that complex transaction haven’t been divulged yet.

Silver Lake also bought out two other well-known technology companies, the now-defunct video calling service Skype in a $1.9 billion deal completed in 2009, and a $24.9 billion buyout of personal computer maker Dell in 2013. After Dell restructured its operations as a private company, it returned to the stock market with publicly traded shares in 2018.

By going private, EA will be able to retool operations without worrying about market reactions. Although its video games still have a fervent following, EA’s annual revenues have been stagnant during the past three fiscal years, hovering from $7.4 billion to $7.6 billion.

Mike Hickey of The Benchmark Company thinks the proposed deal’s $210 per share offer price may be falling short of EA’s intrinsic value.

“With Battlefield 6 about to launch and a pipeline that could add more than $2B in incremental bookings by FY28, the true earnings power of EA is only beginning to emerge,” he wrote.

Hickey is unsure if the transaction is in shareholders’ best interest.

“In our view, this transaction is a self-serving, opportunistic move by management and the investor group,” he wrote. “Management has long been rumored to seek a sale around $200 per share, a level that may have been defensible in prior years but not in the current environment where visibility into growth, franchise momentum, and pipeline strength is far more robust. The board’s decision to recommend a sale at $210 per share suggests a prioritization of near-term certainty and legacy over maximizing long-term shareholder value.”

But Nick McKay of Freedom Capital Markets believes the offer makes sense for EA because share price appreciation is likely limited given that the success of its sports franchises and various live services streams are already mostly baked into the stock.

“The financial backing and resources of the investor consortium should enable EA to increase its focus on long-term growth opportunities that may have been viewed as too risky or expensive as a public company,” he wrote in an analyst note.

EA shares, which rose nearly 5% on Monday, had jumped 15% on Friday after rumors of a takeover began to circulate.

The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of fiscal 2027. It still needs approval from EA shareholders.

Veteran charged with opening fire on North Carolina bar, killing 3, is scheduled to appear in court

Veteran charged with opening fire on North Carolina bar, killing 3, is scheduled to appear in court

By CAROLYN THOMPSON and ALLEN G. BREED Associated Press

A man charged with firing an assault rifle from a boat at patrons of a North Carolina waterfront bar, killing three people and wounding five others, was a decorated Marine combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient whose last assignment was with a Wounded Warrior battalion.

Nigel Edge, 40, is scheduled to appear in a North Carolina courtroom Monday after being charged with murder, attempted murder and assault in connection with a mass shooting Saturday night at the American Fish Company in Southport, a historic port town about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Wilmington.

Five people remained hospitalized Monday. None of the victims’ identities have been released.

Authorities said Edge piloted a boat close to shore, stopped briefly and opened fire at a crowd of vacationers and other patrons in what Police Chief Todd Coring called a “highly premeditated” targeted attack.

He was arrested about a half an hour later after a U.S. Coast Guard crew spotted him pulling a boat from the water at a public ramp on Oak Island, where he lives.

North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Director Chip Hawley said at a news conference Monday that law enforcement officers “got the confession” from the suspect. He did not elaborate.

It was not immediately known whether Edge has a lawyer who can speak on his behalf. He was scheduled to appear in a Brunswick County courtroom Monday afternoon.

Edge, who was born in Suffern, New York, and changed his name from Sean DeBevoise in 2023, told police he was injured in combat and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, Coring said.

Oak Island Chief Charles Morris said he was known to officers who frequently saw him by the town pier, and that Edge had filed “numerous lawsuits” against the department and town in recent years. In one, he sought body camera video from an encounter after his boat trailer was vandalized.

Legal records indicate Edge had turned to the court system in recent years to air a variety of perceived grievances.

Among a number of recent local and federal lawsuits, court records show, is one filed May 12 in which he accused an area church of trying to make him commit suicide because “he is not LGBQT or a pedophile.”

In another, in 2024, he made numerous claims against his parents, including that they’d falsified a birth certificate “for a feral child.”

“Plaintiff suffers from war injuries and he suffers from delusions and PTSD. The VA needs to take care of him!!!” his mother, Sandra Lynn DeBevoise, wrote in response.

The DeBevoises could not be reached for comment Monday. Telephone listings could not be located.

In his petition to change his name, he gave this reason: “There have been alot (sic) of events in my life that I don’t understand. Therefore I do not trust my family, and I would feel more comfortable starting my life in a new path with a new name.”

Edge served in the military from 2003-2009, achieving the rank of sergeant in 2007, according to military records, which list his specialties as assault man and reconnaissance man. He had deployments in 2005 and 2006 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom and was awarded a Purple Heart, a medal given to those wounded or killed in action. Other awards include a Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Combat Action Ribbon (Iraq) and Iraq Campaign Medal with two bronze stars, which denote time spent in Iraq.

His last duty assignment was with Wounded Warrior Battalion East, II Marine Expeditionary Force in Camp Lejeune, records show.

Details of his injuries were not released. A 2017 news story in the Wilmington Star-News described DeBevoise as a Marine sniper who said he’d been left for dead after being shot four times, including in the head, during a raid on a warehouse in Iraq in May 2006. The story detailed his efforts to raise money to start a commercial fishing business.

A 2012 post on singer Kellie Pickler’s X account appears to show her with a picture of the suspect in a Marine uniform at the Country Music Awards. The photo, first reported by the New York Post, was captioned: “Me and my date (Sgt Sean Debevoise).”

Pickler could not be reached for comment.

Gov. Josh Stein said the weekend shootings were further proof of the need for improvements to “fix our broken mental health care system.”

“We know that the vast majority of folks with mental health challenges pose no risk to others, but some can,” Stein said. “There are too many people in our communities with dangerous obsessions exhibiting threatening behavior who do pose risks.”

The North Carolina legislature passed a criminal justice reform bill last week in the wake of the stabbing death of a Ukrainian refugee on a Charlotte commuter train that in part includes a greater emphasis upon defendants who need mental health examinations. Stein hasn’t yet said whether he’d let the bill become law or veto it.

The legislation lacks a “red flag” law pushed by Democrats for years that would allow a judge to take guns away from a person whom a judge has found to be a grave risk to the community. Stein said he thinks such a law is a good idea, although he didn’t know whether it would have been triggered in this case.

___

Breed reported reported from Raleigh, N.C. Thompson reported from Buffalo, N.Y. Gary Robertson contributed from Raleigh, N.C.

96.1BBB Supports Raleigh Wide Open Music Festival!

96.1BBB Supports Raleigh Wide Open Music Festival!

The Raleigh Wide Open Festival will happen this Friday & Saturday and 961 BBB will be hosting the Davie Street Stage on Saturday at 7pm. The festival features live Americana, Bluegrass, Folk, R& B & Gospel music plus an art market, food, drink, and fun for the whole family.

And it’s FREE!

Check out Raleigh Wide Open for details!

Hurricane Humberto and Tropical Storm Imelda threaten the Bahamas and Bermuda

Hurricane Humberto and Tropical Storm Imelda threaten the Bahamas and Bermuda

By DÁNICA COTO Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Authorities in the Bahamas closed a majority of schools on Monday following mandatory evacuations for some islands in the archipelago as Tropical Storm Imelda was expected to drop heavy rain and unleash flooding in the northern Caribbean.

The storm was located about 10 miles (15 kilometers) southeast of Great Abaco Island, which is still recovering from Hurricane Dorian after it slammed into parts of the Bahamas as a devastating Category 5 hurricane in 2019.

Imelda had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph) and was moving north at 9 mph (15 kph). It was forecast to become a hurricane on Tuesday and spin out to open ocean, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

A tropical storm warning was in effect for parts of the northwestern Bahamas, including Eleuthera, the Abacos, Grand Bahama Island and the surrounding keys. Power outages were reported in some areas, with authorities closing government offices on affected islands.

Imelda was expected to drop 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) of rain across the northwest Bahamas through Tuesday, and 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters) across eastern Cuba.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Humberto churned in open waters nearby, which forecasters said would cause Imelda to abruptly turn to the east-northeast, away from the southeastern United States coast.

“This is really what’s going to be saving the United States from really seeing catastrophic rainfall,” said Alex DaSilva, lead hurricane expert for AccuWeather, a private U.S. weather forecasting company.

When two storms circle near each other, they create what’s known as the Fujiwhara effect, which means that they start to rotate counterclockwise around each other, DaSilva said.

“It’s a very rare phenomena overall in the Atlantic basin,” he said.

The Carolinas brace for Imelda’s rains

Humberto was a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 kph). It was located about 365 miles (585 kilometers) south-southwest of Bermuda moving northwest at 14 mph (22 kph). A tropical storm watch was in effect for Bermuda.

“This is going to be no threat to the United States,” DaSilva said.

However, moisture from Imelda was expected to move up the Carolinas, with heavy rain forecast through Tuesday morning. The heaviest rains will be limited to the coastline, from Charleston in South Carolina to Wilmington in North Carolina, while Charlotte and Raleigh might receive only 1 to 2 inches (3 to 5 centimeters) of rain, he said.

The Carolinas might see winds gusts of 40 mph, but only along the coastline, DaSilva said, as he warned of dangerous surf and heavy rip currents all week.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said authorities were prepositioning search and rescue crews over the weekend.

Meanwhile, In North Carolina, Gov. Josh Stein declared a state of emergency even before Imelda formed.

‘A double whammy for Bermuda’

As Tropical Storm Imelda and Hurricane Humberto swirled in open waters, authorities in Bermuda prepared for two near misses.

“It’s going to be a double whammy for Bermuda, Humberto first and Imelda following close behind,” Da Silva said.

He said Imelda could pass within 15 miles (24 kilometers) from Bermuda as the Atlantic season’s soon-to-be fourth named hurricane, while Humberto will charge past at a longer distance.

Michael Weeks, Bermuda’s national security minister, urged residents to prepare, warning that there have been “some near misses this season regarding severe storms.”

“Hurricane Humberto is a dangerous storm, and with another system developing to our south, every household in Bermuda should take the necessary steps to be prepared,” he said.

Flights to and from the islands in the Bahamas were canceled, with airports expected to reopen after weather conditions improve.

Suspected stowaway is found dead in plane’s landing gear at a North Carolina airport

Suspected stowaway is found dead in plane’s landing gear at a North Carolina airport

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Airplane maintenance workers at a North Carolina airport found the body of a suspected stowaway in the landing gear compartment of an American Airlines flight that had recently arrived from Europe, police said.

The body was found Sunday morning while the plane was undergoing maintenance at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said in a statement that it is investigating the death.

Neither the airline nor police have offered information about the person who died, including a possible cause of death, or said where the flight originated.

The airport said it was deeply saddened by the discovery and said it will support the police investigation. American Airlines said it was working with law enforcement on its investigation and directed questions to police.

Experts believe roughly three-quarters of stowaways do not survive if they hide on a plane’s undercarriage because of the extreme cold and lack of oxygen they experience as the plane reaches cruising altitude.

In January, two bodies were found in the landing gear compartment of a JetBlue aircraft at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The bodies were discovered in the wheel well area during a routine post-flight inspection. The aircraft had arrived in Fort Lauderdale shortly after flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. The jet had been in both Kingston, Jamaica, and Salt Lake City, Utah, earlier that day.

In December, a body was found in the wheel well of a United Airlines plane after it landed in Maui from Chicago.

Roasted Carrots

Roasted Carrots

This recipe is a delicious addition to any fall meal. It’s quick, easy, and a great way to get some veggies in–and you can customize the seasoning to be sweet, savory, or both!

Ingredients

  • 4–5 carrots, peeled and cut into sticks or rounds
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Preheat oven and prep
Preheat oven to 400°F and prep a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Season the carrots
Toss the carrots in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, brown sugar, red pepper flakes and any other seasoning of your choice.

3. Bake
Spread the seasoned carrots on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through.

4. Enjoy
Enjoy as a side with your favorite fall dinner!

September 29th 2025

September 29th 2025

Thought of the Day

Desire of Love
Beyond the heart – Getty Image

The desire of love is to give. The desire of lust is to get.

Tropical Storm Imelda forms near Bahamas and is expected to become a hurricane in coming days

Tropical Storm Imelda forms near Bahamas and is expected to become a hurricane in coming days

By FREIDA FRISARO Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Imelda formed Sunday and is expected to become a hurricane on a forecast track curving away from the U.S. East Coast early this week. The storm dumped rain and churned up seas near the Bahamas and Cuba and even briefly prompted a tropical storm watch on a stretch of Florida’s Atlantic coast.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Humberto weakened slightly but remained a powerful Category 4 storm further out in the Atlantic, potentially threatening Bermuda. The Bermuda Weather Service issued a tropical storm watch, meaning tropical storm conditions were possible on the island within 48 hours.

At about 8 p.m. EDT, Imelda was about 30 miles (45 kilometers) southeast of the northwest Bahamas and about 355 miles (570 km) southeast of Cape Canaveral in Brevard County, Florida, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

Imelda was headed north at 9 mph (15 kph), bearing top sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph). The hurricane center said the storm was expected to move across the central and northwestern Bahamas through Sunday night and then spin east-northeast away from the southeastern U.S. by midweek.

A tropical storm watch for the east coast of Florida from the Palm Beach-Martin County Line to the Flagler-Volusia County Line was discontinued Sunday afternoon. But the hurricane center urged people on the southeast U.S. coast to monitor Imelda’s progress.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster also urged vigilance, although coastal Georgetown County said it was returning to normal operations because of an improving forecast for that area.

“What we learn every time is we never know where they are going to go,” McMaster said at a news conference to discuss emergency preparations. “This storm is deadly serious. Not just serious. Deadly serious.”

The South Carolina governor added that Imelda could bring high winds, heavy rain, and flooding to his state, and authorities there were prepositioning search and rescue crews over the weekend.

In North Carolina, Gov. Josh Stein declared a state of emergency even before Tropical Storm Imelda formed.

Hurricane Humberto weakens some but still major storm

Humberto, though slightly weakened, was still a dangerous Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 kph) with higher gusts, the center said Sunday evening. Humberto was centered about 450 miles (730 kilometers) south of Bermuda and moving northwestward at 13 mph (20 kph).

Dangerous surf will affect Bermuda and most of the U.S. East Coast this week, the center said. The hurricane is expected to gradually turn north over the next day or two before accelerating east-northeast by late Tuesday or early Wednesday. Humberto’s intensity could fluctuate in coming days before weakening but was forecast to remain a dangerous major hurricane over the next couple of days.

Alison Dagostino moved to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, six years ago with her four children and husband. She experienced her first hurricane within days of moving into the area.

She said other than basic storm preparations such as buying batteries and storm-proofing windows, people were going about their lives normally on Sunday.

“People are still out and about. People are still walking on the beach,” Dagostino said.

Imelda threatens parts of Cuba and the Bahamas

Imelda, meanwhile, was threatening parts of Cuba and the Bahamas with heavy rainfall and flash flooding. Portions of the Bahamas were under a tropical storm warning.

The Bahamas’ Department of Meteorology said moderate to heavy rains would continue over the northwest and central islands, including Nassau, Andros Island, San Salvador and Long Island. Rainfall could top between 6 inches (15 centimeters) and 12 inches (30 centimeters), with up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) in isolated spots.

“Residents in low-lying areas should take actions to mitigate property damages due to flooding,” the department said in a statement.

Sunday’s storm surge was expected to raise water levels up to 3 feet (.9 meters) above normal tide along the coasts of the Abaco Islands, the north and east coasts of Grand Bahama, and all nearby cays.

The usually busy streets and seaside of New Providence Island were deserted Sunday as light but constant rain started to flood roads. Choppy sea water and gusts also kept tourists and residents away from the popular Potter’s Cay Dock in Nassau.

Flights to and from the islands have been canceled, with airports expected to reopen after weather conditions improve.

The National Weather Service in Puerto Rico warned inexperienced mariners and smaller boats against heading out over hazardous waters Sunday, with swells from Humberto forecast to reach between 7 and 8 feet (2-2.4 meters) in Atlantic waters.

In the Dominican Republic, where weather conditions on Friday forced the evacuation of hundreds of people, meteorologists on Sunday expected moderate showers, thunderstorms and gusts in some inland areas. The Dominican Institute of Meteorology said in a statement that other areas including the capital, Santo Domingo, would only see scattered showers.

In the Pacific, Narda rapidly weakening

Tropical Storm Narda was rapidly weakening and is expected to become a post-tropical storm by Sunday evening or Monday.

Narda, formerly a hurricane, is affecting coastal Mexico and Baja California Sur, forecasters said, and life-threatening surf and rip current conditions are possible in Southern California. No coastal watches or warnings were in effect midday Sunday.

___

Frisaro reported from Miami. Associated Press writers Safiyah Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama, and Regina Garcia Cano in Caracas, Venezuela contributed to this story.

Elliott steals Kansas Speedway race in wild overtime finish, secures spot in 3rd round of playoffs

Elliott steals Kansas Speedway race in wild overtime finish, secures spot in 3rd round of playoffs

By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Chase Elliott somehow stole Sunday’s race at Kansas Speedway, where he drove from eighth to the checkered flag during a two-lap overtime sprint to earn a spot in the third round of NASCAR’s playoffs.

It was a wild ending to a race that probably should have been won by Denny Hamlin, who dominated and led 159 laps until a bevy of late issues denied him his chance at career win No. 60 for Joe Gibbs Racing.

The race had a slew of late cautions — Hamlin dropped from the lead to seventh on a slow pit stop — that put Bubba Wallace in position to win the race. A red-flag stoppage for Zane Smith flipping his car set up the final overtime restart and Wallace was holding tight in a door-to-door battle with Christopher Bell for the victory.

Then Hamlin came from nowhere to catch Wallace, who drives for the team Hamlin co-owns with Michael Jordan, and Wallace scraped the wall as he tried to hold off his boss. That’s when Elliott suddenly entered the frame and smashed Hamlin in the door to get past him for his second win of the season.

“What a crazy finish. Hope you all enjoyed that. I certainly did,” NASCAR’s most popular driver told the crowd after collecting the checkered flag.

Elliott joins Ryan Blaney as the two drivers locked into the third round of the playoffs. The field will be cut from 12 drivers to eight after next week’s race in Concord, North Carolina and Elliott said once he got in position for the victory, he wasn’t giving up.

“I wasn’t going to lift, so I didn’t know what was going to happen. I figured at the end of the day, it was what it was at that point,” Elliott said. “Wherever I ended up, I ended up. At that point, we were all committed. Really cool just to be eighth on the restart and somehow win on a green-and-white checkered. Pretty neat.”

Hamlin finished second and was clearly dejected by the defeat. The three-time Daytona 500 winner is considered the greatest driver to never win a Cup title and needed the victory to lock up his spot in the next round of the playoffs. He also has a 60th Cup win set as a major career goal and is stuck on 59 victories.

He drove the final 50-plus laps with his power steering on the fritz.

“Just super disappointing. I wanted it bad. It would have been 60 for me,” Hamlin said. “Obviously got really, really tight with (Wallace), and it just got real tight and we let (Elliott) win.

“Man, I wanted it for my dad. I wanted it for everybody. Just wanted it a little too hard.”

Hamlin was followed his JGR teammates Bell and Chase Briscoe, who were third and fourth.

Wallace wound up fifth and even though the victory would have moved him deeper into the playoffs than he’s ever been in his career, he was satisfied considering how poorly his car was running earlier in the race. He wasn’t even upset with Hamlin, and shook hands with his boss on pit road.

“To even have a shot at the win with the way we started … you could have fooled me. We were not good,” Wallace said. “Two years ago I’d probably say something dumb (about Hamlin). He’s a dumbass for that move. I don’t care if he’s my boss or not. But we’re going for the win. I hate that we gave it to Chevrolet there.”

Elliott, in a Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, was the only non-Toyota driver in the top five.

Bottom four

The four drivers in danger of playoff elimination headed into next Sunday’s race are Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, Tyler Reddick and Wallace.

“Obviously there’s only one thing we can do at Charlotte (win), and that’s what we’ll be focused on,” Reddick said.

Reddick races

Reddick raced Sunday and finished seventh, hours after his wife disclosed on social media their newborn son has been ailing for several months.

Alexa Reddick posted she was in the cardiovascular intensive care unit at a North Carolina hospital with Rookie, the couple’s second son who was born in May, working on improving his “heart function.” She wrote she had been seeking medical care for Rookie for some time without getting any concrete answers for what appeared to be “signs of heart failure that were being missed.

“Always trust your mom gut,” she added.

Reddick has not discussed the health battles his son has been facing.

Up next

A playoff elimination race at the hybrid oval/road course at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where Kyle Larson won a year ago. The playoff field will be cut from 12 drivers to eight following next Sunday’s race.

Europe retains the Ryder Cup and reasserts dominance over Americans

Europe retains the Ryder Cup and reasserts dominance over Americans

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (AP) — Staked to the largest lead in history, Europe fully expected to win the Ryder Cup on Sunday. The surprise was how much emotion poured out of the team on a final day that produced a furious American charge and, ultimately, another Irish hero.

What looked to be only a matter of time before the European celebration was on turned into nervous glances at the scorecard as the unruly crowd at Bethpage Black finally had a U.S. team to cheer for instead of against.

It went from looking impossible to improbable to just maybe.

And then Shane Lowry, who endured so much abuse from a hostile and vulgar New York crowd, had the last word. He holed a 6-foot birdie putt against Russell Henley to earn the half-point Europe needed to make sure it kept that 17-inch gold chalice.

He couldn’t contain himself, pumping his fists and spinning around the green and squeezing every teammate he could find. He recalled telling his caddie as they walked up the 18th fairway, “I have a chance to do the coolest thing in my life here.”

“The Ryder Cup means everything to me,” Lowry said.

Ditto for all of Europe. Even a closer call than imagined did not take away from a reminder who dominates these matches. Europe has won 11 times in the last 14 Ryder Cups, and this was its fifth time winning on U.S. soil in the last 10 tries.

“They’ll be talking about this team for a long time,” Luke Donald said after joining Tony Jacklin (1985 and 1987) as the only European captains to win back to back.

Tyrrell Hatton, the only player to go unbeaten for the week, earned a halve against Collin Morikawa that made Europe an outright winner.

The final score — Europe 15, United States 13 — was the only real surprise.

“Shoutout to the Americans,” Donald said, his players draped in flags of their home countries. “We knew they’d be tough. I didn’t think they would be this tough on Sunday. They fought so hard, and all the respect to them.

“This means a lot, obviously, to me and the team. We came here knowing that the task was going to be very difficult. Couldn’t be more proud of these guys — what they’ve gone through, how they come together, how they’re playing for history, how they’re playing for the people that came before them and now they’ll be talked (about) for generations to come.”

The Americans at least showed a pulse and made their opponents sweat more than anyone imagined, storming back from a seven-point deficit. No team ever won from more than four points behind going into the 12 singles matches.

There was a moment where a comeback actually looked possible.

Cameron Young and Justin Thomas won matches on the 18th hole. Bryson DeChambeau charged from 5 down to earn a halve. Scottie Scheffler avoided getting blanked by winning his heavyweight match against Rory McIlroy.

“Obviously this is an extreme long shot,” Thomas said. “I’m glad Cam and I could finish like that to at least give us a little hope.”

Another point came from Xander Schauffele in the shortest match of the day, 4 and 3, over Jon Rahm. U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun won his match. Except for Ludvig Åberg taking down Patrick Cantlay, there was no European blue anywhere to be found. All they needed was a half-point.

That’s when Lowry came through. He was 2 down with four holes to play when he birdied three of the last four, none more memorable than the last one.

His final putt will put him alongside other Irishmen who have produced Ryder Cup heroics — Graeme McDowell at Celtic Manor in 2010, Darren Clarke and his emotional week at The K Club, Paul McGinley at The Belfry in 2002.

“We gave it a good fight, that’s for sure,” U.S. captain Keegan Bradley said.

The Americans tied a Ryder Cup record by winning 8 1/2 points from the 12 singles matches. They needed 10 points.

The Americans still have a 27-16-2 lead in the series that date to 1927, but the modern Ryder Cup didn’t start until 1979 when continental Europe was invited to the party. Since then, Europe has captured the cup 13 out of 19 times.

McIlroy had said winning a road Ryder Cup was among the biggest accomplishments in golf. It’s just not all that unusual. Europe has won five of the last 10 away from home.

Europe’s best players starred at Bethpage Black even as New York fans hurled abuse, building a record seven-point lead going into the 12 singles matches.

Europe put a half-point on the board before a shot was hit. Viktor Hovland, who had a summer neck injury flare up on Saturday, was forced to withdraw. Harris English, whose name had been put in the secret envelope, also sat out and the match was declared halved.

That meant the Americans had to win nine of the 11 matches and halve another and they put up an astonishing fight, finally hearing cheers for the U.S. instead of only vitriol toward Europe.

“The Europeans won one match today. You think about the odds of something like that happening,” Bradley said.

The damage was done long before, when Scheffler and DeChambeau combined to produce one point between them over four matches. Bradley said his one regret might be the way he set up the course. Bethpage Black has a reputation of being a beast, but the rough was trimmed back and then heavy rain during the week made the greens soft.

“We tried to set the course up to help our team. Obviously it wasn’t the right decision,” Bradley said. “I definitely made a mistake on the course setup. I should have listened a little bit more to my intuition.”

There were birdies galore, a rarity at the Black Course. There was hostility from the crowd, typical of this region and this public golf course.

And there was a European celebration, which is becoming all too familiar.

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