Hatton hooks his drive, Rahm’s approach out the rough finishes 5ft from the hole, and Europe are two up. That has been the story of the day for the LIV duo and Donald’s side now have breathing room in each of the final three matches.
Since 1979, no away team has won each of the first three sessions.
As Aberg continues to struggle alongside Fitzpatrick, Rahm is now carrying Hatton. The Englishman has made several wayward iron shots — as well as a horrible hook off the 10th tee with his driver — and his partner is having to save him with a chipping masterclass out the rough. They certainly would not have their one-up lead were it not for the Spaniard.
Hatton is struggling from tee to green
PA
Young and DeChambeau relentless
Fitzpatrick and Aberg are trying their hardest but they’re up against an American pairing at the top of their game. How Bradley will rue leaving Young out of the first session if USA go on to lose. The New Yorker and DeChambeau are now six under through 12 holes, an astonishing score in foursomes, so it is little wonder that the Europeans find themselves three down.
Young has been USA’s best player this week
GETTY
Behind them, there is a massive fist-pump from MacIntyre, who saves par at the 10th to stay two up over Scheffler and Henley alongside Hovland.
MacIntyre has been solid alongside Hovland having lost in the opening session yesterday
EPA
Europe are up in three of four matches, so can USA get back into them? A brilliant Morikawa approach at the 11th suggests they can, but Fleetwood then goes even better with his ball striking the flag, spinning back and so nearly landing in the cup. He and McIlroy remain four up. A fantastic birdie putt from Hovland from just off the green at the 8th then stretches Europe’s lead over Henley and Scheffler, before Fitzpatrick and Aberg finally make a birdie at the 12th — although they remain three down.
Hovland gets Europe two up over Scheffler and Henley
REUTERS
Momentum for the US. First DeChambeau and Young go three up at the 10th after an inexplicably short and right approach from Aberg that leaves Fitzpatrick a near-impossible chip. For all of Fitzpatrick’s ball-striking brilliance, Abreg has been well off it with both his irons and putter over the past two rounds and the Englishman needs him to find something if they are to salvage anything from this match.
Fitzpatrick dropped to world No85 in May but is back in form
GETTY
Scheffler and Henley then get one back against Hovland and MacIntyre, but yet again — just as the Americans begin to find their voice — Rahm pops up with a moment of magic. Hatton misses the par-three 8th green well left into thick-ish rough, but the Spaniard — with his feet in the bunker — plays a beautiful chip and it never looked like missing. Europe are up in three again.
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Enable cookiesAllow cookies onceMcIlroy and Fleetwood 4up
Given how heavily Europe lean on strokes gained numbers and Edoardo Molinari’s statistical model, it does seem astonishing that Bradley has twice neglected the fact that English and Morikawa are the least optimal pairing in the tournament according to the data. The American pair are now three down but that has just as much to do with the putting of Fleetwood, who has already holed 55ft of putts in just seven holes. It goes from bad to worse for the Americans too, as a bogey at the par-three 8th leaves them four down.
Disappointing from Fitzpatrick, who leaves a par putt a couple of inches short at the 7th, and so goes one down against DeChambeau and Young. Never up, never in. Young then throws a dart into the par-three 8th that leaves DeChambeau less than 3ft for birdie, Fitzpatrick responds with a sumptuous iron shot to 6ft, but Aberg misses the putt. The Swede missed a few yesterday afternoon and now Europe have lost two straight holes. As a poor putt from Hatton gifts a hole back to Schauffele and Cantlay, the momentum just swings a hair back towards USA.
Young, left, has continued to impress on his debut appearance alongside DeChambeau
AP
Tom Kershaw, Bethpage Black
McIlroy and Fleetwood have resumed where they left off. The latter has holed two fantastic putts at the 2nd and 3rd before the Northern Irishman follows suit at the 5th. McIlroy is pumped and roars towards a group of fans behind the green. There is a huge group following this match inside the ropes, including Billy Horschel, who desperately wanted to make this US team but was hampered by injury.
Fleetwood has made multiples long putts already on Saturday
SPORTSFILE
In the final group, MacIntyre holes a brilliant putt of his own to go one up with Hovland over Scheffler and Henley.
It is telling that Scheffler took the first tee shot today instead of Henley as it shows Bradley knows he made a mistake yesterday. It was bizarre that Henley hit the opening tee shot instead of the world No1 yesterday morning, meaning that the shortest player on either team teed off on all of the odd — and therefore longer — holes. Today they have corrected that error. No surprise given that Scheffler ranks first for every tee-to-green metric on the PGA Tour but it has highlighted Bradley’s error of judgment.
And from Rick Broadbent at Bethpage Black — Michael Jordan is watching Scottie Scheffler today.
Can Scheffler find groove?
Digging up a post from yesterday… here are some astonishing statistics that summarise just how much Scottie Scheffler struggles in the Ryder Cup. He is now winless in his past six matches and yesterday became the first world No1 to lose both Friday Ryder Cup matches since Tiger Woods in 2002. And this is extraordinary:
• Since September 2021, Scheffler has won 22 per cent of Tour events he’s played (19 of 116)
• Since September 2021, Scheffler has won 22 per cent of Ryder Cup matches he’s played (two of nine)
He is under way in the final match alongside Henley against MacIntyre and Hovland. They halve the 1st with birdies.
What a response from Fleetwood, who stifles that early English-Morikawa momentum with a 30ft putt for birdie from off the green. Back to all square and McIlroy follows it up with a sumptuous approach into the par-three 3rd. Back at the 1st, Hatton plays a beautiful wedge out of the rough to 14 inches, Schauffele’s putt is left short, and Europe go one up. The USA started fast but a birdie for Fitzpatrick and Aberg at the 4th means there’s no red on the board now.
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You would never know that this is Young’s first Ryder Cup. The American, who ditched ice hockey and baseball for golf after a rain-lashed trip to Scotland as a 13-year-old, has just chipped in at the 3rd to take a one-up lead with DeChambeau over Fitzpatrick and Aberg. He has been by far America’s best players so far. Back at the 1st, Xander Schauffele and Jon Rahm both hit their tee shots right. Rahm has not lost a pairs Ryder Cup match since 2018 and is alongside his trusty LIV team-mate Tyrrell Hatton once again.
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Enable cookiesAllow cookies onceEnglish and Morikawa lead
Brilliant from McIlroy, who follows an errant approach from Fleetwood with a brilliant chip, but it does a full loop around the hole and stays up. English capitalises and USA go one up.
Can English and Morikawa defy stats?
All eyes on this second match and what seems an odd decision from Keegan Bradley. The US captain said he is refusing to “panic” after sticking with a pairing that Data Golf analysts rate as the worst foursomes duo from 132 possible options. That pairing is Collin Morikawa and Harris English, who face Tommy Fleetwood and Rory McIlroy after being thrashed 5&4 by this exact European partnership yesterday morning. “We’re sticking to our plan,” he said.
McIlroy’s tee shot goes way left, so far in fact that it is in the grass trampled down by the spectators — not that it would make a difference given how short the actual rough has been cut. English finds the first cut to the right of the fairway.
Clutch birdie putt for Aberg in lively start
Rick Broadbent, Bethpage Black
It’s a different approach on the first tee today. The fans are tighter to the tee and the music has been turned off to make way for the crowd noise. One approach that does not change is the one DeChambeau has taken. He loves this stuff and poses for his audience. And then whacks a drive over the trees, just as he did yesterday. Young’s chip ensures a birdie start. The crowd goes mad. And Aberg calmly rolls in his effort to halve the hole. Lively start.
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Tom Kershaw, Bethpage Black
The atmosphere on the 1st tee is certainly more lively than yesterday. Michael Jordan is here. Jim Furyk whipped up the atmosphere. Then DeChambeau arrived. He lost both matches yesterday but played very well and smashes an enormous drive towards the first green. Aberg was jeered after slicing his own right. As they walk down the fairway, DeChambeau turns round and punches the air. Game on.
Jordan is in attendance once again
GETTY
Fitzpatrick and Young in form
First up it’s Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Young against Matt Fitzpatrick and Ludvig Aberg. Fitzpatrick had the worst record in Ryder Cup history going into yesterday but was by far the best player in the morning session, gaining a whopping 4.2 strokes on the rest of the field en route to beating Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley 5&3 alongside Aberg, who he partners again.
The in-form Fitzpatrick, left, and Aberg face DeChambeau and Young, who was exceptional on Friday
REUTERS
DeChambeau was a bit off colour and lost both of his matches yesterday but Young was outstanding on debut. The New Yorker’s long drives and exemplary iron play gave USA a 6&5 win over the Scandinavian pairing of Aberg and Rasmus Hojgaard in the afternoon four-balls.
Aberg, who will be wanting revenge, is first on the tee and the Swede’s tee shot flares out a hair to the right. DeChambeau, who has lost three from three foursomes matches in his Ryder Cup career, then nails his drive. We’re under way on day two.
Big morning in Bethpage Black
Rick Broadbent, Bethpage Black
This morning could be pivotal in deciding where this Ryder Cup ends up. Bryson DeChambeau has been playing better than his results suggest, and he will be desperate to get on the board in the top match. His partnership with Cameron Young looks strong and will be a test for Matt Fitzpatrick and Ludvig Aberg.
It would be a huge surprise if Collin Morikawa and Harris English can put a stop to the Rory McIlroy-Tommy Fleetwood love-in, but you feel Scottie Scheffler will start making putts at some point today which could spell trouble for Bob MacIntyre and Viktor Hovland.
Vice-captain Jim Furyk tries to rev up the USA fans before the Saturday foursomes
SHUTTERSTOCK EDITORIAL
The most eye-catching morning match is the return of Team Angry, albeit a happy camp these days. With one loss in 12 Ryder Cup matches, Jon Rahm rejoins Tyrrell Hatton to take on Europe’s favoured panto villain, Patrick Cantlay, and Xander Schauffele.
Early momentum for the USA could turn this on its head very quickly. Buckle up.
McIlroy appears to raise middle finger to crowd
Rory McIlroy appeared to raise his middle finger towards a spectator as tensions boiled in the afternoon fourballs at the Ryder Cup (Tom Kershaw). Team Europe had surged to a 3-1 lead in the foursomes on Friday morning — the first time they have won the opening session on away soil since 2004 — but a more subdued crowd than initially anticipated in New York was then inflamed by the arrival of President Trump, and a not inconsiderable supply of low-calorie beer as the US tried to mount a fightback.
McIlroy, who said that he would regulate his emotions this week because he was too fired up at Hazeltine in 2016 and too flat at Whistling Straits in 2021, was the chief target of heckles throughout the day. The 36-year-old offered little reaction when met with chants of “F*** you, Rory” on the first tee before he and Tommy Fleetwood trounced Collin Morikawa and Harris English 5&4, but the atmosphere became more fractious and the Northern Irishman was repeatedly subjected to barbs about his capitulation in the US Open at Pinehurst last year, among others.
● Read more: Rory McIlroy appears to raise middle finger to Ryder Cup crowd
Trump’s arrival sparks US bear pit into life
The task of solving international conflicts between countries Donald Trump cannot always precisely name was halted late on Friday morning to address a matter as urgent as it was complex (Tom Kershaw writes). “The team is not doing so well,” the US president said before boarding Air Force One in a pair of golf shoes. “When I heard that, I said, ‘Let’s go on the plane. We have to try and help them.’ ”
After a chastening morning at Bethpage Black, Keegan Bradley looked towards the sky and pinned his hopes on divine intervention. In this corner of New York, its arrival was signalled by the presence of snipers scaling the grandstand and the erection of a bulletproof glass chamber behind the first tee. Such had been Europe’s dominance in the opening foursomes session, the introduction of lethal weapons was granted one of the loudest cheers.
● Read more: Donald Trump’s arrival sparks US bear pit into life
Rahm and Fleetwood set the tone on day one
As the morning session faded into a dismal series for Team USA, the ever-enthusiastic captain, Keegan Bradley, said Air Force One had just flown over and so he was hopeful that things might turn around (Rick Broadbent writes). He will need to do more than clutch at straws and contrails to turn the tide after Europe had their finest Friday on American soil for 21 years. Early days, but a heady one. “Incredible,” the captain Luke Donald said.
Winning away is hard in the Ryder Cup. Europe has done it only four times since 1979 and the last one, in 2012, was deemed a “miracle”, but a 5½-2½ start has provided a firm foundation. As Bradley faced flak over some of his decisions, Luke Donald could count his blessings. Add the form of the star turns Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood to the baffling ineffectiveness of Scottie Scheffler, the world’s best player when a solo act but reclaimed for the ordinary here, and this was richly satisfying.
Ryder Cup — day one resultsFriday foursomes
Rahm & Hatton (Eur) beat DeChambeau & Thomas (USA) 4&3
Aberg & Fitzpatrick (Eur) beat Scheffler & Henley (USA) 5&3
Fleetwood & McIlroy (Eur) beat Morikawa & English (USA) 5&4
Schauffele & Cantlay (USA) beat MacIntyre & Hovland (Eur) 2upFriday fourballs
Rahm & Straka (Eur) beat Scheffler & Spaun (USA) 3&2
Fleetwood & Rose (Eur) beat DeChambeau & Griffin (USA) 1up
Thomas & Young (USA) beat Aberg & Hojgaard (Eur) 6&5
Burns & Cantlay (USA) A/S v Lowry/McIlroy (Eur)
● Read more: Jon Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood set tone as Europe take control
Here are the teams doing battle.
Starting with Keegan Bradley’s stunners in stars and stripes: Scottie Scheffler, JJ Spaun, Xander Schauffele, Russell Henley, Harris English, Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin, Cameron Young, Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns.
As for Europe, captained by Luke Donald, we have: Rory McIlroy, Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Rasmus Hojgaard, Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry, Sepp Straka, Ludvig Aberg, Vikrot Hovland, Matt Fitzpatrick and Jon Rahm.
The stars are out in New York.
Here is the line-up for the foursomes.
12.10pm Bryson DeChambeau/Cameron Young v Matt Fitzpatrick/Ludvig Aberg
12.26pm Harris English/Collin Morikawa v Rory McIlroy/Tommy Fleetwood
12.42pm Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay v Jon Rahm/Tyrrell Hatton
12.58pm Russell Henley/Scottie Scheffler v Bob MacIntyre/Viktor Hovland
Saturday’s Ryder Cup schedule
Here is the schedule for the competition. Play gets underway today at 12.10pm UK time with the foursomes, with the fourballs to come at 5.25pm. A reminder that we begin later on Sunday, with the action getting underway in the singles from 5.02pm.
The Ryder Cup has three formats: foursomes, where two team-mates share a single ball, alternating shots, in a match against two players from the other team; four-balls, where four players (two from each side) play their own ball, with the lowest individual score winning the hole for his team; and singles, which is old-fashioned one-v-one matchplay.
Welcome to Ryder Cup day 2
How about that first day, huh? Man, we love the Ryder Cup. USA v Europe, Red v Blue, endless “USA, USA” chants v songs that aren’t boring. If you thought Friday at Bethpage Black was good, just wait until Saturday gets going in New York. As always, you do not have to miss a meaningful moment from the Big Apple with our reporters on the ground bringing you the latest news and analysis. Get comfy.
