![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/71\/590x\/secondary\/4995475.jpg?r=1696506248265\")
<\/p>\nLuke Donald is still on a high after guiding his European team to victory at the Ryder Cup in Rome, but the former world No. 1 has done it all before. The USA had been considered marginal favourites to retain the trophy ahead of the matchplay showdown at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, but they were blown away by their passionate hosts in the very first session and never fully recovered as Team Europe ran out 16.5-11.5 winners.<\/p>\n
Wild scenes of jubilation followed both on the course and off it, with Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry leading their triumphant teammates into a party zone that lasted long into the night.<\/p>\n
Englishman Tyrrell Hatton was reportedly the last man standing at the post-event party, capping off a joyous weekend for the European team who had suffered a record 19-9 defeat at Whistling Straits two years previous.<\/p>\n
But as boisterous as the eye-witness scenes that emerged on social media appeared to be, they were nothing compared to the 2004 vintage that won on US soil at Oakland Hills.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Donald was a rookie playing member of the side who, under the captaincy of Bernhard Langer, defeated Hal Sutton’s Americans 18.5-9.5, recording the biggest away win in the history of the Ryder Cup.<\/p>\n
But while the Europeans were winning easily on the golf course they were seemingly also doing the same at the 19th hole.<\/p>\n
Appearing on Beef’s Golf Club podcast, Donald said: “A funny story actually. I went back to the Oakland Hills for the first time a few months ago. I had a corporate day there, I was playing with one of the members.<\/p>\n
“He said ‘Have you ever heard the story from the Ryder Cup about the bar bills?’ I said ‘no’ I’d never heard it. Apparently, this is folklore amongst the members at Oakland Hills. The bar bill for the US at the end of their Ryder Cup was $600. I said ‘What was the European one?’ He said: ‘$30,000’. So you know, we like to have a good time!”<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/71\/590x\/secondary\/4995486.jpg?r=1696506248337\")
<\/p>\n