MEDINAH, Ill. -- In stunning fashion, Europe retained the Ryder Cup Sunday, winning 8.5 singles points to give Jose Maria Olazabal a most improbable victory, 14 1/2 to 13 1/2.

Europe trailed, 10-6, at the start of the day, but felt like momentum was on its side after winning the last two matches on Saturday. The 4-point deficit matches the greatest comeback in Ryder Cup history, equalling the feat pulled off by the US in 1999 at The Country Club in Brookline.

Davis Love selected Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, and Brandt Snedeker among his four captain's picks, and all three lost singles matches Sunday. The losses by Stricker and Furyk were especially tough to take, with Furyk losing the final two holes against Sergio Garcia, turning a 1-up lead to an 18th-hole loss. Furyk bogeyed Nos. 17 and 18, handing Garcia and the Europeans a key swing point.

Phil Mickelson also lost a match that he led with two holes to play, but credit Justin Rose, who holed long putts on the 16th, 17th, and 18th to complete the comeback.

Tiger Woods, playing in the final match, missed a 4-footer for par, then conceded the par putt to Francesco Molinari, which halved the match and gave Europe the outright victory. Based on how the day went for the Americans, it was an appropriate ending.