Who won the 2012 Ryder Cup? Exploring the event's final scores amid Phil Mickelson's $1,000,000,000 gambling allegations

It is hard to forget the 2012 Ryder Cup, the miraculous comeback of Europe closing the Cup at a scoreline of 14.5 to 13.5. The American team was captained by Tiger Woods, who led names such as Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood and Phil Mickelson. This should ring alarm bells in the viewer’s mind as Mickelson has been accused of placing bets on the outcome of the tournament.

The 2012 Ryder Cup was dubbed the ‘Miracle at Medinah’ by the European media while it was being covered. The scores for the Cup stood at 6 to 10 at the end of the second day. Team USA only required four points out of the 12 still up for grabs to at least tie the tournament and a draw to cinch half a point to win the entire Cup.

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Ryder Cup - Day Three Singles - The winning European team

Against all odds, Europe clinched victory after being tied 13-13 at the end of hole 17. The score tipped in the favour of Europe on the 18th hole when Martin Kaymer defeated Steve Stricker with a five-foot putt. The final blow was Tiger Woods missing a putt on the final green, splitting the final point which lead to a European victory. The golfing world was buzzing due to this historic comeback with over 1.3 million mentions of the Ryder Cup on Twitter in the last week of September 2012.

The singles score on the final day of the Ryder Cup 2012 looks like this:

Luke Donald v/s Bubba Watson	Team Europe - 2 & 1
Ian Poulter v/s Webb Simpson	Team Europe - 2 up
Rory McIlroy v/s Keegan Bradley	Team Europe - 2 & 1
Justin Rose v/s Phil Mickelson	Team Europe - 1 up
Paul Lawrie v/s Brandt Snedeker	Team Europe - 5 & 3
Nicolas Colsaerts v/s Dustin Johnson	Team USA - 3 & 2
Graeme McDowell v/s Zach Johnson	Team USA - 2 & 1
Sergio García v/s Jim Furyk	Team Europe - 1 up
Peter Hanson v/s Jason Dufner	Team USA - 2 up
Lee Westwood v/s Matt Kuchar	Team Europe - 3 & 2
Martin Kaymer v/s Steve Stricker	Team Europe - 1 up
Francesco Molinari v/s Tiger Woods	halved

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Phil Mickelson's alleged Ryder Cup bet

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Billy Walters after being tried in court for insider trading

While Mickelson has previously spoken about his gambling addiction, the possibility of him betting on a tournament in which he is participating undermines the integrity of the sport and is a very serious allegation. According to the excerpt from Bill Walters autobiography, Gambler: Secrets from a Life at Risk, Mickelson tried to bet $400,000 on Team USA in the 2012 Ryder Cup.

Phil commented on the allegation on Twitter:

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Phil Mickelson's response to the situation (via X)

"I never bet on the Ryder Cup. While it is well known that I always enjoy a friendly wager on the course, I would never undermine the integrity of the game.

"I have also been very open about my gambling addiction. I have previously conveyed my remorse, took responsibility, have gotten help, have been fully committed to therapy that has positively impacted me and I feel good about where I am now."

Bill Walters and Phil Mickelson had a partnership when it came to betting on sports, such as basketball, football, and baseball.

In his autobiography, Walters further mentions that, of the $1,000,000,000 Phil Mickelson allegedly bet in the past three decades, he lost about $100,000,000.

Mickelson's issues with gambling and money are explored further here.

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