2025 Ryder Cup: Day 1 – BBC Radio 5 Live commentary

The RDER Cup 2025 with Mark Chapman on BBC Radio 5 Live. Well, good morning. Deep breaths everybody. Here we go at long last. We’ve been talking about this for a very, very long time and certainly over the course of the last week. But now the talking is about to stop. We are just over 10 minutes away from the opening t-shirts at the 45th RDER Cup and we are live from Beth Paige Black, New York. From the first drive to the final putt, you will hear everything with us here on five Live from right now all the way to all the way through until well Sunday tea time New York time, Sunday night UK time as Europe looked to retain the RDER Cup and win on US soil for the first time since 2012. You can hear the noise at the first T behind us. The first pairings are due there any minute. The US RDER Cup captain Keegan Bradley is already on that first tea. John Ram and Tier Hatton against Bryson Dambo and Justin Thomas is how it will begin in 11 minutes time. Ian Carter, our correspondent. Here we go. Here we go. Great atmosphere. Uh, as you say, I I I think this is potentially the most eagerly anticipated RDER Cup certainly that I can remember. I don’t know quite why that should be, but it’s just the the thirst that America has to win back this trophy. The fact that home teams seem to win convincingly every time. That’s been the case for the last five occasions. And that rallying call from Rory Maroy after Europe won in Rome two years ago saying we’re going to Beth Paige to do what is one of the hardest things in golf to do which is win an away RDER Cup. And as he said and we heard it in the sports news half an hour ago if the team that is able to win away from home will acquire legendary status. Our team has so much expertise amongst it. We have Soulheim Cup winners. We have RDER Cup players. We have a major winner. We have a PGA Tour winner. We have our usual gaggle as well of commentators. Alistister Bruce Ball on the first tea right at the moment in amongst it. Right in amongst it, Mark. And I have to say these scenes have now become commonplace at Ryder Cubs, but they are simply extraordinary here to watch a golf match between the USA and Europe. The beauty of it all added to by a glorious golden globe of a sun which is slowly rising away to my right hand side revealing this golf course in all its majesty. The fans in this giant grandstand which sweeps behind the first te in the 18th green are standing shouldertosh shoulder. Flags are up, faces are painted all sorts of different fancy dress. Keegan Bradley at the moment is a man alone. He is standing on that small square uh closely moan area of the first tea. The two little rider cup tea markers away to his right. And I did notice when he first came out Mark, he did take a moment. So he greeted the fans first of all that got the biggest roar of the morning. They’ve been in here since about 5:00 this morning with the music blaring pitch black uh and the flood lights shining brightly. But we’re in glorious sunshine now and Keegan Bradley came out just went down on his haunches on the very first te possibly thought what it might be like to be playing in this Ryder Cup took a moment and turned and came back towards his team. We’re waiting for the players. Uh Luke Donald and his team of vice captains arrived as a team. They got pantomime booze as they made their way round the back of the first team and they are standing very much as a team. 8 n 10 of them all together light gray jumpers with blue and yellow bands. uh around the middle section of those and dark blue trousers. And the other thing that takes the breath away, Mark, it’s not just the grand stand. It’s looking down the first this this par four that bend sharply left to right and looking away into the distance. The thousands of fans that are lined up, snaking all the way down the right through the trees, all the way down the left in front of the hospitality pavilions away to the green in the distance. And we think Bryson Dash Shambo is definitely going to be having a pop at that for the USA. If that ball finds that green, this place is going to go nuts. Well, that has been the big debate since the pairings were announced, whether Bryson Dambo, who we assume will take the first T-shot for the Americans, will go for the green on this very first hole. It is a beautiful sight. This first te it is bathed in the early morning sunshine. Luke Donald in the this sort of sky blueish top looking up towards the crowds. It was look on the I and Katrina. I don’t want the first thing we do with with all your expertise to argue about the color, but when I walk past it earlier in the dark under the spotlight, it looks sky blue. Now I admit it looks slightly gray. I think the jerseyy’s gray and I then I think the the shirt is maybe sky blue. I’ll let you off. So we’re both we’re both right. Right. Given all your Solheim Cup expertise, do you get the butterflies even watching this? Absolutely. I mean, I think the players will have been in the range and they’ll have heard that noise coming from the first TE stand. And no matter how many times you played in it before, you’re just it’s the thought rocking down that tunnel onto that first T. We’ve got a fly over now. Well, oh my word. Having having done having done many a Super Bowl, they like a fly past in America. John Murray, that’s just got over you further down the first TE, hasn’t it? Well, we’ve just witnessed here at the first a military fly past a huge jet flanked by two fighter jets and Andrew McGee that has stoked things up down here. Yeah, the American fans love it. A show of military force. What would you expect in America? But yeah, two fighter jets. That was a refueling tanker. Just it’s a hornless one, John. Good. I’m pleased to hear that. But certainly it’s fired everyone up. And the scene here, we’ve actually got four European fans behind us in blue suits with golden stars on them and uh the golden hats and shirts as well. But almost everywhere else, I mean, red, white, and blue is the color. Predominantly red. In fact, you know, everything is draped in red. There’s a Spanish flag, actually, Andrew points out, just to our right. But, uh, actually, until the fly past Mark, it was relatively calm here. Calm and still. The clouds are just separating. The sun is just peeping through. And actually staring back up the the first hole here, this par four first. I’m staring in between 16 different trees that are down the right hand side of the first fairway. Staring up towards where Alistister Bruce Ball is in position. And that stand that massive stand at the back of the first te away in the distance from where we are is now splashed in sunshine. The uh the clock is ticking towards 57 here in New York. Keegan Bradley has moved to the mouth of the tunnel. There is a huge red tunnel or a huge dark tunnel I should say with red walls and red strip lighting up the floor and up the steps that the players are going to walk through and it goes under the main grand stand. And this is a huge sweeping grandstand, isn’t it Ian Carter? Because it includes the 18th green and the first T. Justin Thomas and Bryson Dashambo will be going down that tunnel very shortly. We will see this a lot over the next hour or so. Deep breaths. Justin Thomas has just taken a very deep breath. He has. And you can see you can see the stress. You can see the nerves. You can see Bryson Dashambo now touching Knuckles with a couple of the vice captains and then heading towards that structure and then going into the tunnel underneath the spectators before emerging into the sunlight. And that first tea, the 18th green, the first tea, very adjacent to each other. So, it’s not quite so intimate around the tea and ground, but it really is a fever pitch atmosphere that is built here. The spectators came charging through. We saw them, Mark, didn’t we, at 5:00 passes when we were coming in at 5:00 as well. And we can see the spectators. They’re singing the Ole Olays from the European fans being drowned out by the USA of uh the United States supporters. Tier Hatton and John Ram have won both their forms matches two years ago in Rome. They’re looking to do the same. But now we can see the American pair who are going to be emerging to a huge huge evasion very shortly. Bryson Desambo on the left, Justin Thomas on the right. Both major winners. The first time that they have played together for the United States in a Ryder Cup. And they go underneath that sign that warns that the Black Course is an extremely difficult course. Well, it’s an extremely difficult environment, the Ryder Cup, and America are about to begin their quest to wing back that trophy. Gary Woodland, one of the vice captains, is there. He hands the stars and stripes to Dambo and Thomas and they drape them over their backs. They go down the stairs surrounded by the red strip lights and now they’ll emerge into the sunlight on the first tea. Their captain Keegan Bradley is waiting. He touches Knuckles and Alistister Bruce Ball. They’re out before you now. No need to talk. Just listen to that. The American fans have seen the stars and stripes flag draped over the backs of Bryson Dashambo and Justin Thomas. Those two players need no encouragement. They have the flag held in one hand each across their shoulders and with the other hands they are pumping their fists and encouraging the chance of USA. Then they stop at the back of the first T. They turn to the giant grandstands and they stand there and again wave their arms and encourage the chanting. The two caddies arrive on the tea as well. Kean Bradley the American captain. Of course, Ian said that Bryson Dashambo could be the X factor for the USA at this Ryder Cup. And now coming through the tunnel, the two Europeans. And unlike the Americans, not grimfaced, looking relaxed, and Tier Hatton just tossing a golf ball from one hand to the other, standing just to the right of John Ram. And now the two Europeans will stroll out here. No flags on their shoulders. And here’s the evasion. All evasion from the European fans, drowned out by the reaction from the American fans. It’s an away fixture. You expect that the USA have to deal with it in Europe. The European golfers have to deal with it here. And I think Luke Donald thinks he’s got two of the best, two of the strongest, two of the finest to try and cope with this. And Luke Donald’s got a massive smile on his face, the European captain. Big smile that greets the hulking figures of John Ram and Tier Hatton. They exchange high fives, the two European golfers. Dark caps on head, bushy beards on chins. They went out together first of all in Rome in the Forsomes and won a point for Europe. They are going to try and do it again. The players Ian now gathering on the first tea ahead of this first Forsomes match of the RDER Cup 2025. And we’re watching here with Katrina Matthew and with Jamie Donaldson. Jamie Donaldson who secured the winning point against the American captain this time round Keegan Bradley back in 2014. And we will be seeing these T-shots here on the opening teaing ground which is set before this packed grand stand. Huge screen away to the right and we’re about to get underway. Please, ladies and gentlemen, good morning and welcome to the first day of the 45th Rder Cup. This is match number one, a forsome match between the European team represented by John Rom and Terrell Hatton. Ron raises his arm first and Hatton and they stand arm in arm on that first T after the American of America team represented by Bryson D Shambo and Justin Thomas and both Americans take the caps from their heads and then applaud the support that they’ve received and by tradition mark the visiting team hits first and just before the visiting team goes first cuz I don’t know how much time we’ll have in between the team will Dambo go for the Jamie Donaldson. Absolutely. He’ll be whipping it straight over the corner. Katrina. Absolutely. And I think John Ram will as well. Oh, let’s see then. Well, Ram said beforehand he’s not sure he can reach the green. It’s a 406 yd par four today. It dog legs from left to right. They will be hitting over the trees, the oaks and the eastern red cedars with that sort of mauve tinge to their leaves and the green is hiding behind them. Rahm I think will be looking for position by hitting over those trees and he looks and he stares and he’s looking very very composed. It’s the Spaniard who is going to hit the first T-shot of the 45th Rder Cup. 30 years of age playing his fourth Ryder Cup teeing it up on the left side of the teeing ground. Thousands of people watching and it’s on its way. The RDER Cup is on its way and it is heading way way right it looks here. Oh, it’s gone miles right representing the United States of America Bryson Dambo. So RMS ball has gone into the rough down the right hand side way the wrong side of the trees. And here’s the moment now for big hitting Bryson de Shambo of the United States 32 years of age playing his third Rder Cup has played two forsomes before and he has lost both of them. He is pumped. He’s the one of the biggest hitters in world golf and he is ready to crash into this ball and he’s looking to find the green which is on the dog leg probably 380 y away. There it goes high into the sky. Looks like he’s made very good contact. Bends down. Picks up the tea and the ball heads towards the green and is quite brilliant. It’s come up 10 yd short of the green. Superb T- shot from Dambo off the first T. It’s advantage USA. John Murray. Well, you can hear the reception that that opening T- shot from Bryson D Shambo is receiving. It landed. This course is very very wet and it landed and just had a little hop forward and it is 10 yards short of the green while John Ram for Europe is back probably 25 yd to the right and behind in the longer grass. Yeah, I’d say the players have loosened up 7:12 in the morning on a Friday. 397 yardds this first TE 40T up the first T box sits 350 yds slashed by Bratz at the T but also a good angle from John Rom coming in the right side this pin is back left birdie opportunities to come so there we are the first throaty roar that we’ve heard and it was an American roar on the first and the players are on their way down the first towards us here I there were I mean there were a few noises is on that tea as John Ram addressed his ball. The other thing that really that really struck me on this and look it will all settle down to a certain extent I’m sure Katrina but the the spectators who were by where Ram’s ball landed celebrated as if their team had scored a touchdown or scored a goal. It was it was absolutely incredible. They did, weren’t they? They were leaping up and down waving cheering. I don’t know whether they think, “Oh, we’ve seen a golf ball. We’ve seen a shot.” They were so excited it started. Bryson’s ball would have would have gone on the green had it not been so wet out there. And when we walked the course yesterday, I mean, everything just dies on the fairways, Jamie. Yeah, it’s very wet at the moment. Uh it was an incredible shot, wasn’t it, to you know, he’s got a simple chip up the green there. The only advantage that or the saving grace that with our guys is that obviously John’s hit his ball to the right where the pin is back left. There is a bit of green to work with. Uh it’s whether he’s got a lie. You don’t go on. Well, I was just just going to say I think it’s just worth pointing out this format that they’re playing here today. The players now take it in turns. So Tierrell Hatton will be playing the second shot for the Europeans. Justin Thomas the second shot for Bryson Dashambo. When they get to the second hole, Hatton and Thomas will be hitting the T- shots and they take it in turns from there. Very, very tough format. Do you know what on the graphic that we have seen, there’s not really that much difference there, is there? There’s 18 yds difference in length, Jamie. And Ram’s just got a bit further right. Well, from the angle we saw originally, it looked like he could have gone into one of the hospitality tents. Yeah, it did look a long way right, but the obviously these guys seriously know what they’re doing. The only place he couldn’t go there was left. If he goes left, he’s got absolutely no shot to the green. So, the miss, if any, was slightly right. And he’s still got a shot. They are probably 15 20 deep down the side of the first fairway at the moment as the Europeans and Turl Hatton get to uh the T-shot of John Rahm. John Murray, what have you got in your view at the moment? Yes, they’ve just um they’ve just arrived now and uh and Justin Thomas is just cleaning the ball. As I say, Andrew Andrew McGee, you know, the course is very wet. It is quite muddy, isn’t it? So Justin Thomas on the fairway just walking now towards the green and Terrell Hatton meanwhile has already walked up towards the green. Beard already bristling on this first morning of the RDER Cup. having a look at the shot that he faces. Yes. Lift clean in place in the fairway. So Justin Thomas has picked up marked this ball with a T. Caddy has clean this ball. He’ll be allowed to place it behind that te no closer to the hole. Terrell Hatton first up on the right rough. This ball should not have any checkup on it out of the rough. A little bit wet. Should release plenty of green to work with. Great angle into this left pin. Yeah, not the not the thickest rough by any means that you would expect maybe for a a US Open championship. It is much much shorter than that, but still, as Andrew says on what is a dewy morning here, this will be quite a claggy lie that he’s got. So, just to give you an indicator, white shoes. We can clearly see most of his white shoes, only the bottoms obscured by the long grass. So from the right rough Trell Hatton now that looks a little short. Oh, it’s just over the bunker. Lands on the green and rolls on into the heart of the green. Still rolling. Still rolling. And he’s left Europe there with a put of probably best part of 25 ft for John Ram. Well, that’s that’s the sign of nerves, you know, when you leave it short with your first shot in the Raider Cup. Uh difficult shot. We couldn’t see the ball in this meaty rough just carried the bunker. It’s okay. He’s smiling. Let’s see what Justin Thomas can do. Can he run this back there for an easy puck or is he going to lead himself? Is he nervous? Yes, he is. Of course, he is. So, this is his first shot. Justin Thomas, the most experienced player on this American team in terms of RDER Cup experience. That is so red, white, and blue. Of course, the Americans, blue, navy blue trousers and a sort of three-tone, fourtone shirt, short sleeved on this warm morning just in Thomas just short of the green. Actually hits it low and it just rolls on up towards the hole. But he’s left it he’s left it all 15 ft short of the hole. So birdie chances for both Europe and the United States, but both from distance. Yeah, that one checked up a little bit. It’s going to take a few holes to get used to this dewy wet after the practice rounds yesterday. They just probably have a little different condition this morning. Yeah, Justin Thomas just deciding Andrew there just to sort of punch it low. Yeah, you can see the follow through. He kept the club low into the ground. Didn’t flip the club up in the air, which would indicate a high shot. That was a low runner. Just not enough steam to get it tight. What are you? So, this is it. We’re right in the thick of the action here. birdie putts to come. The first hole at the 2025 Rider Cup. And whilst they get ready for the first putt on the first green, back down on the first Europe second pair are just making their way through the tunnel. Matt Fitzpatrick and Liv, I don’t know about you, Jamie Donaldson, but further up that group of four and the American captain. I’ve never seen so many men look like they might be about to be sick on the first hole of a golf course. There were a lot of nerves there at the moment. Yeah, there were. Um, they all looked quite nervous really. Um, I mean, even Bryson hitting off there looked very nervous, didn’t he? But he still hit a great shot, didn’t he? Straight down the middle there on great line. John Ram’s put Ian. Uh, John. Yep. John Ram, this huge shouldered Spaniard bearded is over the ball now. So this this to strike first for Europe. This is all at 25 ft. A hush descends on the first screen as John Ram’s ball rolls towards the hole. It looks short. It is. It pulls up by maybe 10 in. Yeah. Again, it’s it’s moist. It’s wet. These guys have hit some practice shots up higher up by the clubhouse. Drier practice screen. We’re down in a hole here. It is definitely moist and slower greens. Dshambo with a great chance from about 12 feet here to take one up lead for the USA. The door is open on the first for the United States. Thousands and thousands of capped heads are watching down from behind the ropes to my right all the way around the back of the green and down on the putting surface. It is Bryson D. Shambo with that long putter which he’s anchored into his into his left forearm. So rigid, so stiff looking. But this for liftoff on the first for the United States. The star man Bryson Dshambo from 15 ft. [Applause] The United States strike first. Birdie Bryson Dshambo one up after one. The crowd is pandemonium on the first screen. Listen to that crowd. The USA is off to a flying start. Bryson Dambo with a birdie pot on number one. What up? What a noise. What a noise that was. And that that may very well set the tone. And there is a massive fist pump from Keegan Bradley as well. And let’s go back to the first T. How was that gone down there, Alli? Yeah. Well, you can see all the action on the big screen. So that first green is away in the distance, a good 400 yd away, but you can watch every moment, every shot on the big screen in front of the stage away to the right. And that that that Dambo T-shot mark, it was pure sporting theater on the first. It took me back to Madina 2012 when the golfers were almost getting the crowd involved and sort of ramping it up on the back swing. We didn’t quite get that, but the way he set himself up for that T-shot just sort of aimed over the trees, pointed his body towards the flag, the sort of murmurss of anticipation before he struck it and then the boom when he did. And here come the next American pair for match two again holding the stars and strikes a loft between them. Scotty Sheffller, the world number one by a distance, the world’s best golfer, comes out for the USA alongside Russell Henley, the 36-year-old from Georgia, who is making his RDER Cup debut. Ludvig Oberg and Matt Fitzpatrick are already waiting on the first TE. I think they had a little bit of a wait in the tunnel as well because while those birdie putts were going on on the first green I could see that Oberg and Fitzpatrick had made their way down to the mouth of the tunnel. So they had a little weight behind the first te handshakes exchanged right now. We have the USA one up in the first match in the morning fors thanks to Dambo’s 15t birdie putt and match two is going to be Scotty Sheffller and Russell Henley against Ludvig Oberg and Matt Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick has won one point out of eight in his RDER Cup career. This his fourth Ryder Cup. Oberg had such a successful foresomes partnership of course uh with Victor Hob back in Rome, but those two will play separately in the foroms today. Up on the big screen at the moment uh Ian, I can see T-shots uh on the second. Yes. 377 yd dog leg. This time going from right to left. And Justin Thomas with a 3-wood. Fires his T-OT and finds the fairway down the right hand side. You can see a big splodge of mud on his ball, which is why they’re going to be allowed when the ball goes into the fairway to mark their ball and clean it and replace it. And here’s Tiro Hatton now with his T-shot, his first T-shot of this Forsomes clash. And what a huge blow for America to strike with that opening birdie to Shambo putting the Americans one up in this match. And here comes from the right edge of the teeing ground T Hatton’s T-shot climbing into the sky. A little of an anxious wait to see where this lands, but it lands in the fairway. So both players with excellent T-shots at the second. So both pairs on the fairway on the second hole. Remember still to come Colin Morawa and Harris English against Rory Mroy and Tommy Fleewood. That’s 12:42 UK time. 7:42 here in the UK. And then just before 8:00, Xander Shlay and Patrick Canle against Bob McIntyre and Victor Hogland. We are waiting for the second foroms grouping to be announced on that first T. What they chanting, Alli? Hang on, let me just take uh one of my headphones off. See if I can make that out. Scotty Sheffller has got a big smile on his face. They’re actually waiting here for the TV coverage to sync up. So, having seen those T-shots on the second of the first match out, we’ve had the players here standing shoulderto-shoulder, side by side, waiting for the announcements and the team photos for a good 90 seconds or so, Sheffller looks incredibly relaxed, I have to say. He’s got his arm around Russell Henley’s shoulder. Uh he’s got his left thumb just hooked into the belt loop of his trousers and he looks as like he’s just about to head out for an afternoon stroll on the golf course. Here are the announcements for the second match. Good morning and welcome to the first day of the 45th RDER Cup. This is match number two of Forsome’s match between the European team represented by Ligair and Matt Fitzpatrick. against the United States of America team represented by Scotty Shepler and Russell Henley and this first on the team representing Europe over. So it will be the 25year-old from Sweden who will get this match underway with driver in hand. Tall figure 6’3 in tall. His playing partner Matt Fitzpatrick a brand new combination for Europe. Fitzpatrick has never won a Porson’s match. I tell you what, against this pair, Sheffler and Henley, if he can do it here, he can do it anywhere. This is very very strong for America in the second match. You would think Henley and Sheffller very impressive in the President’s Cup a year ago. Henley making his debut. Sheffller the world number one. But this is Ludvig who had huge success for Europe two years ago and he’s fired his T-shot down the right hand side over the trees into the middle of Fairway. And wow, what a baptism of fire this is for the rookie. 36 years of age from Mason in Georgia. Two practice swings and you can hear the noise just dying down. The glory of the RDER Cup, the absolute silence of the strike and then the pandemonium that follows. Still thousands lining the both sides of this first hole. It snakes away from left to right. Russell Henley’s t-shirt. He’s turned that over and he’s got away to the left hand side. Better we go. Good luck, gentlemen. I mean, we talk about Russell Henley being a rookie, but his President’s Cup record is very good and he him as an individual, Jamie, this season is very good. Yeah, he’s played some unbelievable golf. I’ve played a few times with him. He’s a really steady player, but left rough off the first there against uh Aber’s perfectly positioned shot. John Murray, are you on the uh on the second with the second shot? We are on the second. We’ve had our first big hike of this RDER Cup and we are up at the back of the par second. Both the United States and the European balls are in the fairway and uh and it it is Dshambo who has landed his approach shot just beyond and to the right of the hole and it spins back and that is another birdie chance set up for the United States at the second. Andrew McGee. Yeah, beautiful blind shot up a hill. Beautifully played by Shinoda. Spin it back about 15 ft. takes the edge of the green, pushes it even closer to the hole. Good birdie opportunity for the USA here. Next, John Rom T- shot from Terrell Hatton. Let’s see if we can see the swing, the swipe down the hill, back up maybe 15, 20 yards or so up this hill to a blind pin. It’s actually obscured from our sight because such are the undulations, but the ball is on its way now. We can see it coming through the air towards us and landing at the back of the green. Now it needs a bit of spin. It’s got it as well. It’s got some spin. And it’s still going all the way beyond and past the hole and right down back towards the front of the green. That has spun back probably 50 ft. 50 ft. Here’s a ball mark right here. 50 ft more. Never seen one like that. Incredible advantage Americans on the second hole. And already Dshambo and Thomas one up in this match after their dynamite start. So uh more birdie chances to come on the second very shortly. Andrew McGee Bryson has has started like a man on a mission, hasn’t he? Dambo has started like a man on a mission. Mark says oh he certainly has with a huge drive off the first the birdie putt to cap it off. Now he wants his mate Justin Thomas to sink this to keep the momentum going. So important to get off to a great start these first matches here Friday morning at the 45th RDER Cup. But it’ll be Terrell Hatton who goes for birdie first. Mark and that with that spin back. This is probably all of 25 30 ft for Birdie for Europe first. Yeah, and actually myself and Ollie Wilson were watching several approaches into two yesterday in the practice rounds and virtually every shot spam back off that green, didn’t it Ollie? who is alongside Katherine DS watching the second match out. Yes, Mark. And the first day of the RDER Cup has fully dawned here at Beth Page Black. The sun has broken through the clouds overhead, casting a dappled light over the silvery dew that is still lingering on the grass here in the early morning. The second match making its way down this dog leg first fairway and it is advantage Europe from the T-shots. Ollie Wilson. Yeah, Oberg’s an absolutely plum drive over the top of the trees, leaving himself about 60 yards into this back left flag. Henley, the shorter hitter of the group, he’s a little towy pulled down the left side in the rough. So, he’s got about 100 plus yards into the green out the rough. So, definitely Advantage Europe, but the man taking the second shot for Team USA is the best golfer in the world. He’s pretty good. He’s uh he’s he’s been in this position a few times, but he’ll be feeling nervous. They’re all trying to just get their way this first hole out of the way and and ease their way into the round. It’s incredible how quickly a crowd this big, this loud, this noisy can fall silent as Scotty Sheffller swings the club through the thick juicy rough up onto the green. It puts on the brakes and that’s just beginning to work away. It’s going to be a long 40footer for the Americans on the first green. John with Turrell Hatton on the second green going for birdie from 30 ft. Oh, so close. Well, beautifully judged and that’s been conceded. So, uh that is in for Europe’s par four, but the Americans have the chance to win the second and go two up. Bryson Dshan ball rolled in on the first dream from 15 ft. Now Justin Thomas gets his chance from probably a similar sort of range. Ah, beautiful putt from Terrell there. Just burned the right edge. He was kind of showing us after the putt. He’s It should have broke left. It should have broke left. That’s what I read it. But he’ll let us know every time when something happens, right, John? Next up, Justin Thomas. Justin Thomas, who now that we’ve got a clear sight of him here, we can see that he’s got his stars and stripes shoes on Andrew, but he’s just putting the ball on the green cat here. Matt Fitzpatrick has hit an absolute beauty into the first green here straight at the flag and it put on the brakes. Lovely control from Matt Fitzpatrick. He and Ludvig go will have just 3 4 feet or so for an opening birdie with the Americans 40 ft away from the pin on this first hole in the second match. John Justin Thomas now he’s ready. He just um he broke away from his routine, crouched down, had a look at it from behind. Now he’s ready. So this for the United States to win the second having already won the first. Justin Thomas all is still the ball is on its way and he misses it on the left and actually you know Andrew that was probably that was probably 10 ft. You know that was an opportunity missed. Yeah he just missed it. He looked like he took a long time over that one. Wasn’t quite sure. moving his shoulders, twitching his right elbow, twitching his right finger on his grip and missed it. Missed it. So Harved in par fours and the United States remain one up after two. Now it is ridiculous, isn’t it? We’ve had three. We haven’t even completed three holes. They’re about to complete a third hole, Katrina. And already you feel your emotions go up and down already. We’ve got such a long way to go. You can indeed, can’t you? I mean, I suppose 18 holes is such a short such a short match. You want to try and win every hole. They take every opportunity you’ve got and that was a a golden one that Thomas just missed there on the second. I know, but from a European point of view, you just say, “Oh my goodness me, Justin.” Thomas holds this, we really could be in trouble and he doesn’t. And then they’re still only one up and back on the first. Europe have a very, very good opportunity. Cat. Yeah. 40 ft it is for Russell Henley. Could do with putting this in the bottom of the cup. The Europeans are in close here. looks like he’s left it fairly short. The rookie from Georgia. Yeah, a little ky just coming up that ridge. Quite tricky to get the pace on the first screen, especially when you your hands are feeling um about as heavy as can be. So, little ky, but he’s okay there. And that means there is a big opportunity here for Ludvig Ober, the big tall Swede to put Europe in the driving seat after the opening hole in this second match out on the course. John Rahm Tier Hatton leading the way for the European side and Ligo. Matt Fitzpatrick the second pair out for Luke Donald’s side wearing this smoky blue top with the yellow and black stripes around the middle. Navy blue trousers, blue baseball caps. Vice Captain Franchesco Molinari standing just a few feet in front of us with his hands on his hips. He’s been sent out to shepherd this brand new pairing for team Europe around Beth Paige Black on the opening day of the Ryder Cup. Still thousands of people crammed into the stands here and 10, 20, 30 deep around the green. There’s a woman who’s climbed into a tree and she’s had the brilliant view of Ludvig Ober sinking that one absolutely ice cold from the Swede straight into the back of the cup. That one wasn’t going anywhere else but in. That was very decisive. Just stood up. No, taking no time at all. Just rammed it straight in the back of the hole. Pretty straight put, but great way to settle the nerves here in that first hole. Birdie for team Europe. Birdie for Matt Fitzpatrick and Lufar. And Europe go one up in match two. Jock. So, in the first match out, this is the first of the par threes, the 210 par three, which has a huge valley between the TE and the green. And it has landed on three huge bunkers to the front and to the left of the green. And Bryson Dshan Bo’s ball is in one of them. Yeah. 210 yd shot. Probably just a mere sixiron for Bryson. Pulled it, tugged it quite a bit left. 15 yds left of that pin on this peanutshaped green from right to left. Left back is very far back in the bunker. Hope it’s not plugged. So the Americans in the bunker. So the green is clear for the for the European team with John Ram on the tea. Europe today have gone for a sort of two-tone blue navy blue trousers and a very pale blue top with horizontal stripes of of blue and white white colors. dark blue baseball cap. And under that baseball cap is John Ram’s beard. And he’s on the tea, the third hole, a collection of little Beth Page black buildings behind this team. And on goes the ball now towards the the thick trees at the back of this third green and in the bunker. So he’s followed the Americans into the bunker. John Ryan. Yeah. Couldn’t take advantage of the Port shot from Bryson Shambo. It’s an error for the European team. We get to see some sand shots. Let’s go to the beach, John. Off we go towards the third green and both in the bunker. Mark, thank you. I imagine if you went to the beach, John, you’d be a hanky on the head type of man. Would you? Trousers pulled up. Trousers pulled up to my knees. Let’s go back to the first because Rory Maroy has arrived on the first te with Tommy Flewood. How was that reception, Alistister Bruce B? Yes, it was. It was mixed as as they have been, I think, because so many of the fans are watching the golf on the big screen. Maroy and Fleetwood almost snuck on slightly unnoticed, but they’re there now at the back of the first te. Their opponents today are Harris English and Colin Moricawa. I can see them in the mouth of this tight redwalled brightly lit tunnel. They’re about to make their way onto the first TE. Maroy and Fleetwood awaiting. Let’s not forget Rory Mroy said almost immediately after the last Ryder Cup in Rome. Career goal to win another one away from home. This is his eighth Rder Cup. Only seven men have won more points for Europe in the history of the competition since it became Europe USA back in 1979. But I think the American fans recognize the danger of this pairing from Europe, from Maroy and from Fleetwood because you hear in the background there the roars for Morawa and English, the two Americans who have now arrived on the first team. Colin Morawa, two-time major champion, has not been in the uh the best form this season, but Keegan Bradley has decided his experience, his expertise, his skills are ready to go on the first morning of this Rder Cup and he will play alongside Harris English. Both players for the Americans in the World Top 10. English part of that winning team at Whistling Straits back in 2021. So he’s used to all this rider ader hullaloo and it really has been quite a scene actually watching down here behind the first te as the two captains Mark Luke Donald and Keegan Bradley have been watching the opening holes play out uh on the big screen and there haven’t been overly dramatic reactions but you can feel the tension and I tell you what Russell Henley’s t-shot was a very nervous one off this team you say there’s not that much reaction you can really tell Keegan Bradley living it at the moment can’t you Katrina as Well, I mean, Luke Donald has been there before. He knows how this works. Keegan Bradley’s been there before as a player, but at the moment, he it’s almost, I would imagine, when you are a captain in a team competition, like you’re watching 12 of your children play. Yeah. Quite a different experience. You know, once you’ve got your pairings out there, there’s really nothing you can do. You’re just sending them out. They’ve got to do it now. And and you’re just watching them, hoping, wanting them to play well to Scarra Beach. John Murray. Well, in actual fact, only one of the two balls has ended up in the sand. That is the American ball and uh and actually it is just being played out now by Justin Thomas and he has played that pretty well. Landed it 3/4 of the way towards the hole and it’s rolled past I would say probably 8 10 feet. But the European ball, Andrew, yeah, we don’t know if it’s completely embedded. Has he called for a ruling? Is that an official there? Yes, he has the official is on it. It has to break the top of the soil and has to be into the mud area. He’s getting a drop. He’s pulling out his longest club. It’s a driver. He’s going to get one club length. So, is there a ruling drop? Is there a ruling going on there for the moment? Okay. Well, whilst that happens, let’s go back to the first and the announcements. Match number three of match number three. some match between the European team represented by Rory Maroy and Tommy Fleetwood. And Tommy Flewood gives Rory Moy a hug at the moment that Maroyy’s name is announced and reacted to. Represented by There’s the big as well for Colin Morawa and Harris English. Their names almost drowned out by the patriotic cheers for the American team. Rory Maroy has his driver in his left hand. He gets another hug from Tommy Fleetwood representing Europe. Rory Maroy. You’re listening to BBC Radio 5 live on a Friday lunchtime, but also we are delighted that here at New York at Beth Page, we are the incourse radio as well. So, if you are listening to us on course, welcome. We’re trying to be as balanced as possible. We do have some Americans with us, but go on Rory Alli. Thanks, Mark. Standing in amongst all of them behind the first T. Our voice drops to a whisper. Rory Maroy, world number two, is about to hit his first shot of this RDER Cup. He launches into the drive now. That looks to me like John Ram’s T-shot off the first and it is heading right. It is over the trees. It is away to the right and it has landed in the rough short right of that first green. hasn’t gone as right as John Rams. It is just before a greenside bunker there in the rough. Katrina. Yeah, I would say he’s a much easier position there. Just short to the green. Only probably 10 yards short. Mory Maroy in conversation with European captain Luke Donald Harris. English will hit first for the American team here. James Greg is going to be walking with this match for us. So, as soon as we send this ball on its way, James Greg is going to see where it lands. We see that little white missile disappear off into the distance over the trees. The lovely autoutuminal colors there, the dark reds, the oranges, the yellows and the greens. Whereas the American T-shot landed James just down the left hand side of the fairway Alli probably an 80yard pitch shot. Nice sort of lie that he’s going to have. But the angle Shawn McKil usp champion major winner in 2003 alongside me. That’s not the angle to be attacking this left hand pin from. In fact, we’ll go straight to John Murray because now the Americans for the first time in this top match are under a little bit of pressure. The Europeans are in for their par three at the third and now Bryson Dshan Paul from probably 8 ft has got to hold this to preserve the American lead. Stiff armed is over it and the ball is oh dropping in the left hand side. So Hull in par threes USA remain one up. Andrew. Yeah, with authority. Bryson steel and his pirates made 2-1. Pison three hole. Yes. USA one up in the top match. And uh this time though some relieved American cheers. The American alongside you doesn’t sound relieved. He he sounds pumped. John. Well, when is he when is he not pumped? I know. Americans up in the first one. Europe up in the second. And Morawa and English and Maroy and Flewood are just underway on the first. Cat up here on the second. Matt Fitzpatrick Ludvig Ober with a birdie on the first to take the advantage. One up but here on the second they’re under pressure. Ollie Wilson they are. Henley hit a lovely shot in spun it down back towards the flag off the cush of the fringe. He’s gone to about 8 ft pin high with gentle right to left brake but Ludvig pulled the wedge into the middle of the green left a very tricky putt from about 30 ft with maybe 3T of break on. So definitely advantage America. Little grand stand behind the green on the second and they chant USA, USA as the players walk up towards the green. They know that this is a chance here for Russell Henley and Scotty Shepler to get back on level terms here. Just so early in the match, so early on the first day of this Rder Cup at Beth Page Black. But already the pressure, you can feel it fizzing and tingling in the air. And Matt Fitzpatrick has a long putt here from about 25 ft. This would also be for a birdie. And Scotty Sheper will be putting from about 5 ft for his birdie. And it looks like uh they could very well level the match here again at the second green line mark. Okay, shout when you want it, cat. We’ll be back for the Matt Fitzpatrick put who has started very, very well has Matt Fitzpatrick at this Rder Cup. I appreciate we’re only on the second green, but he’s had a good start as Fitzpatrick as we go back to the first major winner Shawn McKill alongside James Greg watching Maroy and Flewood. Yes. Well, we’ll try again Mark. I mean Sean McKielle as we walked down here and we were looking at this back left hole location on this wonderful scene on this first hole. You said that right is actually better than left even if that means being in the rough just like the European golf ball is. Oh certainly we’ve we’ve seen the last two groups come through here and anyway. So Scotty Shuffler was playing Rory u Russell Henley shot out of the rough backed up. We saw that there’s no there’s no issues today with angles. Plus, I think that uh he was unable to really carry over the trees, but but there’s no no problem. The greens are soft. Well, the American pair will be hitting first as I see Maroy and Fleetwood striding up towards this front right portion of the green. We’ll be back here shortly. Cat Downs, what news at the second? Matt Fitzpatrick with this birdie putt to pile the pressure on Scotty Sheffller, tracking across the green, but no, he sucks the shaft of the putter through the palms of his hands. That’s going to come up shy. And now Scotty Sheffler has what five feet or so for a birdie to level this match again. Yeah, that one’s been given. Sheffller now just lining it up from behind the hole. Six feet right to left, maybe 2, three inches outside the hole. Not a straightforward putt, but it’s very one it’s one that he can be very aggressive with. So the world number one, the 29year-old from Dallas, Texas, prowling around this one, Scotty Sheffler, who had such a a torid time of his uh Ryder Cup a couple of years ago in Rome. We remember him leaving the course in tears after that record defeat to Victor Hoffland and one of his opponents today Ludvig Ober distraught the world number one looking to make amends early on the first day of the Ryder Cup looking for a birdie here that would level the match the second match out on the course Ober and Fitzpatrick against Sheffller and the American rookie Russell Henley the two of them paired up so successfully at the President’s Cup last year delivering ing that big win for team USA and looking to do the same again here in the Ryder Cup at Beth Page Black. She chef ready to putt. 5 ft for a birdie. And you’ll hear the roar. You’ll know whether this goes in. He does. The world number one takes it back to all square as we head to the third green mark. And there was just a little fist pump from Scotty Sheffler. Nowhere near the kind of pumping that’s gone on with that first pair of Bryce adjusted Thomas. Just a clench fist. Job done. Back to all square in match two. Match three. James where Colin Morawa has hit a very decent pit shot from around 85 yds here into this first green. It looked like it was just going to hop through the back into the rather tough looking grass with the morning dew still sat upon it. But it then just slammed the brakes on Shawn McKill. And that’s a good result putting from the fringe from around 10 ft. As wet as the fairways have been, you’re starting to see the greens firm up just a little bit cuz that ball took quite a first bounce. So the guys are going to have to play into that a little bit. Well, here’s Tommy Fleetwood. Probably 40 yd to the pin from here, just short right of this first green. But the ball really sat down. So much so that he called the referee over to ask if the ball had plugged. The answer to that was no, much to the amusement from the American crowd who were booing the Englishman here who has to really hack this one. A ball that is now running out beautifully. That’s releasing out. It’s going to just shave the left hand edge of the cup. And what a magnificent touch that is from the FedEx Cup champion Tommy Fleetwood undefeated in foroms spread over two RDER Cups. He’s played four, he’s won four, and he leaves Rory Maroy 2 and 1/2 ft for an opening birdie here at the first hole. It’ll be the Americans to put first from the fringe. What a wonderful touch that is. Cat down. Par three of the day for this second match out on the course and it’s Russell Henley who took the first T-shot for team USA. Little nervy for the rookie from Georgia from the first, but here he is on the third. 210 yds. Big drop off to the left hand side. Ball flying over this scrubby rough and that steep slope and heading towards the green now. Catching the left edge and that catapults it to the right hand side. A bit of a ricochet for Russell Henley’s ball. Goes beyond the pin. It’s a good 20 25 ft or so from the flag and that gives a good target to Ludvig Gober. Yeah, I mean pretty good shot to be honest around 200 y as uh we just said the greens are firming up. Certainly firmer than they’ve been in earlier in the week. That took a big bounce, but pretty good shot from there. Thick mature woodland, the oaks, the maples of this tri-state area wrapping around the green here. And the pin is hanging completely still. It is a calm morning here with the rippled cloud overhead, blue sky peeking through as Ludvig Ober sends his ball on its way towards the green. Looking, searching, thousands of eyes looking at the sky. And oh, it’s a miscue. from Ober and it plunges down into the big steep banking short and left of the green. It’s advantage USA on the third green. James, well, Harris English just stands and looks a little puzzled at how that ball turns left so sharply. It’s going to be conceded. It will therefore be a par4 start for Morawa and Harris English. This, by the way, Harris English’s first ever Forsome’s match as a professional player. And now the stage is set for Rory Mroy, who nailed his colors to the mast in the immediate aftermath of Marco Simone with his intent to win this cup, saying it would be one of his biggest achievements in the game. G’s newest Grand Slam winner has three feet to send he and Tommy Fleetwood one up at the first hole. He shuffles the feet, one last final glance at the cup, and the ball drops straight in. And that’s blue on the board in this third match. Sean McKel, what an impressive, cool, composed moment that was from Mroy. What a huge putt from Rory to have to make a 4-footer. You know, we know he’s a streaky putter to get that off in the first one. We got to watch out for him. And there you hear it. The Olays and Olays and Olays. More and more of those ringing around this first green than we were probably expecting. But what a magnificent start that is from the Fleetwood Mac pairing who won both of their Foresomes matches in Italy two years ago. A super start. And we’re going to head up through that tunnel up towards that second T. Katrina. Given the attention on Maroy, given the pressure on Maroy, given what the crowds have done to him at previous Rider Cups here in America, it was 4 foot on the first on his first match of what is likely to be five, but it felt huge. did that. It did. It always is, you know, first putt, first screen, 4footer. You’re expected to hold it, but you can easily miss it. But that was nothing but center cut from Rory. And he just looked so calm. Not really much celebration. Just a little smile to Tommy. Maroy and Fleetwood one up in their match there. McIntyre and Havland have just arrived on the first TE to take on Schoffé and Kantlay. It’s all square between Shefflet and Henley and Ober and Fitzpatrick in match two. Although there is advantage America in that the Americans of Bryson Dashambo and Justin Thomas are one up in the top match but maybe on the fourth John Murray advantage Europe. Yes I think I think Europe have just settled now John Rahm and Turrell Hatton after that enormous blow of Bryson Dshambo’s 15 ft bird he put on the first which won the opening hole and put the Americans one up. They’re still one up, but on the first of the par fives, the Americans are short in two and just into the rough. But John Ron hit a magnificent shot. The finest European shot we’ve seen so far today, Andrew. And he set up an eagle chance. That’s beautifully said, John. Looking back down to the tea, 517 yds. It looks like 650. And they’ve hit just some middle iron into the screen. These guys are beasts hitting it 350 yds off these T- shots. Justin Thomas below the below the pin here has a pitch up in the near flies it on the edge of the green stopping it. He’s got about 12 ft before the pin. He has to stop the ball. So all that to come Matt Fitzpatrick has done a superb job of limiting the damage on the third hole. It’s conceded by the world number one Scotty Sheffler who plucks the ball of the Europeans and throws it back to Matt Fitzpatrick. Ludviggober had missed the green, left it short in the rough down the slope on the front edge of the green. But Fitzpatrick with a stunning chip there. They’re in for a par. And now Scotty Sheffller, the world number one from about 30 35 ft here to win the hole and move up in this second match. And you’ve been looking at the line of this part, Ollie Wilson. Yeah, he’s got uh a nice gradual breaking right to left slightly up the hill. So, it’s uh again another one that he can be relatively aggressive with. Um just back to the chip of Fitzpatrick. He was a long way below the level of the green grass against him and pitched it absolutely perfectly on his spot to be stoned dead. It was a lovely shot. Shows that he’s feeling uh certainly probably more relaxed than he was two holes ago. Jelling well as a team so far. Oberg and Fitzpatrick out for Europe for the first time together. Scotty Sheffller’s wife, Meredith, is standing right next to us as she watches her husband eyeing up this 35-footer. The American wives out in cream denim jeans and blue short sleeve sweaters with the stars and stripes knitted across the front. She’s got sunglasses on. She’s biting her lip now as the ball floats across the smooth surface of the green, heading up towards the hole, curving round short of the hole. And that’s just going to be a couple of feet or so for Russell Henley. Will he have to putt it or will Europe say, you know, that’s absolutely fine. They’ve said it’s absolutely fine. So, this hole is halved in pars. We remain all square in this second match on the course, Mark. Oh, yeah. We said it was advantage America in that and Europe rescued themselves. We said on the fourth it was advantage Europe, but maybe America have rescued themselves here, John. So, the Americans have had their birdie put conceded. A lovely little approach shot. A little chip from the rough by Justin Thomas who looks rightly pleased with himself for that. But it means that the Europeans in the shape of Turl Hatton have this put. It’ll be all of 30 ft this. So it’s an outside chance. But this to win the hole for the first time in this opening match. The ball rolling down towards the hole and it has it has raced a little way past there. I think I I’m not sure that will Yes, it is conceded. It is conceded for a birdie for so uh the chance not taken but it was an outside chance. Andrew, yeah, he gave it a bit of a hit and that’s what you’re supposed to do for Eagle in a format like this. You’ve got to keep the aggression going. You’ve got to try to make that Kus lag and take a a half with the four. Well done. Two birdies. Yep. Two birdies to half the par. Five fourth. But um but this this match is shaping up I think Mark very very nicely. There were just a there were a few groans there from the fans that that was conceded. Did you hear that? Well, we couldn’t tell how far past the hole and I think the American fans were just kind of groaning to get into Rom’s head a little bit like this is a 4-footer. Oh no, it’s a one and a half footer. We’ll go back to the first because the pairings have just been announced there to the crowd and when you look at McIntyre and Havland and Shane Canle, what do you notice Alistister Bruce Ball in particular? Uh you notice that Patrick Kentlay has a baseball cap on his head. Very much part of team USA. That was the big story in Rome a couple of years ago. The European fans gave him a lot of stick, didn’t they? Particularly on the Saturday evening. He responded to that quite brilliantly. New partnership for Europe this one. Victor Hobland and Bob McIntyre go out in the last foroms out on the golf course this morning. And it’s the left-hander, the 29year-old Scott from Oben. Bob McIntyre unbeaten in Rome. who stands over the T-shot on the first and this for the leftander he has leaped away to the left hand side so the whole dog legs from left to right and he has gone the Russell Henley route and he has found that second cut of rough you can see the ball just nesting in the grass in the roughand on the left of the first Xander Schoffé world number four the short stocky Californian good friends with Patrick Can really experienced partnership for the Americans. Been there, seen it, done it. Got the RDER Cup t-shirt and Shalay just adjusting his grip three or four times with that right hand on the bottom of the driver. Sends this on its way and the line looks absolutely perfect. The American fans in the big grand stand here like that. Shot bends down, picks the tea up quickly, heads over the trees, away into the distance. Ian Carter is following this match. Have you got eyes on the American ball here? Yes, I have Alli. And it is sitting up beautifully in the semi- rough just to the right of the fairway. What 25 30 35 yards short of the putting surface. Lovely angle to attack this flag in the back left corner. Much harder angle for the Europeans after McIntyre’s drive went into the thicker rough down the left hand side. Jamie Donson. Yeah, the only place you can’t really hit it here is down the left on the first. The flag’s caught back left. It’s very difficult to get it close from there and it the ball looked like it sat down a little bit. It’s big time um driving seat for America here just in the first cup. Perfect angle in Marcus. An extraordinary scene here and now we have all eight players or from each side. So 16 players on the course everywhere you look. Thousands upon thousands of fans, helicopter overhead, beautiful high cloud, and it really is a magnificent scene right here at the start of the 45th RDER Cup. It is. And a little bit later on, the president of the United States will be here as well. So, that has meant a few things have changed where access points are and where we can get to on the course, which is why at the start I’m sitting here in a in a cabin for this and Alli has been perched over the first te. We’ve managed to get our commentary teams out on the course from the first green onwards. Very shortly, myself and Katrina will head out onto the course as well and watch as these foroms matches come through with us as well. The one thing that strikes me as a European point of view and I mentioned it just a little bit earlier is the start of Matt Fitzpatrick actually who comes into the foroms under pressure because of his RDER Cup record but not under pressure in his form and we’ve seen that. Yeah, he’s been playing some great golf on tour the last probably two, three months. Really played his way into the team. He hadn’t had a great start last top nines in his last nine or something. Yeah, I think you could be right there. But his kind of 18 months before that had been kind of poor. So, he’s come into some great form and hit a great little wedge shot into the first. And the other thing that I was just going to say cuz the people will be listening to us. There will be real golf fans listening to us. There’ll be people in in cars sitting next to golf fans who might not quite understand what’s going on. So forsomes, alternate shots, and then on the alternate holes that you you play your T-shot. So So one player will play odds and one player will tee off on on the evens. Because there might be some people going, “Well, why did Russell Henley, the rookie, tee off on the first when you’ve got the world number one there?” But the Americans might have decided. Yeah, I think they must have just decided that’s the best way for them for them to he prefers the odd holes, the the T- shots he has on the odd holes and and Sheffller likes the likes the even holes. So, there’s a lot of strategy involved in Forsomes when you’re only hitting every second shot. Let’s go to the second, the par four second. This is a green where virtually everybody that’s landed on it has then spun it back somewhere between 25 and 50 ft in John Rahm’s case. James Greg and that’s the absolute same case for this. So both Harris English and Rory Mroy pitched it probably 10 or 15 ft past this front right hole location on this green that’s perched up what looks to me like a ski slope. It kind of swoops all the way up towards this little plateau at the top of the green. And it will be Moricawa to put first because the ball of English just ranged its way back towards that front edge. Probably two or three feet further away than the ball of Fleetwood and Mroy. Here is Morawa. Remember they lost the first. This is slightly up the hill and from right to left for a birdie three for this new pairing in team USA Coloris. Marco studies himself now. The ball on its way. It’s whispering towards the hole, but not whispering towards the left enough. And it’s rolled on a little way by actually. Sean McKill. That was a poor effort. Well, I tell you what, just sitting here looking, we got a great angle looking straight behind the hole. I played I played as much break as he did. I’d have done the same thing. But yeah, just a little bit speedy coming up the hill and those are the hardest putts I think. Cutting up over the ridge and then coming back down. Fleetwood will be licking his chops here then because this is a chance for him and Rory Maroy to go two up through two. And remember this man had waited so long to win on US soil and it was well worth the wait, wasn’t it? His last victory was the tour championship in Atlanta last month and it also clinched the season long crown on the PGA Tour. This man a very much a player in form and a talismanic figure for Europe. beloved, reliable, and unshakable. Can he put an real strangle hold on this game in the early embers? Oh dear. Well, he liked the look of it, didn’t he? I mean, just no break there. But, you know, going back to that first putt, you know, we talked about risk the way Bryson played. It works the same way in putting. If you have a putter that’s really aggressive, you better be paired with a partner that can make three and four footers. And that’s exactly what Harris has today. This is going to be this going to be a tricky putt. This is not one of those that you want. So the uh European pairing has been conceded. So that is a par for Mroy and Fleetwood here at hole two. And the tall man from Georgia Harris English, a 36-year-old five-time winner on the PGA Tour and in the top 10 on the official World Golf Ranking has a real knee knocker. He is a steady hand, rarely the main draw, but in a team full of big names like this one is, he definitely has a role to play. At the moment he’s not thinking any further than the 2 and 1/2 footer that he has been left by his partner Colin Morawa to ensure that they only have this hole tall figure with those blue slacks on with USA emlazened right near the ankle taking good care over it. One final glance and rocks it and in she goes. So a satisfying way for Harris English to open his account with the flat stick on the green. Yeah, those are those are confidence builders. anytime you got to make a three-footer that that really builds your confidence to uh to get on and know that your partner can uh can lead you in that situation. So Fleetwood and Maroy walk towards the par three third hole. One up and the Americans have given themselves good chances of taking a hole in the first match out. That’s Dambo and Thomas and also in the last match out Ian Carter watching McIntyre and Havland against Shofflay and Canlay. And Canlay’s giving his playing partner a very good chance for a birdie. Yes. from the semi- rough short right of the green. Beautifully judged approach shot which he’s put to 67 ft. Really surprised with Victor Hovlin’s approach from the thicker rough. The ball just checked extraordinarily, didn’t it, Jamie Donaldson? So, this is about 25 ft of birdie for Bob McIntyre. Yeah, it’s pretty straight up the hill. Um, amazing amount of backspin he got from the rough there. I don’t know even how he’s managed that really. Uh the ball looked like it sat down a little bit and it still managed to come back about 4 feet. Incredible. Well, McIntyre, the Scotsman, 29 years of age, ranked number nine in the world, left-hander, has this 25 30footer for birdie at the first, knowing that the Americans are going to be looking at a really good chance here. And here comes McIntyre now. One last lingering look at the hole and another. And now he’s ready. Swing of the shoulders. The ball on its way. Tracking. Looking good. Looking good. But missing just to the left. That will be conceded. Thumbs up from Xander Schoffé. Par four of the European pair of Bob McIntyre and Victor Hovland. And now a real chance for first blood for Shaoff and Camp. Yeah, it’s um you know, not a long putt here. It’s pretty straight again. There’s not much in it. We’re looking at 8 ft straight up the hill established bearing this Shalay and Campe they struggled in Rome certainly in the forsomes lost both their matches there and now the captain entrusting them with what is always a very very pivotal match the last one of the sequence can so often color the overall outcome and feeling at the end of a session this Right at the start of this match, 8 ft, left hand below right, former open and PGA champion Santaé for birdie and first blood sends it on its way. Looks good. No. Oh, shaves the left edge and will that be conceded? Kantley is going to be coming up and it has been conceded. The whole Har haved in par fours. Cat Eagle puts coming for Matt Fitzpatrick. Europeans have played this first par five on the course here at Beth Page back. Superbly brilliant T-shot from Matt Fitzpatrick. Mark was talking with Katrina a little bit earlier about how his form has been, how brilliant he has been outside the top 70 in April, but back inside the top 30 with seven top 10s in his last nine starts. His swing looks so measured, so balanced. The the rhythm of it looks superb. and he found the center of the fairway which gave Ludwig Oberg the chance to put the ball on the green into on this par five and Matt Fitzpatrick is now looking at this P which is about 20 ft Ollie Wilson yeah 20 20 25 ft pretty straight really good look at this downside is the Americans have an 8-footer on the same line but if this goes in it won’t matter eagle put for Fitzpatrick on its way he’s likes it he’s held the pose he’s backing away as the ball just tracks slightly to the left and dribbles by by three ft. Birdie putt to come for the Americans, but I think the birdie is probably in the bag for the Europeans. John, yes. Up ahead with the the top match, the first match out where the United States, Dshambo and Thomas are one up on Europe, Ram and Hatton. And yet again on the fifth green, the par four, fifth. They’ve both had birdie chances. Now the Europeans have left theirs a little way short, maybe four or five ft. So this gives the Americans the chance from 12 ft. Bryson Dshambo over it, feet wide apart. If he holds this, the Americans will go two up. And it’s on its way now. And it rolls by on the left. Europeans have still got to finish off Butcat. Russell Henley then for this birdie on the fourth for the Americans. A must make you’d say for the rookie, but he doesn’t make it. Drifts by on the left hand side. And so that means that Ludvig gober has this part for a European birdie to go back to oneup in this match. They took the lead on the first hole. Superb play from Ludvig Ober and Matt Fitzpatrick under that extreme pressure and the intensity of the cauldron on the first. But now just 5 ft or so. Maybe a little bit inside that 3 4t for Ober for a birdie here on the fourth. That would see him and Fitzpatrick back out in front in this second match on the course. Big crowds now swelling down the course as the first tea in that big grand stand there begins to empty and spectators head out to catch the action. And this match finally poised all square after three holes. But this for Ober the tall Swede sends it on its way towards the hole and in it goes. And a big fist clench from Matt Fitzpatrick as well. He’s fired up. He taps knuckles with his caddy and Europe move one up on the fourth job. Well, excellent. Excellent match play fun and pressure on the green here at the fifth. Tiro Hatton had to make that from five ft. I could I could feel the pressure from where we were standing and he hold it. Yeah, excellent putt from 5 ft. His first nervy attempt of the day. Successful. That gives you confidence. So the Americans remain one up after five mark in the top match. Yes, Tur has rescuing Europe there. So the Americans are one up in that top match. Uh Ludvig Ober and Matt Fitzpatrick have gone one up in the second match. Maroy and Fleetwood are one up on Morawa and English in the third. They’re on the par three third. Although it’s advantage the Americans there. They are on the green maybe within 10 ft thanks to Harris English’s uh T-shot. Tommy Fleetwood is playing uh the European second shot from the rough. Maroyy’s T-shot went into the rough on the par three third. The final bottom match all square between Schoffé and Canlay and McIntyre and Hovland. It’s always difficult to know when to take a break for the news. We’re going to do it now. We’ve only had an hour and a bit of this rider and we’ll be back uh with our encourse teams very shortly. You’re listening to BBC Radio’s coverage of the 45th RDER Cup here at Beth Page State Park. The first morning is underway. The first four forsomes out on the golf course. I am standing uh in our position at the uh the back of the big grand stand behind the first tea. The sunshine is out again. Uh and the grandstand has quickly emptied. You heard the thunderous football once the final group headed out on course. And I can see those thousands of golf fans at the moment making their way down the sides of the fairways here. It is an absolute picture. But if you wanted to stay here and sit and enjoy, well, the big screen is just a way to our right hand side. And I’ve seen some nice interaction as well between the European fans and the American fans complimenting each other on their various uniforms and discussing what might be to come uh over the next few days. Just reminding you uh of the entire match situation of course 28 points to play for here. Europe need 14 to retain the RDER Cup. To win the match outright you have to get to 14 12 and the USA trying to win the cup back on home soil will need to do exactly that. 14 1/2 points is what they require uh to win the RDER Cup this weekend. Let’s remind you of the match scores as they stand. In the first match, it was absolutely box office at 10 7 this morning just after when Bryson Dashambo uh unfilled the driver. Hit a big boomer down the first there. It set up a birdie for him and Justin Thomas. Dambo converting that putt to put the Americans one up on John Rahm and Tierrell Hatton. We were just hearing there that Tierrell Hatner has hold an important five-footer for the European team to keep that at just one down for them. They have played five holes. In the second match, it’s been two and throwing a little bit, but Ludvig Oberg and Matt Fitzpatrick new partnership for Europe uh in this Ryder Cup. They are one up after four. Maroy and Fleetwood having birdied the first, they are one up after two holes against Colin Morava and Harris English. And in the last match out on the golf course, it is all square. A birdie chance winner begging for Xander Schoffé on the first. Xander Schoffé and Patrick Can all square against Victor Hodland uh and Bob McIntyre. So yes, this is the BBC radio’s coverage uh of this Ryder Cup. You’re listening to us out on course. Thank you very much for your company. Uh and you’re also listening to us on Rydercup.com. Let’s get back to our uh our team out. of course is so many of the greens are raised up and the opening holes here very undulating downhill for the first uphill for the second and now we’re going to be ready for the second shot of Bob McIntyre into this second hole and uh as I say good start for Europe. They’re up in two matches so far. Let’s get news of Rory Maroy and Tommy Fleet with the match ahead of us. James Greg with them. Classic classic match play Ian. I’ve got to say it was a stunning T- shot from Harris English at the par three third hole. that left Colin Morawa around 12 ft or so for a birdie and Maroyy’s T-shot had missed a green really thick juicy lie in the rough which Tommy Fleetwood could only bumble out to around 8 ft. The birdie put of the Americans missed Moricawa agonizingly close to giving uh them their first uh one hole of the match and therefore square the match up. It left Mroy with an 8footer that he wrapped it in with absolute. It was a really really nice confidenceb building putt that one to knock in two uh 2003 USPJ champion Shawn McKil alongside me. That’s a nice one for Rory to see drop. Well, he’s got two two one putts which is we we know Rory’s all about his putter. He hits the ball so well. He drives it well. His iron game is spectacular. If Rory gets hot with the putter, it’s going to be a long day for the Americans. Could be a short day, too. at the part five uh fourth hole. Colin Morawa one hand straight off the club as his T-shot careers way right into the crowds that are just uh meandering their way through the trees here at Beth Paige Black. So all going Europe’s way in this particular match at the moment. Ian Carter in fact let’s go to Cat Downs. What news in the match ahead of this one? I heard Ian saying that he was feeling a little bit out of breath as he heads up towards the the second. Ollie, Ollie Wilson and I, 2008 RDER Cup player have had the long gallop up the path four fifth. It is a steep hill up there through the the oak trees just on that left hand side. And we’re looking back down the fairway now through the spectators which are lining either side of this uh this sweeping fairway still with a dusting of that silvery Jew on the grass and looking down towards Scotty Sheffller and Matt Fitzpatrick who are standing in the center of the the fairway here. Well, in fact, Fitzpatrick’s just over to the left hand side cuz the Europeans ball has just nestled down into the rough along the left hand side. But as you observed when you first came here, Ollie, this isn’t the Beth Paige Black of old with the difficult juicy rough. It’s quite it’s quite well cut and there’s good lies to be found in that rough and the Europeans have got one. There is it’s not as long, but there’s still quite a lot of dew out there at the moment. So, we’ve seen the few shots out of the rough so far have been a little bit heavy, come up a little bit short, but this is Scottish Sheffler coming in from about 180 yards. Giving it a little lean, looking like cutting it into the flag. Fantastic shot. Pin height about 6 ft from 180 yards. Brilliant. Yeah, Scotty Sheffller doing what Scotty Sheffller does there. Just under pressure, one down in this match against Ludvig Goar and Matt Fitzpatrick, but straight at the flag. the control on these soft greens stopping the ball dead and he has six foot or at least the Americans have six foot there for a birdie that’s really going to pile the pressure on the Europeans. Can Matt Fitzpatrick respond here? Big splash of the Jew and he twirls the club in his hand. I think he likes the look of this one. Oh my goodness me. It’s even better than the world number one. Matt Fitzpatrick puts it into two feet. What a stunner from the European. That was phenomenal coming up and over that tree. It was awkward to gauge the distance, but he’s in an absolutely perfect shot. You could see he liked it with his follow through, but that was stunning. It’s just what Luke Donald’s men wanted to do. Silence the crowd. The cheers for Scotty Sheffller’s shot were cut short by Matt Fitzpatrick’s response. Ian, here on the second, Bob McIntyre’s approach, spinning back off the front of the green. So, this is a good nine paces for Victor Hovland. He’s putting from the fringe. Huge break from right to left, leaving the flag in the hole. And he knows he’s got to try and make this because the Americans in very, very close. Chauffe with a brilliant approach, spinning it back to pin high. And only 3 and 1/2 ft coming for birdie for Camplay. So big moment here. All square in this match. Second green. And here is Havland looking to swing this from right to left. Sends it on its way. Tracking, turning, but has he given it enough? It’s still going. It’s still going. Oh, great effort and he just bends onto his knees in frustration. The ball coming up a fraction shy. Yeah, it was a tricky put really. Um he’s made a great effort coming off the uh the collar there. It’s so difficult to get the line and he’s a great put just shy with but uh Can’s got a it’s a bit of a smelly one really. It’s downhill a little bit left to right. Um this is you know this is uh easily fired by. Yeah, he’s going to give this every concentration. The voice there of Jamie Donaldson who beat Keegan Bradley in the singles in 2014 to secure that precious pot of gold for Europe. You get asked this all the time, but how often does your mind go back to it? I bet quite a lot in weeks like this. Yeah, I mean it’s great cuz it’s always on a Christmas on a rerun and the kids always say, “Dad, have you put this on again?” Um so yeah, you know, something you never get tired of watching and uh yeah, it’s just a great to be part of something like this. It really is. So spectators standing all around this elevated green on the second and Patrick Campe, a very very deliberate golfer and he has looked at absolutely every angle here. He’s back down on his launches probably six, seven ft behind his ball. This putt is only 4 ft, but as Jamie Donaldson was telling us, it’s downhill. He’s got a bit of left to right to it as well. And here he is now. One practice swing. The putt ahead now behind the ball. One glance at the hole. And now he’s ready to pull the trigger. Just widens his stance a little bit more. Just feeling the turf into his feet and just moving his left foot back in towards the ball. Now he sends the puck on its way and in. And first blood to the United States in the bottom match comes at the second green. A composed birdie after a brilliant approach from Sander Choffle. Patrick Kentley holds his nerve and slots the birdie putt. And it means that Kentle and Choffle have gone one up on Havland and McIntyre. Just watching the rookie Russell Henley trudging off the green here on the par fourth fifth. Had a six-footer for a mustake birdie for the American pair here. But it drifted by on the left hand side. Huge pressure on the shoulders of Russell Henley. And Scotty Sheffller was quick in there to bump knuckles with his partner and say don’t worry. But there is now clear blue New York sky between Ludvig Ober and Matt Fitzpatrick and Scotty Sheffler and Russell Henley. The Europeans two up now in this match. rolling. That was a big put for Henley on the last last hole. He had a good chance and seemed to hit a little pull. This one was not a straightforward sixoot, but pushed it. So, he’s clearly not feeling great on the greens. Biggest lead on the board at the moment for Ludic Goar and Matt Fitzpatrick. They’re two up now against Sheffller and Henley. John. Whoa, what a shot from John Ram we have just seen here in the top match. Dshan Thomas, a one up for the United States. It looked as though the Europeans were up against it because Tier Hatton’s T-shot went way way left into this long wispy grass. But John Rams hit a terrific recovery shot and they’ve both got birdies now uh on the par 46 green screen from similar ranges. Yeah, completely blind shot behind the gallery. He was so far left. Couldn’t see it up in this cloudy sky. Gray good morning having here on this Friday. But two good birdie putts coming up. Yep. The uh the pre- Rider Cup prediction mark was that we would have birdie chance after birdie chance and that what that is what we have here. So it’ll be a birdie shootout on the sixth green. What have you got James Gray? Well on the fourth fairway where both teams have hit their second shots. It was Mroy and Harris English respectively on this par five. A very reachable par five in two shots. Mroy was in perfect position after an absolute peach of a Tommy Fleetwood T-shot. Uh the Americans were hacking out from the rough. They’ve actually left themselves the better third shot though, haven’t they, Shawn McKill? Because that European golf ball, Maroy was eyeing it up all the way, but it’s plugged in the bunker just short of where he was hoping to try and land it. That is such a tough shot. Most people don’t realize it’s up 12 yards uphill. It’s wet sidehill lie, but Roy was taking it on. Just he’s a little bit disappointed. You can see that he’s talking to his caddy about maybe mish hitting the wrong club, but shouldn’t be too bad for him. Just a splash shot right out to the front and let it roll down and and trickle close to the hole. Also, from match three to match one again, John, it’s going to be the Americans to to go first. We could have sworn from our viewpoint that that it would perhaps be the Europeans, but it is similar ranges. It’s a birdie shootout, Andrew. That’s what we’ve got here. What would you rather have, John? First one to go in and put the pressure on. Yes, I want the first one, not the second one. Justin Thomas. Oh, let’s say 12 ft. Let’s say Terrell Hatton from 10 ft. Taking a close look at this. John Rom is talking to the two Caddies trying to figure out how to beat this American team. One down after views. Justin Thomas about to hit. Yep. This is Keegan Bradley’s big opening partnership. Dshambo and Justin Thomas. First time they’ve played together at the RDER Cup, but full of power and personality. And it is Justin Thomas now for Birdie. The Americans won up in this match. And this for the birdie to put more pressure back on the Europeans. Justin Thomas. And no, not this time. So that famous Rder Cup door is open for the Europeans. Don’t you love these tour pillars? They take a step back. They look it like I misread it. They shake their head. No, you just missed the putt. But go pick it up and walk off the green. Justin, a lot of chitchat, a lot of chirp. That’s been one of the words of the week, hasn’t it? Chirp. How much chirp that’d be. In actual fact, you know, in terms of the the reaction from the gallery so far, this viciferous New York crowd that we’ve been told about, all very well behaved from our viewpoint so far at least. But now, as Bryson Dshambo just eventually finally walks off the green, there’s another fist bump and uh I think that’s Web Simpson, isn’t it? One of the vice captains. So, Terrell Hatton now and after Terrell Hatton missed the fairway by a distance with his T-shot again. Classic match play, the Europeans find themselves in a position where they can win a hole for the first time in this opening match. Terrell Hatton for Birdie. No, he doesn’t like it. He knew he uh he stepped forward, looked at it, and he wasn’t able to take the chance. And uh and I’m not sure it’s been conceded. No, not conceded. John Rom has not made a putt yet. So, you just want to test these guys even from maybe two feet just to give them a little feel. It’s like a gift from the Americans just to warm them up a little bit. Well, it’s to Fr. and uh just a waft the vaguest waft of a breeze we can feel on our shoulders. It’s a strange temperature here. It it’s I would say it’s it’s mild. It’s warm, but there’s also a sort of damp clamminess in the air. I think it’s the dew or the dew as Andrew would say. So John Ram now this little putt that has not been conceded this to make sure of a half at this hole. Ram just a final little wiggle those white shoes of his and then in it goes safely for John Ram. So the hall is halved in par fours and the Americans Dshambo and Thomas remain one up in this match. Yeah, we’re at the par 33rd with the Americans. Camp Showflake one up in this match after winning the second and they’ve got the initiative at the par 33rd as well because Bob McIntyy’s T-shot found the greenside bunker and Victor Hland didn’t hit a particularly good one. The Americans will be putting from just off the green for a winning birdie. Yeah, sadly Hov’s bunker shot just slightly heavy. He’s come up 15 ft short. So uh advantage America. It’s a hot start it looks like for Shalay two-time major champion and his partner Patrick Camp who’s got such a great RDER Cup record. And it’s Camp now who’s putting from the fringe of the green flag 11 eight paces off the left of the green. So this is about 26 27 ft. sends it on its way onto the putting surface down towards the hole and just missing to the right and a little bit of work to be done there. James Greg, a birdie chance for the European pairing of Fleetwood and Mroy and it’s going to be the Northern Irishman Mroy, the Masters champion, the players champion, the Irish Open champion who has 7 1/2 ft here to put he and Fleetwood two up over Harris English and Colin Morocawa. It was a wonderful bunker shot from Tommy Fleetwood to set this one up from a almost impossible lie. But nothing’s impossible when you dominate the European blue in this competition. Mroy sends this putt on its way. And in this golfing cathedral of silence, it’s broken by cheers of the European fans who are delighted to see Maroy and Fleetwood go two up in this match. Mcquille, he’s three for three. Watch out. I tell you, I think the Americans are taking an awful lot of time reading their greens. As we’ve seen, every putt’s been pretty straight so far, the exception of maybe two. I think they’re taking way too much time. It’s overreading it just a little bit. This is a formidable partnership as we well know, Ian and Mroy and Fleetwood two are walking towards the fifth. So, an important moment here on the third for Bob McIntyre because the Americans are up 3 and 1/2 ft away in two. This is the third shot on this par three for the Europeans. 15-footer to save par. McIntyre has stalked it. Now he’s ready. Put ahead behind the ball. Sends the ball towards the hole. Turning towards the hole and in. Oh, clutch from Bob McIntyre. And all of a sudden that 3 and 1/2 footer has grown a little bit. That’s coming up for Xander Schoffé. Yeah, hasn’t it? Just indeed. I mean, what a putt he’s hit there. Uh, you know, not straightforward but very important. and he rolls it into the middle of the cup. So left now with Sander on this uh 3 and 1/2 footer. Yeah, you’ve played these matches and just to have a moment like that early on when you one down real settler I would imagine. We’ll get your view on that in a moment Jamie. But let’s see what Shaoff can do here. This is to avoid losing the hole. Just three and a half ft over it now. Sends it forward and in and in. So it’s a par for the Americans, an excellent par, an excellent par for Europe. So they remain one down quickly. That will really settle McIntyre down. Yeah, I mean that’s huge, you know, especially for, you know, for Bob to get it going. Nerves dying getting into the match. Huge uh momentum swing. They looking like going two up and he’s hold a great put there to stay in it. Yep. The US one up in this match as we go to the fourth and we’ll take you on five live to countdowns. Yep. up on the sixth. Both teams in the green on the green in two and it’s like a dart board. The sound of the ball landing on these soft rain softened greens. It makes the thud like the noise of a dart hitting a dart board and then the balls stop dead. An absolutely stunning shot in from Ludvig Oberg to about 10 ft has left a birdie chance for the Europeans. But then Russell Henley went even better. The Americans are inside 4T. So that puts the pressure on this one for Matt Fitzpatrick. And it doesn’t look easy. It’s a slippery one this one. Just feeding away from the fringe, but it’s set it on its way. Just died it into the center. It never looked anywhere else to be fair. Little fist pump. Great response. Lots of European support around this six screen. There’s a knot of spectators over to the right with those Viking horned helmets on their heads. They go wild as the ball disappears below the surface of the green. They spent ages talking about that pup. Ober and Fitzpatrick. First time team here for Luke Donald. Fitzpatrick and Ober. And they are delivering two up on the sixth green against the world number one Scotty Sheffller and the world number four Russell Henley. A rookie at this RDER Cup. But both these players inside the world’s top five. This is a quality pairing for the USA and at the moment they are struggling in the early stages. This for Scotty Sheffller then to match the Europeans to stay two down. What would you say? Four feet. Four feet. Yeah, pretty straight. Um Scotty’s not hit loads of puts so far from the whole alling out distance. So, this is a big one for him to try and build a bit of confidence and kind of stop the rot at the moment for the Europeans just thrown three birdies at them. They can’t afford to lose anymore. Actually, we’ve moved around the green a little bit more to get a a higher vantage point to see over the heads of the spectators. And as we look down towards the green, this looks longer than 4T. This looks about 6 ft, 7 ft. Yeah, I’ll give you six feet. Six feet then for the world number one. This to match the Europeans who are in the hole with their birdie. Scotty Sheffller sends the ball on its way and Scotty Sheffller misses. And listen to that. There are some booze ringing out from the the American fans around the green here on the sixth. The Americans aren’t delivering in this second match out on the course. Deso and Thomas are one up. Ludvig, Matt Fitzpatrick three up now. Rory Mroy and Tommy Fleetwood two up. and Xander Schoffley and Patrick Kentley are delivering so far for the US side. It’s two matches going the way of Europe, two matches going the way of Team USA. Mark, uh Ollie, as you start to walk to the to the seventh, hopefully you can walk and talk. We’ve we’ve we’ve explained what a bit of a ymp this course can be, is Sheffler having to both concentrate on his own game and a little bit look after his playing partner who who has appeared nervous in these in these first six? Uh 100%. Um, you know, ball striking wise has been fine, but on the green, Russell’s had ended up having the putts to to make the difference. You’re holding out from inside 10 feet and he hasn’t hit a good putt yet. So, that was quite important from Scotty to try and build a bit of momentum. Um, we we were over by the other side of the green and it was so loud with the American crowd. We had to come the other side and then when they missed it was quiet, you know, it was great from a European perspective. Luke Donald, the European captain Katrina has just gone past us. We’ve come out right out onto the back of the course. So, we can see the fifth away to our right, but we’re by the 12th green at the moment. And Luke Donald is going back down the 12th fairway. He’s gone past a huge leaderboard away to our left. And he will see those two big blocks of blue in the middle of these four matches that are out on the course with a a lead of more than a whole for and Fitzpatrick who are three up and Mroy and Fleetwood who are two up. Yeah, he’s got to be delighted when he drove past and saw that. Especially, I think that second match, Oberg and Fitzpatrick against what you could argue perhaps the strongest American side. Andrew McGee alongside John Murray. Can you believe that? Myself and Katrina got a buggy out here and we talk about the New York crowd. A couple of them saw it said BBC on it and booed us. Can you can you believe that? And oh, either that or they recognized me and just decided to boo, which is equally possible. Oh, may maybe they were British. It is quite shocking that we haven’t seen it is $15 beers. Okay, so we can’t get there just yet. Maybe this afternoon we’ll get this crowd a little more lubed up, a little more boisterous. Well, it’s only half days in the morning. That’s fair. It was probably Al didn’t really look up as we were being booed. It may have been Alistister Bruce Ball on his on his way back somewhere. It could entirely have been could have been anyone on the team. Let me just tell you that in this in this match Europe it looked as though John Ram had carved Europe into trouble off the tea on the par 47th into the trees but I think I think Europe’s ball is okay although um Terrell Hatton’s leaning over it and it looks as though there might be a ruling in there as well but the but the Americans were middle of the fairway but Bryson Dshambo has missed the green. Yeah, poor shot for the Americans. up. We think it’s in the left bunker, but they are really staring at this ball in the right trees. Even Justin Thomas went over to give it a look to see what they’re all about. And are they calling another ruling? They’re a little bit behind this first group already. So, we’re going to have another delay here. Uh so, um I’m sure you’ll have somewhere more pressing to go to. Do do you get a sense, Andrew, and it’s very early obviously, but that that the initial fire and oomph from that first tea that was particularly there for Bryson and and Thomas has just dimmed a little, which is only understandable, but the Europeans that their main aim this morning will have been just to calm everything. Yeah, they I think all these groups are kind of settling in to how they’re gonna going to match their opponent in this boxing match. Back and forth. Some some good strikes early from the Americans. Some good shots from the Brits. This is just the way it goes, Mark. It it is, Andrew. And there’s plenty of time to go. Let’s go to James Greg and Shan McKill who are watching Maraua in English against Mroy and Flewood with the Europeans two up back of the fifth green not too far away from you and Katrina are actually Mark and I mean the spectators just in vast numbers that’s probably stating the absolute obvious but Tommy Fleetwood has just hit an absolute peach of a second shot into this fifth hole who’s in the right hand rough Shaw McKill and that was a beauty. Well, I mean, Rory put him in a spot or bother right there, but but his technique is so precise. The way he hits down on the ball, generates a lot of speed, a lot of height, and it’s exactly what you need on a shot like this. It just landed so soft like a butterfly with sore feet. The pitch mark so prominent on this otherwise pristine surface. And up they march. These two European superstars shoulderto-shoulder. Just a reminder, they’re playing against the American duo of Harris English and Colin Morawa. English has never played forsomes as a professional golfer before. He’s played one of the RDER Cup. He only played four balls in singles matches at the moment. He and the two-time major winner Morawa find themselves two down. And Mroy, we talk so often about that little strut with his chest puffed out. That has very much been the case as he walked up towards this fifth green mark. They’re going to have around six and a half feet for a birdie. The American golf ball is just short of the green. And actually, Sean, I’ll just pick your brain on this chip shot that is facing Harris English cuz that is not the easy one, is it? To come. You know, we can’t really see the lie. It doesn’t look too terribly difficult. You get a little bit of a ridge here just short right as soft as the greens are. I expect him to kind of fly this ball just up onto the top level and just let it trickle down. Well, he’s stood over his chip now. So if you need to go anywhere really urgently Mark feel free to not really you keep going. Okay. Well here we go. Well here is Harris English then steady hand like we’ve said and he’s a PJ tour winner this season but this is a completely different entity to the week toe run-of-the-mill and out of the juicy stuff it comes heavy-handed. You lose control of that stuff and he lost control there. He’s left Colin Mora Carwood with a real little slippery right to left slider down the hill for his part. For as much as we’ve talked about the shortness of the rough, you can really see that it’s affecting these guys, the way they play their pitch shots into the green. We saw par three, we saw Tommy Fleetwood hit his chip just a little bit far. Harris English has left Colin a little bit of a tester. Let’s go to you John Murray in match number one before Maroyy’s birdie put. Bryson D Shambo splashing out of the bunker green side at the seventh and uh he had plenty of green to play with and he’s played with it beautifully. He’s rolled it up once it landed on the green right by the whole side. Probably only a couple of feet. Oh, terrific nervous shot. Big full swing. Open bladed sand wedge. Splashed it out. Perfect. Carried the front edge. Rolled up. Excellent. However, the Europeans are on the green and have a long long birdie chance with a chance to win the hole and bring the match all square. James and the air here around this fifth green is trembling like a plucked string. Mroy to send he and Tommy Fleetwood three up here on this fifth green. The ball on its way and it disappears. It disappears below ground and what an imperious performance this is from Mroy. A huge fist bump. He points the butter at a spectator who’s holding an Irish flag over the ropes and he and Tommy Fleetwood stride right towards us here. Sean McKiel with purpose steel in their eyes. And Maroy has not missed anything yet so far. I am absolutely amazed if you listen to the crowd now. Are we in the United States or are we in Europe? The Americans are not looking too good. They’re, you know, pitch. Anytime you’re pitching for par and you’re playing against Roy and Fleetwood or hitting every green, having birdie opportunities. It’s going to be a very long day. They need to turn around quick going three down three. Gone. Sorry. I was I was just about to say the same thing to Katrina cuz we are maybe 120 yards away from the fifth green. We’re by the 12th green and as you said those words I was thinking the exact same thing if we didn’t know that that was Maroy and Flewood on the third. The cheers we we would have we could have assumed that that was a home put going. We could have. Absolutely. I mean it’s it’s actually really quite quiet out here. I mean the stand behind us 12th Green is absolutely packed. The fairway is lined and we’ve got a a big board we’re looking at. But uh yeah, it it I think the Europeans have done what they wanted. They’ve quietened that crowd. It’s uh it’s also quiet here because the big screen that’s opposite us on the 12th, which we were assuming was going to be showing some action, has literally just had a leaderboard on there for the last 10 minutes, which we’re assuming is whilst everybody tidies up on the fifth and then they’ll put the pictures up. John Murray. Well, John Ram did have a chance to win the hole. It was a long long put for birdie. all of 30 ft. But it must have been close because we saw a bend of the knees from him. The Europeans then are safely in for their four. But after Rahm was made to put a short one on the previous hole. The Europeans have asked Justin Thomas to hold a tidler here on the seventh which he is over now. Justin Thomas, this should disappear. But a lovely piece of match play to and fro between the sides on these two holes. Still over it now. Oh, he’s missed it. He’s missed it, Thomas. It’s a bogey. It’s a bogey. Five for the Americans at the seventh. And he swishes the club head after that ball and picks it up and he slaps his butt ahead. And this match, the top match, Dshambo and Thomas is back to all square with Ram and Hatton after seven. Ian and here on the magnificent par five four fourth hole a chance for Europe to go all square in the bottom match as well John because Camplay and Cha found the bunker with their approach to the par five. Lovely splash out from Klay has left a birdie chance of 4 ft. But what a shot from Bob McIntyre. Second shot into this par five and a real look at Eagle here for Hovind. Yeah, it was a hell of a shot. He’s got an uphill lie on his second shot. He’s a high towering iron shot to leave a putt of no more than 12 15 ft. Bit of bit of break on it, but it’s mainly uphill. It’s in the perfect position here. Yeah, just five paces off the right edge of the green and the ball just clinging to the very last bit of that right edge of the green up the hill. And Hland body language suggests he really likes the look of this one. This for Eagle. This to level the match for Europe. Over it now. Cut ahead. Sits behind the ball. Now it’s taken back. The ball starts its journey. Heads towards the hole. Oh, it just needed to turn another inch and it didn’t. And it stayed stubbornly above ground. It’s a conceded birdie four for Europe. Yeah, it was not quite the pace on the ball, but the Americans have still got probably a 4ft put here. So, um, you know, there’s still a bit of chicken on this bone and, um, he’s far from over yet. Lovely bunker shot from Can they though because he was in the face of that bunker? Yeah, he was. It was an uphill bunker shot. Tricky, easy to mess up. He’s played a really good shot. It was still there. Still still room to put here. Yeah. So tester for shoff hold a good one on the third to have that after Bob McIntyre hold from 15 20 ft for an unlikely par for the Europeans who lost the first hole or rather the second hole to a birdie. So this to remain one up for Schae and Kelay. It’s Shalay over this with the bright red putter head behind the brilliant white ball. Sends it forward. No fuss whatsoever. Up the hill and into the middle of the cup and the hole is halved in birdie fours. And it means that Canlay and Choffé remain one up against Havland and McIntyre in the bottom match out here on the course. Jamie, what what did you have as your rule for whether you were going to uh give a putt or not? I’m just thinking about what’s going on in the top group at the moment where there’s a little bit of tit for tat in whether putts are being given or not. What were you Did you have any set rule? Not really. It was just one of those where uh is it missable? Is there a chance they could miss? Yes. Right. Make them put it. It was kind of like that, but there’s also a bit of uh decorum in there as well. You know, you it’s like come on, you’re not making them put, you know, foot and a half or something daff like that. So, if there’s a chance that they can miss it, if it’s an important part of the game, then maybe. But if you were if you were made to put one from 3 foot on the sixth, would you then make them put if they had one from 3 foot on the seventh? I think I might know the answer. Oh yeah, absolutely. It can easily turn into one of those games, can’t it? It could. Although both pairs have given themselves birdie opportunities on the par 38. John have uh I think I think Europe and Terrell Hatton are just a little closer. But two two wonderful T-shots at the par 38 which is which is a picturesque hole. The the tea we’re just walking down from it now down the left hand side. It drops right down into a valley. There’s a there’s a pond in front of the green and then that pear-shaped green with the the flag fluttering front right and uh the European ball on one side and the American ball on the other. Andrew, yeah, two terrific shots from 199 yds downhill. Excellent shots. Birdie putts to come. Let’s see if this these guys can start making some birdies. We called about birdie fest here this week and we haven’t quite seen it out to the hot start from both teams. Yeah. However, this has turned into a very watchable match. Dshambo and Thomas all square with Rahm and Hatton the the European top pair who if you remember Mark back in Italy played twice together in Forsoms and won both of their matches. Do you um do you have the RDER Cup app on your phone for this week or the Ryder Cup app? I’ve got the app so I’m all fully toled up. What I don’t have is any connectivity. Okay. So it’s absolutely useless on the court access. But what’s interesting and I’m sure you’re going to approve of this bearing bearing in mind the many conversations we’ve had over wind viz in cricket over the years on the rider cup app which you can download wherever you are in the world and access obviously each each match has a I know where you’re going has an outcome [Music] and then you let me guess this one’s 50% cuz it’s all square. It isn’t. It’s 46% to the Americans, 38% to the Europeans, and 16% that it’ll be all square. So, I don’t know how they I mean, I’ve I’ve given that I think you maybe I think that’s 46% that the Americans are going to lose. Is it? I think and a 38% chance the Europeans are going to win, right? Okay. Well, as you can see, it’s content just to watch what actually happens. I think that would help. But basically what we discovered is there’s a wind predictor and it’s inc. Yes. And it’s incredibly complicated to understand. I’ll work that out a little bit more as we go ahead. Cat, I imagine the percentages are looking pretty good in favor of Aber and Fitzpatrick at the moment. Three up as we look at these birdie pots for both teams on the par seventh. Russell Henley from 40 ft then to get the Americans in the hole for the starters. But no, that one comes up shy by just a foot, two two feet or so from Russell Henley. Long range birdie attempt just stays shy. The putt is conceded and so the Americans are in for a par. But now it’s a chance for the Europeans to extend their advantage then. Can they move four up here in this second match out on the course with Big Oair and Matt Fitzpatrick? Fitzpatrick with a stunner again. He’s playing for some blind golf this morning. out of the rough splashing through the dew and to put Lvig go bear what 30 ft away. It’s a big ask, isn’t it? It’s a big ask, but he’s going to have leared a little bit from uh uh Henley’s putt right there. So, it’s on a similar line. Maybe a hint of left to right, but pretty flat. Good chance. Picture of concentration, the tall Swede. There’s so much Swedish support following Ludvig Ober around here. So much blue and yellow Swedish flags draped across the ropes. It’s like a morning out at IKEA. as Ober settles himself into position and he wastes no time sending the ball on its way and oh my goodness me it horseshoes round a full 360 and Ober puts his hand on his hips and he grimaces his teeth and then he glances over towards his captain Luke Donald smile on his face what an opportunity that was so close to taking a four up lead yeah he had a great boy you could see he was watching it thinking he was going to die in but he’s a vicious horseshoe Not ideal, but very nice reaction from Luke. Nice. Happy. He’s He’s pretty happy with the situation right now. And I think so are the team. Yes. And although the pot missed, it’s another one, isn’t it? Is another blow across the bowels of the US team here. Three up as we head to the eighth team. Yes. Yes. Well, here we are on the sixth green where good news for team Europe because Rory Mroy was playing the European second shot into the green from the dewy rough down the right hand side and as that due was shimmering somewhere between Dream and Daylight. The ball of Mroyy’s landed a foot away from the pin. It’s been conceded and that means Harris English and Colin Morawa have a putt to have this match and stop themselves from going four down. Let’s go to John Murray. We’ll come back here shortly because John Ram present Dambo has missed the put for the Europeans. the birdie putt at the par 38 eighth and that means John Ram has a chance to birdie this hole which he does and there’s a low clench of the fist from John Ram and the Europeans Andrew McGee in this match have gone bang bang won two holes in a row and Rahm and Hatton from one down the Europeans are now one up. Yeah, very good sign. John Ram swishing it from 10 ft. Lots of confidence talking off this eight green. There we are. What a swing that we’ve witnessed over the past 10 minutes in this top match. Europe now one up. And the scoreboard in front of us here at 12 is now a sea of blue. Ram and Hatton one up on Dashambo and Thomas through eight. Aair and Fitzpatrick three up on Chef and Henley through seven. and Maroy and Fleetwood James Greg are now four up. Incredible start. Four birdies for Fleetwood. Mack and just an imperious start. Colin Morawa’s try from around 15 ft or so. Slid by the right edge. It’s just been almost flawless golf. Is this Sean? Well, we talked about this being a kind of a birdie fest and that’s exactly what it’s turned into. but for the wrong team. That’s I think look Harris English is you look at what Rory and and Flewood have been. They’ve been in the rough but they’ve they’ve had perfect angles and the greens are soft. There’s no penalty for for being in the long stuff. They’ve been absolutely fantastic. Mroy is wasting no time here on the seventh T. So four up at the moment. Another blow landed by the still undefeated Joe in this format. And I’ve got to say for Colin Morawa and Harris English, well, their backs are right up against the wall here. I’m going to go to Ian Carter next who’s watching Bob McIntyre and Victor Hland. And again, we’re looking at looking at it from a European perspective here, Ian. But Ober and Holland were a successful pairing for Luke Donald two years ago when we were in Italy. And he in the buildup of this he talked about people change and games change and partnerships will change partly to suit the course and partly to suit the form and where they are at. And Ober and Hland have been split up and put with McIntyre and Fitzpatrick. McIntyre a rookie in Italy. He’s started strongly and I go back to the point of Fitzpatrick starting strongly. Those two with different partners have had very good starts. They have and you know Matt Fitzpatrick has got a record in the RDER Cup that no one would want. There are, you know, there are no pictures on the scorecard and there are reasons why he is one win and seven defeats, but if you remember back to u Italy two years ago when he got his chance in the four balls with Maroy, he came out flying and it sounds like he’s done exactly the same thing here today. And with the opportunity to do it against the world number one, that’s absolutely fantastic. I think from McInty’s point of view, having been someone who qualified last time, but as a very nervous rookie, shepherded through his debut by Justin Rose, he’s come here now as a seasoned professional, a contender in major, a winner on the PGA Tour, a top 10 player, and so he is expected to play a more leading role and to take part in the more demanding format that is the Forsomes. And he’s been the star man of the the two here. Yes, they are one down against Kentlay and Chauffe because Hoffland Hoffland’s missed a couple of putts that he might have made and he’s just hit a really poor second shot into the long par fifth here Jamie Donaldson leaving his partner with what maybe 50 yards or so to a tucked pin. Yeah, I mean we were a little bit of a distance away from that and uh you could see the ball clearly and it looked like a pretty straightforward shot and uh yeah, he’s he’s come out uh a long way short. must have hit it slightly fat. Yeah. So, uh that’s come up short and I’m going to say, yeah, it’s about half a football pitch that he’s got to the flag, which is located on the right hand side of the green, just close to a knuckle off the back of the bunker that guards the right hand side of the green. But McIntyre ready to play this. He’s got to get it in close because Camplay and Chauffe are nicely positioned right in the middle of the green. And so this has to really get to tap in range if he can possibly do it. The Scott who is ready to go playing his second RDER Cup and he’s lofted that up towards the hole. Bounces next to the hole and settles down. And a little sporting acknowledgement there from Xander Schoffé. Applause from vice captain Alex Norin as well after that approach shot in from Bob McIntyre. and he’s certainly given his uh playing partner Victor Hovland the chance to make the par four. Yeah, an incredible shot. Helped slightly from the these these moist greens, receptive greens. He had a very high soft lob. Beautiful shot there from Bob McIntyre. So, here we are on the fifth green and Klay played a lovely shot in here. What do you make of this putt that’s coming up here? It’s a decent look at birdie for the Americans. Yeah, he’s played a sensible shot here after watching the Europeans finish short. Uh they were shortsided. Bob played a great shot, but uh Chauffe here has got a 20 25 footer straight up the hill. Uh so you know it’s um it’s a very holdable pot. Okay, so Shaoff about to putt to win this hole here on the fifth. Quickly to cat and we’ve got birdie part here for Ludvig Ober after a lovely T-shot from Matt Fitzpatrick just clinging onto the front edge of this par three eight flies over the glassy waters of the pond and then up onto the green clings to the front edge. This is about 25 ft or so for Oair for Birdie just shaping the front edge of the hole. doesn’t go in for Ober but they should be conceded the par here with the Americans missing the greenian shalay on the fifth green putt ahead behind the ball this to go two up for the Americans sends it up the slope towards the hole hasn’t given it enough I don’t think no he hasn’t it’s come up just shy from 20 ft that’ll be conceded as a par4 and a tester to come for hland to keep this match at one down cap Henley then chipping just a foot or so off the green in the lush stuff little chip little bump front of the ball, skips up onto the green. Oh, and he’s left that a tester for Scotty Sheffller. That’s about 4 feet away. The putt hasn’t been conceded to the Europeans though. They’re going to have to put for their part. But Shefflin needs this, doesn’t he? Yeah, I mean that was only like 22 ft. A really good opportunity to uh to to hold it. Everything he’s doing Russell Henley around the green is just a little bit cagey. Just not quite confident in the strike and the role at the moment. Big pressure parts to come here on the 18. And a pressure pop up to come here for Victor Hovind who needs a settler as well, doesn’t he? Yeah, it’s tricky this. It’s right on a like a hog’s back. A bit of a ridge. You can see the grass going directly side on the pot and you can see the grass going away on one side and away on the other. So, it’s tricky. 4 foot important put very important this to avoid going too down on the fifth green for the European from Norway. Victor Hovland sends the ball towards the hole and into the cup. Great four. What an up and down for the Europeans. And it means that the Aras remain at just the single hole. Cap three feet for Scotty Sheffer. This for a par on the eighth. This to put the pressure on Matt Fitzpatrick and Ludvig Ober who are three up standing side by side. Matt Fitzpatrick with his hand on his hip watching the world number one. Can Scotty Sheffler find the par here? He can. And it goes for Sheffller. Warm applause from the Americans. And the putt was conceded for the Europeans. So the hole is half in pars. The lead though of Ober and Fitzpatrick remains at three. And a great statistic I’ve just been fed from James Corrian at the Telegraph through 16 holes of Forsomes in the Ryder Cup. Scotty Sheffller, the world number one, is 12 down. Came close to going 13 there, but it’s not a great record for Sheffller in the Forsomes. and he and Russell Henley have their backs to the ropes as we approach the final couple of holes on this front nine at Beth Page Black. Ollie Wilson, that’s a ridiculous stat, isn’t it? For the world number one in Forsoms. I mean, that is astonishing. It’s astonishing and especially given what his strength is is hitting fairways and greens, which is obviously the the fundamental thing in Forsome. So very strange, but I guess you know in Forsomes as well, you need a good partner. Well, yeah. and he’s playing with a rookie Katrina and we were just talking about this here as we were as we were listening. He’s playing with a Ryder Cup rookie but a but a Ryder Cup rookie who who’s done well in the President’s Cup has had a great season and is the world number three. So Keegan Bradley’s put out the world number one and the world number three and they’re approaching the turn nearly three down. I know. I mean Keegan Bradley would have been expecting them hopefully to pick up a point. I mean they might turn it round but one and three in the world and two players you’d have thought were built for foromes. I mean, Henley, you know, a great putter, but he’s obviously just maybe a little nervous, been struggling with his putting on this front nine. It’s still early days, as I keep saying, you don’t want to get ahead of any anybody get ahead of themselves. But from a captain’s point of view, presumably you’re starting to think with a couple of the groups, as I say, approaching the turn, are you starting to think about your four balls, but also tomorrow morning’s foresomes and just trying to work out what’s going on with some of your pairings at this early stage? I think certainly they’ll probably have their four balls for this afternoon set so the players will know what they’re doing. The ones that I would imagine probably all the ones sitting will play this afternoon. You wouldn’t react to what’s gone on so far. I don’t think so. No, I think it’s too early days. I think you’ll have that set. You’ll have your first day pairing set, but I think the captain, they’ll be going to that first match. That’s a big match, I think, for for both teams. The Americans really need to try and turn that one around. And if the Europeans can kind of win that one, it’s looking pretty good to win the first three. So as far as the scores are concerned, Dashambo and Thomas one down to Rahm Manhattan. Shefflet and Henley three down against Ober and Fitzpatrick. Mroy and Flewood are four up on Marawa and English. And in the bottom match, that is where the red is on the board here in New York. Schoffé and Kentlay one up on McIntyre and Havland as they play the six. It is the opening morning of the 45th RDER Cup. We’re live at Beth Paige Black in New York and we’ll just pause for the latest BBC news. The Voice Andy. You’re listening to the BBC radio coverage of the Ryder Cup here in New York first morning and the first hour very much went the way of the USA. The last hour or so uh has swung towards Europe, but as you heard Mark Chapman just saying, there is still a long way to go in these morning for so at the moment we have Europe up in three matches out on the golf course. Top match looks absolutely crucial. John Raman, Tierrell Hatton lost the first to a birdie against Bryson Dashambo and Justin Thomas, but they’ve won the seventh and the eighth. And we’ve got Bryson Dambo in our view at the moment preparing to chip uh from the right of the green in the collar of the rough uh at the par 4 nth. So Dambo and Thomas are one down. Oberg and Fitzpatrick three up on Scotty Sheffer and Russell Henley after eight. Maroy and Fleetwood four up on Morawa and English after six. And in the bottom match, Xander Schaeoff and Patrick Can one up on Robert McIntyre and Victor Hovam. But let’s uh continue to focus on Bryson Dambo in the red, white, and blue. Close-up view of him at the moment. Dark blue shoes buried in the long, wet, tangly rough just to the right uh of this ninth green. Puts the club head behind the ball. Just bunts it forward and wants to roll and go and rock towards the hole. It doesn’t go as far as he thought it was going to. Slightly frustrated look on his face. Little cough behind his left hand and then a slight chuckle at how surprised he was that it didn’t turn out his way. We head further down the course. We see Harris English over a birdie putt on the seventh. Four down against Maroy and Fleetwood. The crowds out there are vast. The golf course looks absolutely spectacular and we hope you’re enjoying it out there. If you’re watching, if you’re listening to us on rercup.com, we’ll hand you back to 25 with Mark Chapman on BBC Radio 5 Live. Ram Manhattan one up on Dashambo and Thomas. Let’s get straight to John Murray and Andrew McGee. And this match has changed so quickly and so dramatically. And John Ram here on the green at the par 4 9th with all of the hospitality chalets and the bleachers around it. Europe have got a chance to win a third hole in a row and to go two up in this top match and it’s 10 feet. It’s certainly makeable. The Americans missed the green. Dshambo has already chipped down and Justin Thomas will have another putt to come but not if John Ram can hold this. It was Rahm who hauled out to win the eighth. And now a final little wiggle and adjustment from the Spaniard. And the ball runs towards the hall but misses on the right hand side and Ram leans back and there’s some relieved American applause but I’m not sure they have conceded the Thomas put well I’m surprised at that. Yeah was a three-footer again. It’s nice very nice of the Euros kicking our butt and just giving putts. Lovely day. However, chance missed for for John Ramen for Europe, but Ramen Hatton remained one up at the turn. And there was a little bit of applause here with the uh with that part on the big screen that John Ra missing, wasn’t there, Katrina Matthew? Yeah, I think this crowd here behind us in this 12th stand are wanting something to cheer about. They’re they’re clutching at straws here. And Maroy and Fleetwood keeping Morau are in English at arms length. James Greg a fifth birdie courtesy of a lovely two putter at the par 57s Harris English raced team USA’s eagle try a long way by you know who calling Morawa shaky on the green so far stood over it this is for a half and for that first birdie of this entire match 6 and 1/2 ft he does knock it in and Shan McKel that’s got to just even though they are four down steady the ship a little that that could have just almost sealed it if he doesn’t make that putt you can definitely see Rory was playing playing the way he should in strategy. He knocked it by. It was a great cut by Colin, but they’re going to have to do something really spectacular to get back into this match. Now, we’ve waxed lyrical about this incredible European pairing, this talismanic Fleetwood Mack pairing that were unbeaten in Italy and uh Tommy Fleetwood of course undefeated in Forsomes. Now, we were talking on the way into the golf course this morning about data golf, a wellrusted stats website with players themselves who ranked all 132 possible US Forsomes pairings. Moricawa and English was 132nd out of those 132. What do you think about that? That’s we, you know, we can talk about stats all day long. It, you know, you could have paired them against any of the other three groups and you don’t know how they’re going. I mean, they’ve run into a buzzsaw. I don’t think any stats is going to are going to come up the way Rory and Rory and Fleetwood are playing, but if you see that, why do you send them out there? It just doesn’t make doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. But, you know, stats only mean so much. I mean, you got to you got to play the game. Well, the questions being answered at the moment by Rory Mroy and Tommy Fleetwood, they’re on the eighth T and they are four up with five birdies tucked away under their belt in this Forsomes match. And we will go one hole further up to where Katherine DS and Ollie Wilson are watching Ober Fitzpatrick against Sheffller and Henley. Yeah, Scotty Sheffler with that lasso effect on his club. Oh my goodness me. Straight at the flag. I was comparing these greens to dart boards and he has thrown the arrow right at the bullseye there. Landed pin high just missing the cup by a couple of feet to the left but then spun back. Some seriously aggressive backspin from Scotty Sheffller. And the ball has come to arrest about 13 14 ft or so from the pin as mother Sheffller walks past me with a big smile on her face. She liked that one. I think everybody around here liked that one. It was impressive considering how far Russell Henley had left him in. There’s uh this is but one of the few holes on the course where there’s a huge advantage for hitting carrying it a little further through the air and Oberg’s hit a massive T-OT leaving Fitzy a little wedge into the green that’s now looking fantastic. He just pitched past the flag, spun back pin high, maybe about equal distance to where Shepherd’s hit it pretty uh pretty even right there. How impressed are you with the the way that Ober and Fitzpatrick have worked together? Because, you know, you get the adrenaline. You’ve been there, Ollie. You played in the RDER Cup in 2008. The adrenaline, the nerves coursing through you on that first TE. There’s going to be a crash at some point, but these two seem to be holding it together brilliantly. They’re playing really well. I mean, they they’ve not hit loads of fairways, but they’re in good position. Um, and the extra distance that this pairing has over the US team is certainly helping when they’re hitting into the green, but they’re doing everything right. You know, in forums, it’s really important to keep the pressure on the other team. And they’re doing that really well. They’re hitting the greens. Every put they’re hit they’re hitting is either going in or leaving it stone dead. So, it’s always keeping pressure on to the Americans and they’re they’re lacking holding out on the American side. Big whoops from the crowd here as Henley and Scotty Shepler walk up to the night. Over to you, Ian. 630 put for Victor Hland. Bob McIntyre unlucky with his approach could easily have spun down the slope towards the hole and certainly the Americans had more success in that regard. So the Europeans just a little further away round about 20 ft breaking from right to left. Hoffland over this now for Birdie. One down in this match down the hill the ball goes heading towards the hole. Turning turning oh and shaving the edge of the hole. And that’s been the story of Victor Hovland’s life on the green so far this morning. Yeah, so far. I mean that that was a really really good put tracking all the way from a good distance there. He’s just slid by. But uh very very good put. He keeps hitting them like that. They’re going to go in. And this is where we’ve seen Camp have so much RDER Cup success in his career. Even though he lost both his foresomes last year, that epic fourball victory on the Saturday afternoon amid the tumult of Hatgate. And this is the sort of putt he was hauling for fun on those occasions. 12 to 15 ft down the slope. This to go too up for the American. And again, he gently just shakes his feet into the ground almost gently stretching his Achilles before getting ready. Another little shuffle. Another glance at the hole. All this time the putter head behind the ball. Now it swings and sends the ball on its way delicately down the slope. Tiptoeing just to the left of the cup. There wasn’t much authority about that one. No, that was a massive detail. Totally backed out of it and he’s a weak pulled short put. So our hole is halved in par fours and the American pair remain one up cap. USA Russell Henley birdie pot here for the American. He’s uh had a little bit of a wobbly start as the rookie, the world number three from Georgia. But this would be a good steadier for him. Sends the ball up and past on the left hand side and Henley’s shoulders just hunch a little bit and all the stars and stripes and there are thousands of them around this ninth green. It’s a great place to come and watch. There are grandstands on all three sides. There’s a hospitality area behind. There’s the beer tent to the right hand side of the of the green. This is a place really a congregation of American fans and they are bedcked in their red, white and blue, but they are completely silent. Just a big kind of collective sigh of disappointment as Henley’s ball drifted by there. So the birdie pup missed for Henley and Ludviggo has a chance from about the same distance the Americans about 20 ft or so then to win the hole here and go to the turn four up. Yeah, it’s a perfect lead for him. straight up the hill. Pretty straight. Um, you can’t get a better opportunity from this distance. So, he’s just got to put a put in. The greens are running so pure that uh, you know, you get it, you hit a good putt, you’re going to hold it. And you know that if this misses, it’s going to get an enormous cheer from these American fans. They didn’t get to see the putt drop for Russell Henley. What about this for Ludvig Ober on its way? Oh, yes. And he steps after it and he punches the air. Ludvig goar big show of emotion from the cool calm Swede and a low five with Matt Fitzpatrick and Ludvig goar and Matt Fitzpatrick go to the turn four up on the world number one Scotty Sheffller and the rookie Russell Henley James. This is the theater where the actors carry nations and continents on their backs. And Rory Mroy is doing such a brilliant job of that so far. As is Tommy Fleetwood, who hit a perfect seven iron to 5 ft at the par 3 eighth hole. Kymora Cara hit his approach shot to 20 ft. He stayed above ground and therefore Mroy has this to send he and Tommy Fleetwood five up on this eighth hole. This is a very big moment. It almost feels like it’s game set in match if this one were to drop. He’s hold everything that he’s looked at so far as the Mast’s champion, golf’s newest Grand Slam winner. And he walks it in. It tumbles home like destiny choosing its side in this third match in the foroms. Incredible, incredible stuff that we’re seeing here from team Europe. And that was just laced with sheer confidence. Shan McKill. Well, you can hear it right now. The OE Olay. It’s unrelenting. And Rory is what a formidable pairing these two are. This might be new history being made here. They’re about to walk past us, the Americans first. They’re probably 10 or 15 yards apart. Harris English and Colin Morawa. And they are not looking above their feet here. They know that they have so much to do and the body language, we talk about body language so much on these sorts of occasions, don’t we, between Mroy and Fleetwood who walk past is just so different. It is so so different. They look happy as anything. Do you know what there is at the moment is as is as as you sort of watch the Europeans around this course even even McIntar and Havlin to a certain extent who are one down there’s a steal about these the European men that are out there at the moment Katrina absolutely and I think a little bounce in their step you can just see them they’re walking their heads are a bit higher the crowds are quiet they’re seeing there’s loads of leaderboards leaderboard nervy hole so they’re seeing all that blue on the board and that just even the the last group there, McIntyre and Hofflin, they’ll see these three groups in front and they’ll want to get in the blue blue on the board. And the other thing is because you have the scoreboards everywhere and the big screens everywhere at a ride cup, probably more than any other golf event that you would ever go to, despite the fact that you’re in this massive 7,000 yard golf course in this massive state park in New York, the atmosphere spreads across the whole course because everybody is seeing the same pictures and the same scoreboards. yet. And there’s only four groups, so they’re all in a quite condensed little part. The whole crowd, all the groups, they’re all in a small area even on the golf course. So, they can hear the cheers or the or the non-chairs that we’re not that we’re hearing. Would you say there is steel in your group, John Murray? There’s there’s plenty of steel with Bryson Dshambo, Justin Thomas, John Ram, and Terry Hatton. And uh and after the Europeans missed that chance at the ninth, John Rahm with the putt to go two up here at the par for 10th. They have both been in the fairway. They’re both on the green and they’ve both got long long putts. Probably 35 40 ft as much as that for uh outside chances of birdies. Andrew McGee. Oh, very outside. But what we’ve seen so far from this European team over the ball Terrell Haden from 45 ft. Ball is on its way. Here he goes. I said 35. Andre said 45. And uh he has he’s just slouched his shoulders there. There was a smattering of European applause. It’s being conceded. That was a cracking foot from you see the wrong look. He looked over at at Bryson and Justin. Come on. Come on. Give it to me. It was only a foot and a half away. Yeah. And so he put a big right Spanish thumb up in the air in acknowledgement of that from the Americans. And he’s and through that thick Ram beard, I can see a flash of white teeth as Hatton and Rahm have a little joke about it. Yes, they’re having fun, aren’t they? They are now. They are now. Justin Thomas from a similar distance across the green. He has made nothing today. Even Mr. a wee tidler a couple holes ago to lose the hole from an unlikely distance. He needs a bit of dynamite from those star spangled shoes that he’s wearing. And this would be it if this drops into the hole. This similar range. So let’s say 40 ft, Andrew. 40 ft for an unlikely American birdie that would win the hole and bring the match back all square. And everyone stares after it. The Europeans have a little look at one another. And is that to be conceded as well? Yes, it is conceded. Two puts conceded. The hall is halved in par fours and the Europeans remain one up. And yeah, we got a good match going here. We got to get something out of the American team. Hopefully we can keep getting some birdie putts. Start getting some greens. We’re missing greens. Putting pressure on their putters. So for the American side, fairways, greens, birdie putts to come, I hope. So there we are. That is Andrew McGee, multiple winner on the PGA tour. And we have completed 10 holes with this match. And the European pair remain one up. And myself and Katrina will see you very shortly when you head towards this 12th green, which we’re standing by just away to my left. The 13th T, a par five, 608 yds hole. The 13th. We’re going to back going to go back to the par 47th which is over 500 yds. Ian Carter. Yes. And Victor Hovland with a lovely potential approach here from 190 odd yards out from the right side of the fairway. Brilliant T-shot from Bob McIntyre. And the Americans are in the green side bunker with a lengthy bunker shot to come and Hans a beauty in there just to the left of the flag. So advantage Europe in this uh seventh hole. Remember the Americans of Schoffé and Canle are one up here uh after six holes. It’s been very nip and tuck. Some excellent up and downs. The Europeans really have shown a lot of grit to stay and keep the Aras at just a single hole. I think it’s fair to say the better golf has come from Choffle and Canlay, but now a real opportunity you would think for leveling the match up. Yeah, big time they’ve missed it right. He’s got about a 25 30 yard bunker shot. Very difficult. one of the hardest shots in game in the game. Uh and you’ve got and the and the Europeans here I mean Vic is an unbelievable shot for around 200 yd. It’s uh the Europeans in the driving seat here. Yep. So who knows it might be that the one remaining splodge of red on the leaderboard. Mark might get scored off here because certainly at this stage on whole seven it is advantage Europe. Jamie, you’ve been passed for a European winning RDER Cup team, and I know you’re with the group where there is the only red on the board at the moment, but you’re seeing the scoreboards and the big screens like everybody else. What What do you sense about how the atmosphere is around this place compared to that first 45 minutes? So, uh it’s gone very quiet really. the uh the crowd can’t be happy with their team getting slowly pumped on the quiet and uh these boys at this last match are staying in it really well and um they look like they’re just about to sort of really kick into gear and wonderful T-shot from Bob around the corner to set up uh Victor who’s hit a great iron shot to 12 ft a private jet just flies overhead above the flat course there’ve been a few helicopters flying round as well. And a little bit later on for when the four balls get underway, we are expecting uh the president of the United States to arrive. Let’s go to Cat. Where are you? What hole are you on? We’re on the 10th mark. And I’ve just seen the best fancy dress of the day. Two gentlemen in full inflatable American bald eagle costumes. It’s going to get very hot in there later. And just seeing Russell Henley’s ball arrive right in the center of the green here on the 10th. The green’s a little bit like a pedestal that’s been draped in a green tablecloth. It’s raised up high from the fairway and Henley has floated the ball up and over and into the heart of the green about 30 ft or so from the pin, but that gives a really good target to Ludvig Ober to try and get inside. He’s got about 220 yards on this 500y par for one of the toughest on the course. So, um, really the targets middle of the green and just try and keep the pressure on the Americans at this stage. So, Nudigar about to hit this second shot. Ian, we’re going to be coming to you next. I know you’ve got action elsewhere, but just watching the little white ball of team Europe heading up towards the flag here. Ooh, and it creeps on the front edge. That is a very long putt to come for team Europe. They’re about 50 ft or so from the pin with the Americans at 30 ft. Here on the seventh, it’s Xander Schoffé with the third shot for the American pair from the bunker to the right of the green. Probably a 35 yd shot here. Tough one with the Europeans sitting pretty on the green. Both captains here, Luke Donald and Keegan Bradley watching as this is played very very nicely by Xander Schoffé flying it almost all the way to the flag. The ball just dribbling out to pin high and he’s put it to 6 ft. Super shot. Yeah, very good. And there’s still a lot left to do, but in in those uh that lie on the slightly on the ups slope, it was uh very good shot. And what would you say 15 16 ft something like that for the Europeans for this birdie for Bob McIntyre that would level the match. Yeah. And it’s quite a flat put. And uh you know the Europeans are due a put. If there was one to hold, this would be it. It’d be a great uh turning point and uh turn the match around and kick it on in the other direction. Now, this is interesting because Luke Donald, as I was saying, is here and he’s having a a lengthy conversation now with Shane Knight, the caddy of Victor Hovland, and I I would imagine he’s getting a briefing on what’s happened in this match so far, what’s going well, what’s not going so well. Yeah, I mean, yeah, it’s tricky. Um, but uh just get an angle on this P. There’s not much in it really. The the good thing it’s slightly uphill as well. So, the lads have been talking. They know what they’re doing. And uh Bob’s uh got a good line on it. He’s just lining it up now to uh hopefully slot it in the middle of the hole. Well, if he does, it would level this match on the seventh green around about 15 16 ft. Fantastic drive from the Scott. Superb approach from his Norwegian partner Victor Hland. And now Bob McIntyre, 29 years of age from Open on the west coast of Scotland, right here on Long Island, New York, has the chance to level this match up. Gives the ball a firm wrap heading towards the hole. And will it drop? It needs to turn. No, not quite enough. And he opens the door for the Americans to potentially grab a half and maintain their lead. Yeah, close just needed hitting, but again, it’s one of those the Americans have got a really tricky put here to uh to get the half and you don’t really want to just start racing them by. So, you know, he it would have been nice if it was a little bit more pace on it, but it’s by the hole. It’s a four. Okay, let’s very quickly go to James Craig. Well, if you need it back, do shout up Mroy taking another look here at this birdie try at number nine. Remember, he and Tommy Fleet would five up over Morawa and English. This though will be a little tester again for Macroy hold so many of these. In fact, let’s go back to you Ian whilst Mroy deliberates. Yes, because we’re into the Klay shoe shuffle which means that the ball is imminently going to be moving towards the hole. Very light grip on the club. And now Patrick Campy sends this forward for a half. Will it drop for the Americans? No, it won’t. It’s the first drop shot for them. It’s the first dropped hole for them. And this match has gone all square and it means there’s no red on the board at all as we now go to James Gray. A little flicker of hope potentially. You can hear the grand stands, the bleaches around this ninth green just getting a little bit excited at the moment. They haven’t had much to get excited about in this third match here in the Forsomes. Mroy and Fleetwood’s birdie try that was struck by the Northern Irishman just just caught the lip. Sean McKille and now this is an absolute mustake to try and narrow the deficit as we head towards this homeless half back to four up in favor of the Europeans. Well, this would certainly do a lot to settle them down. It’s the first time we heard a chance of USA besides the first hole. So Harris is uh he’s got a good look at it, but not not too about 6 7 ft. Pretty straight. A tall, very tall figure indeed is Harris English. Runner up at the USPGA Championship, runner up at the Open Championship, knows a thing or two about how to play the game this season. And in she goes. It’s just the second birdie of the day for this USA pairing. To the turn, we will move towards the back n with Flewood and Maroy four up in this match headed towards the 10th. T Catherine D. as a man to my right on the 12th green with a Stars and Stripes t-shirt on carrying a Stars and Stripes flag runs the length of the crowd and gets the biggest applause we’ve had so far here on the 12th Cat. Big scoreboard away to the left here on the 10th green. Just saw that flash of red snuffed out in the bottom match. Big stripes of blue in the top three matches. Chance here though for Scotty Sheffller to win the hole. Fitzpatrick and Ober four up against Sheffller and Henley. This from 30 feet for the world number one to get one of the holes back. This would be very useful indeed for the world number one. But no, a swish of the club in frustration from Scotty Sheffller. His head is bowed. The body language between these two is interesting. Yeah, I mean it’s it’s been given so it’s a solid par4 on this hole, but uh definitely not feeling it right now. They can I think they’re sensing that they’re they’re on the brink here. They need to turn it around fast. there. Um, only eight holes to go after this. They’re uh clutching at straws to see if uh Obo is going to make this, but it’s only three three and 1/2 ft on these greens. Is I think he’ll be in good shape. So, needs to make this three three and 1/2 ft. John, what have you got? Uh, a long long birdie putt for John Ram up the up the slope at the 11th and I’m not sure it’s going to to get there. Uh, there is a clause actually. He is uh he’s judged that pretty well. But there is a chance for the Americans now after after an excellent approach shot from Justin Thomas. Bryson Dshambo will have a 10-footer or so to win the hole and bring this match back all square cut. No mistake from Ludvig Obers in that para. The hole is halved in pars. And so team Europe here in the second match remain four up as we head down the 11th. Let’s uh just give you the overall picture at the moment on this opening morning of the 45th RDER Cup at the Forsomes. In the top match, Europe are one up, but the Americans have a chance to bring that back to all square. In the two middle games, Europe are four up in both of those. And the final match is All Square. opportunity then for Dambo and Thomas to get this back and get that blue off the board there. John, yes. I I don’t know about you, Mark. I sense that this New York crowd are looking for any little spark of inspiration. As I just heard someone say as I was walking down the 11th, the crowd’s gone dead. But the Americans now with Bryson Dshambo, Andrew McGee, a chance to create a bit of noise. Choppers, I just I just have to you your drive for show and Bryson here. You’re putting for dough. Let’s go. Money has been a theme of the week, Andrew, hasn’t it? So, this for well, first and foremost, American pride. This to bring the match back all square after a lovely shot in by Justin Thomas to the back of the green. Bryson Dshambble on this slightly raised green, feet wide apart. They need this the Americans to claw their way back all square in this match. The ball on its way and instead New York groans Andrew. Oh, it’s the groans. They both Oh, he’s Thomas reaching his pocket for his lucky coin. They both have a little bit left. Oh, Thomas is out. Putting first. This is trauma not being conceded. The Europeans have not conceded the Thomas put this time. They’re keeping them guessing, aren’t they? Sometimes they concede, sometimes they don’t. Yeah, he’s going to have to show him that he can make a few of these before they concede the next one. Justin Thomas 3T never easy. This is where this match really changed when Justin Thomas missed a a three-footer at the seventh. This is the 11th and the Europeans have said to Justin Thomas, okay, you’ve got to finish this off. So this to have the hole, which he does, it rolls in. And actually that was from a little further. You know, they had every right to ask him to put that out. That was 3 and 1/2 4 ft. Longest make yet. So maybe that’s some confidence, huh? Three-footer. And actually the Europeans also have not had their put conceded. So now Turrell Hatton is being asked to hold from I mean this can only be three feet. You can see what kind of match this has turned in. There’s going to be no more gimmies now that we’re making a swing into the back nine and the 11th hole. We’re just seeing the last putt on the 11th and then the big 12th coming up. All manner of aircraft crisscrossing the skies above Long Island down at ground level. Tier Hatton drops it in and that is a hole. The 11th halved in par fours and the Europeans Ram and Hatton remain one up. So one up after 11 Ian in the top match and in the bottom match it’s all square. We’re on the par 38 and both pairs have hit excellent T- shots. Hovland for the Europeans creating a birdie opportunity here now from oh no more than 12 ft for Bob McIntyre and just a fraction shorter putt to come for Patrick Camplay after Xander Schoffé’s equally good T-shot and here is McIntyre putting for the birdie having just leveled the match and it’s stayed above ground so a chance coming for Camplay and at last at last some noise for the USA there’s been no atmosphere out here with this match That’s all so far. No, totally totally flat. The thing is now that Bob’s obviously these guys have both hit fantastic T-shots to more or less the same spot, but Bob’s just slid it by and now Xander’s seen his port, watched his line, and now he’s over this. He knows exactly where to put it. And this green nestling just uh beyond really the only water hazard on the golf course. And it’s as calm as the proverbial mill pond. There’s not a breath of wind. It’s muggy and the sun, milky sunshine just peeping through creating very pale shadows now and the intensity just coming up almost to match the moment this for the United States. They desperately need some red on the board. Spectators standing on the Juneike mounds just either side of this green and they watch the twotime major champion his partner here as he gets ready to putt. Sends the ball forward. Shoff and into the hole. Inevitably, what a response from the Americans. They lost the seventh. They’ve won the eighth. They put red back on the board. And the American support staff all waving their arms now to encourage some noise to get some atmosphere at Beth Paige Black. They’ve got red back on the board. They’re going to the ninth. Kantlay and Chaé leading one up against McIntyre and Hovind. And all of a sudden further down the course, you just get a little bit of a buzz from the American fans round here at the 12th where there was a small grand stand behind the 12th green and they are maybe five, six deep either side of the 12th fairway and certainly in front of the big screen just away to our left. So to the right of the green as the players play it, they are maybe 10 deep there Katrina at the moment. And they needed that. They just needed a pop from one of their players to go in first of all and then for the red to go on the ball. They did, didn’t they? That’s the biggest cheer we’ve heard since we’ve been standing here. And they need something. I mean, Dashambo had a golden opportunity in that last hole. He’ll be wanting to get this crowd into it, wanting to do something. So, we’re waiting here for them to come up the 12th. We are back down the 12th. I think Europe, John Murray, have gone into the rough, have they, with their T-shot? Yeah, just just a light rough. I think it’s I think it’s okay in there. just uh hopped up. We’re about 30 yards short of it, but I don’t think I don’t think it’s too much peril with that, Andrew. No, this rough is playable. Keegan Bradley’s a great idea to make the course playable this week. Shooting for lots of birdies and we’ve seen some, not a lot in this group. And the uh the next ball, I think, yeah, it’s just on the edge of the fairway. So, uh, that’s the that’s the picture here at the 12th with the the Europeans one up in this match. Another, uh, helicopter goes overhead as the sun starts to come out here in New York and the cloud is just starting to break. It’s been a a warm at times muggy morning. Uh, but the sun we haven’t really seen apart from on that first tea when there was a glorious sunrise earlier and that first tea was bathed in sunshine. But since then, it’s been fairly overcast. But now as we approach midm morning here in the United States, we’re just starting to get the sun breaking through. Cat, what have you got? Just seen Scotty Sheffller’s second shot into the uh the 11th here. And uh the crowd yelling at it to get up, get up as it flew up towards the green. It did. It put on the brakes about 35 ft or so from the pit right into the heart of the green here on the 11th. Funny moment though over as we were walking up the side of the fairway here. Uh the big screen was showing that birdie putt for Xander Schoffé and he was standing over it and all eyes were trained on that. Could you get a splash of red on the board and then they turned it off and just put the scoreboard up and everybody groaned but then they saw that little stripe of red appear. Xander Schoff and Patrick Kentley one up then in that bottom match and there was a cheer from this American crowd, this New York crowd who were predicted to be so noisy, so rowdy, so hostile. Well, they’ve been silent so far from what they’ve seen from team Europe and particularly from Matt Fitzpatrick and Ludvig Ober who are four up here as they play into the 11th. Oh, and Matt Fitzpatrick flirting with the back edge of the green here and the ball just puts on the brakes before it tumbles down and clings on to the back edge. Great shot in from Fitzpatrick. Yeah, really aggressive uh coming out of the rough. I think it was maybe a little worried as it was flying to the back of the green, but great opportunity for another birdie here. Scottish Heffler from the middle of the fairway. 150ish time. Really not a good shot. He kind of leaked it out there into the middle of the green. It’s no damage, but he was definitely not happy with that. So, Advantage Europe on this 11th hole. Two Americans walking up the 11th fairway now. There’s about three, four feet between them, both with their heads bowed. Scottish Sheper, well, that’s how he plays, doesn’t he? And Russell Henley, well, I’m not sure he’s particularly enjoying his RDER Cup debut, but the two of them walking up to the green now. Ober and Fitzpatrick deep in conversation with their caddies. Four up at the moment as they approach the green on the 11th. Mora and English pulled one back on Maroy and Flewood on the ninth. They’re four down. And can they get on a roll, James? Well, it was a very nice little jab back, wasn’t it? Headed towards this homewood half. I’ll be honest, striding up the ninth fairway. Shawn McKil, I was wondering how many holes we were actually going to see of this bat nine. You said it absolutely right when they walked off the eighth the Yeah. eighth green and they’re walking to the ninth, both Colin and Harris’s head dropped, but they needed that putt. That was the first high five we’ve seen. And now they’re back in it. Rory and them have a what 30 footer, something like that. They’ve left themselves up the hill here at number 10. Mroy not quite sure on the clubbing. He selected one that left him below the hole. So an uphill putt here for Tommy Fleetwood to come. Now this European pairing are obviously they’re famous. They were the worthy favorites for this match as well. And of course Tommy Fleetwood’s last appearance on US soil was winning the tour championship. The birdie try on the way up the hill. The speed is very good and that’s going to be conceded. It’ll be a very stress-free par. Mroy won’t have to put his. But team USA, this is a decent chance, but Morawa, I I feel Sean needs to get his putting boots on. Well, they need to hit a good iron shot. I mean, we’ve seen the iron shots from from team Europe. And the American team just needs to start hitting a little bit closer to the hole. Last hole was inside 6 ft. This is 502 yards. You’re hitting three iron from back there. He’s got a good opportunity. But you can see team Europe. they play more aggressive or do they try to just make pars to make the Americans beat them and that’s that that becomes the strategy as we get closer to the clubhouse. I think sometimes it’s harder to just keep h having the holes than actually keep winning them, isn’t it? So anyway, with that in mind, Morwette ready to put. He has had nothing at all uh to really shout about in this match so far. This is a birdie try up the hill to squeeze this match back down to three up in favor of Europe. He steadies himself now. does Morawa. And silence all around this 10th green. The ball on its way. He stays down on it, which is always a sign that a player likes it. Oh no, it’s going to cling on to the lip. Cat down. Well, this would be a big moment here on the 11th green. Russell Henley’s birdie attempt left well short. Tentative effort from the rookie up the sloping green here. So, it’s come up four or five feet shine. The world number one Scotty Sheffler is pacing around it. before he’ll get a chance to put Potter to ball. An opportunity for Ludvig Ober to take team Europe five up with seven holes to play. Yeah, this is a fantastic opportunity to pretty much close the match out. He’s got about 15 ft dead straight. Nothing really to worry about. Just start it on the good line and uh again, the greens are so pure, he’ll know pretty quickly if he’s going in or not. light breeze just tugging at that smoky blue shirt with the bands of yellow and blue around it. The ball on its way. Everyone stands. Everyone stares. It’s curving around towards the hole. Oh, it’s not dropped. It’s not dropped. It’s gone past the hole. That was a little aggressive. A little bit clumsy there from Ludy. Maybe got caught up in the moment, but certainly not what he wanted to do. And Fitz has had to take a long walk now back to mark the ball. And now they’ve both gratuits got maybe three four feet each three four feet for par for both team USA and team Europe here on the 11th and really the Americans and the American crowd here will be thinking the world number one really needs to hold the momentum here. They can’t afford to lose the hole here. No, they they can’t afford any mistakes from here on in. They got to just keep trying to put the pressure on team Europe which is pretty hard to do the way they’re playing at the moment. This is obviously absolute necessity. Standing in a huge crowd inside the ropes. Here I can see the wives and girlfriends of the European players. They’re wearing sensible looking blue navy blue Wellington boots to keep their feet dry in this uh dewy morning which is just about heating up now as the sun peeps through the clouds overhead. All eyes now trained on Scotty Sheffller. Four feet to save par on its way to the hole. And in it goes. And that asks the question now of Matt Fitzpatrick. Yeah, this is the one of the things you do not want to do in these situations is to give any uh any break in in your armor. And certainly Lig’s left him a lot of work to do. But again, it’s only 3 ft. So knock this in and move on and it’s all good. But it’s just a little bit extra stress that you don’t need. There’s some smiles on the faces now of Scotty Sheffler and Russell Henry. They’re standing off to the left hand edge of the green and they’re just having a little bit of a joke. Just letting a little bit of that tension out of the shoulders and the muscles of the US team. Fall down on this 11th green. And is this the moment they get a hold back? Tester here for Matt Fitzpatrick. Yeah, just stood over it right now. Eyes goes back back and through. Straight in. No, no messing around. Little fist pump and move on to the next. Yep. Still four up. Fitzpatrick and Ober against Sheffler and Henley. We’re going to the 12th mark. Yes. and chance of USA really around the 12th green as they welcome Bryson Desau and Justin Thomas here. John Murray just to my right with Andrew McGee alongside him. Yes. So the Europeans one up in this match but as we say Andrew this is nip and tuck but the Europeans safely on the green and the the Americans just off the back left. Yeah we keep saying the same movie over and over. the Americans just missing greens, having these little chip shots and leaving themselves, you know, three-footers, and if you leave too many of those, you know what happens, John? And conversely, the Europeans have a good look at Burie from 18 ft below the hole. So from our position here just down the back of the slope at the back of the green right up against the red awnings at the bottom of the big grand stand with hundreds of faces and actually hundreds of phone screens up as Justin Thomas ships that house ever so delicately and rolls it just by on the right hand side. What a beautiful touch. Wow. Face was wide open. He just took a full swing. Soft hands. I thought, “Oh, no. No. Too much risk involved.” Lovely shot, Justin Thomas. Well, they’re doing they’re doing their best now, Andrew. All those people, look at them up there behind us. The phones have gone down and instead the mouths are open, but the way is open for the Europeans here. I mean, it’s a lengthyish put. This will be This will be what 20 25 ft, but it’s a chance. It’s definitely a chance. Of course, I didn’t quite think of that. The cell phone in the hands is why the American fans aren’t louder. Is that why? That must be. You just said it. Do you think that? Do you think it is? Anyway, there is a chance for Europe here, but Ian, you have news. Well, news of second shots into the ninth and very shortly a chip for Bob McIntyre. Victor Hovin’s approach was nearly very very good, but just caught up in the collar of rough just short of the green here on the ninth. the Americans safely on the green and we’ll have a birdie putt of around about 18 ft. And here is Bob McIntyre who’s fancing holding this. He’s taking the flag from the hole and he’s got to just find a way to play this chip shot. Interestingly, the uh it’s he’s going to step to one side because the Americans are that little bit further away and it’s going to be Kante partner shuffle to put for birdie very shortly. Let’s go quickly to John. Yes, Rahm and Hatton have been working together in discussions together and uh and he’s just backed off because there’s an insect and I I think the I think the crowd here think that’s an imaginary insect. Wow. That’s the most emotion we’ve seen today. Terrell Hatton back over it after swishing the little insect. Might have been a tick. They’re all the rage here at Beth Page. Ticks. So Terrell Hatton now is ready. So this for birdie this to win the hole up the slope staring and it’s in. What a pop that was. Europe two up. Hatman Rom two up. Oh that’s the dagger. That’s the dagger. The Americans thought they steadied the ship but no. Hatton lovely 20footer. That was a big kick for Europe. Ram and Hatton two up after 12 in the top match. Ian, thank you very much indeed, John. Well, back here at the ninth, we’ve seen Xander Schaeoff putt for Birdie and from around about 18 ft, he’s put it 3 and 1/2 ft past the hole. And so, there’s a chip here to win the hole from just off the front edge of the green for Bob McIntyre. Yeah, this is uh very holable this one. He’s not got long at all. He’s probably got about Yeah. 15 ft chip just off the green. So, this could be uh he could chip this one in. Let’s see. Here he is. Club face wide open. Bumps it forward onto the putting surface. Ball releases towards the hole. Havland urges it to keep rolling. And it finally comes to rest just short. I think that will be conceded, but we’ll wait and see. Yes, it has. It’s been picked up and it’s a par four in the bank for the Europeans in this bottom match. And now there are jers because the Americans are being asked to putt this quite rightly as well because it’s three and a half ft here. And remember they’re one up in this match and it’s Patrick Camplay who has to hold this for a half. Yeah. I mean this is they’re booming because we haven’t given it but this is nowhere near a gimme. This is a tricky little port. A little bit of right to left. Three and a half for up the slope. Over it now for the American 33y old from Long Beach, California. This to preserve the advantage. And he’s over it now. Sends the ball forward and into the hole just in the side door there. And the hole is halved in par four as we go to the turn here. Nine holes played with the American pair of Xander Schoffé and Patrick Kentlay. One up on the European pair of Bob McIntyre and Victor Hovland. Nine holes to go and that continues to be the only red on the board at the moment. Aar and Fitzpatrick four up and they’re about to come down 12. Mroy and Fleetwood four up. They’re going down 11. And Rahm and Hatton in the top match are two up on Dambo and Thomas as they go down 13. And they’re just teeing off 13 at the moment. The par five 13 over 600 yd. But Katrina and Matthew, this is this is such a pivotal game right at the top and it sets the tone for everything else really. And they were chanting USA as they came up. They probably thought with the length of the European putt that they were going to get off here with a half and it just took the wind out of the sails, didn’t it? Of the crowd, if nothing else. It did. I mean, as they walked onto the green, as you say, you could hear the USA chant. And then when that putt went in from Turl Hatton, there is a little kind of section of Europeans who were cheering away there. But you we watched Keegan Bradley was just in front of us just at the side of the green and he knows how important this game is. And Andrew McGee as well as you go up 13. the the the fact that and Luke Donald’s with this group as well and he’s got his shades on and he’s walking down the middle of this fairway now and Keegan Bradley is further ahead maybe 20 25 yds ahead at the moment on his own with a state policeman accompanying each captain but Andrew McGee the whole drama of the tier part as well the tick and stepping away and the crowd booing in the end it silenced them even more. Yeah, this is uh certainly turned in this first match is ever important to get that first point on the board. I think that’s why you’re seeing the captain circling the good 13th hole, two up, just a few more guys grinded up and we can get a big blue number on that board which will fire up everybody behind us. I think that’s the first time we’ve seen the two captains with this match, isn’t it, Andrew? Since since the first T. Yeah, I haven’t seen them. That’s right. We’ve been seeing the assistant captains and that shows you how important this match is. both safely on the fairway here on the par five. Mark, Europe two up in the top match. Andrew, if you’re if you’re Keith and Bradley, are you saying anything to your duo at the moment? Are you just letting them get on with it? I don’t think there’s really anything you can say. It’s early. You know, we’re not the greatest foromes group in the world, but there’s lots of time to get this back. But let’s grind it out. Try to win a few holes one shot at a time. Blah blah blah blah. You know the You know the deal, Chappers. I I do know the deal. What did you just spot, Katrina? Keegan Bradley there just waited for the two players to come up and he’s just having a little chat with them giving them a little fist pump trying to get them going for these last few holes. Andrew just one thing the last five Ryder Cups have been won by the team that took the spoils in the foroms on day one. So is that still blah blah blah blah blah. No, that’s that’s good for your side. It’s very very good to take a lead and demoralize your opponent in any sport. Massive cheer here for an American approach on the 12th cap. It’s a European approach actually. Yeah, Russell Henley with a little bit of adrenaline pumping through his arms has overshot the green here. He’s ball has nestled down into that rough just around the toes of the spectators. But Ludvigo Bur, wow, he has taken the opportunity there. The Americans have left the door open and he has barged through it and he’s put them to within 5 ft. Phenomenal shot coming out that rough. They’ve uh done a great job this team of judging the distance coming out of the rough and that’s pinhive. Yeah. 4 feet just to put the pressure right back on the Americans and it’s looking uh pretty bad for them right now. Yeah. Could have been the sucker punch there struck by Ludvig Ober James. And here we are on the 11th green. And this is an opportunity for the USA pairing of Harris English and Colin Moricawa to yet again just chip back into that ludicrous lead that Europe had through eight holes in this match just to get it back to three up from around 15 ft straight up the hill. And the big man from Georgia rocks his shoulders and sends the ball towards the cup. You can hear the grand stand. They knew that that one was never online. They didn’t get all too excited about it. Now, what has to happen here is for Tommy Fleetwood to just make sure that they don’t hand a hole to team USA here from a Europe perspective. That’s the case issue. Absolutely right. I mean, you got to look at Harris. You got to figure you got to make birdies. So, he’s got to go for it. But now he’s putting put another five-footer in his hands. So, it’s uh Yeah. Well, he’s going he’s going through his routine. It’s the first time I’ve really seen first time I’ve seen Colin Moraua do hangpoint and we know how much he’s struggled with his putting over the years with different putters, different grips. He’s gone to the claw, the saw, all these types of things. But that is a tricky putt. When you come up over a hill from a low spot into a plateau, it’s very difficult to get the speed right. The match referee is actually stepping in here because there’s a conversation to be had between both Fleetwood and Moricawa who will line up their respective parut saying, “Well, who is it to put first? who’s further away, but ultimately they pointed to the coin of Colin Morawa. So pressure seriously on team USA here. Europe, by the way, have gone three holes without a birdie. That’s their longest stretch in this entire match without putting a red number on the board of their own. Just a reminder, Maroy and Fleetwood four up on this 11th green. Morawa has this for par to make Tommy Fleewood have to hold his for his par four to keep the score at the same level. Now the American world number eight two-time major winner dead still ball on its way in she goes. That was a nicely struck putt. He’ll be pretty pleased to have seen that one drop in. Well, we haven’t seen Tommy have to make too many putts, so which be interesting to see him how he handles this one. This is no gimme. This could this could affect the match. This could really change the momentum for the Americans as well. That’s the case, isn’t it? Look, we’ve all the putts that we’ve seen is uh is is Maroy. He’s been the one who’s knocking them in now Flewood. Really, really testy little one this one. Don’t give anything away when you don’t need to. And the long locks flow down onto that white collar of his on this sky blue top that is dead still. Now the ball rocks and Fleetwood rocks as well. We’re going to rock and roll towards the 12th. Cat downs. Scottish Sheffller was just eyeing up this little chip. Russell Henley has put him through the back of the green here on the 12th into that really juicy, moist, rough juice still just beginning to burn off as the sun picks up the heat. And thousands of people surrounding the world number one now with their arms high in the air holding their smartphones up to get a a glimpse of this. And it’s the kind of thing that we’ve seen Scotty Sheffller do time and time again when under pressure. He’s been able to haul out from around the greens and this is the kind of shot that he finds tasty. It’s just through the back looking to lift this up and over the lump of the green and then it’s going to release and move down the hill up and onto the first cut. Oh my goodness me. It hasn’t made it onto the green. Yeah, they uh I think it was in between two lines. How aggressive to be. Had to open the club face up and throw it way up in the air as it was a bit shortsided and I think he kind of got caught in between the two. tried to just land it on the green and roll it down. And this rough given even though it’s not that thick, it’s still uh you got to be quite aggressive through it and just didn’t didn’t execute at all. So, this is uh pretty much looking like five down with six to go. And that there’s very little chance of coming back from that. I mean, the Americans have just won one hole in this match all morning. Well, the Europeans have done everything that you need to do in foromes. They’ve been in play. They’ve hit nearly every green. I think maybe every green. Um missed one actually. Um and four under I think. So bogey free in the foroms through 12 holes is solid. And you you know you’re never going to be far away doing that. And the Americans just haven’t been clinical enough. Haven’t been clinical enough and haven’t lost their turn. Scotty Sheffller leaving that chip from the rough well short. This from 15 ft or so on the first cut. the collar of rough that encircles this undulating sloping 12th green. Russell Henley giving that one a good go, but it horseshoes out. It’s going to be a bogey for the Americas. Yeah, I mean that’s probably the best put all day as well. Um I think you can see shoulders down, little deflated, little bit of uh torque from Scotty, but they know that that’s all but done by now. And the flag stick is put back in the hole. Europe won’t even have to put this one. Matt Fitzpatrick is just going to do it just for a little bit of practice, but that’s it. Five up with six holes to play and there’s very little hope left for the Americans in this second match out on the course. Ollie, let let me give you a stat. Um, and this is this is not just reflective of Scottish Heffler, but American world number ones have lost five straight forome matches at the RDER Cup going back to 2010. So, Woods in 2010, Dustin Johnson 2018, and then Sheffless 2 in 2023. And and also world number one since 1999, the top ranked player in the RDER Cup field. So, it doesn’t matter whether they’re American or European have won just 38% of their matches. There is this perception that you come in as world number one and demolish everything before you. And that just isn’t the case. Yeah. I mean, it’s it’s one of those, right? Like you’re world number one. you come in wanting to lead the team, you know, you’re the figurehead. You know, you have to be a leader. And that doesn’t always suit those players. And especially in Forsoms where you thrown into a team environment, you kind of got to put an arm around someone else. And on the flip side of it, when you’re playing with the world number one, it kind of puts you under a bit more pressure too because you know they are expecting you to perform. So, it’s not straightforward, but um you would still expect bit better performance than that. I will let you walk down 13. Do you think it changes the mindset of who you’re of the person who’s matched up with the world number one? Yeah, I mean I think you’ve got to probably have this the right person with world number one. I mean it’s not easy to get to world number one. Golf’s such an individual game. They’ve got to really be be quite selfish really to get to as good as that and be that. So to suddenly have someone next to you. It’s quite different for them. So I think you’ve got to have someone I mean obviously Russell’s a good friend of Scotties. It’s just not it’s not happened. Has Russell just been a little bit nervous? not done as usual putting so well. So sometimes it just doesn’t work out. Let’s go up to the 13th green. John Murray. Yeah. The last of the par fives on back page black and both the Americans who missed front and right and the Europeans who are off the back left of the green. Both teams are there in two. And Bryson Dshambo who I’m told his that Thomas approach shot actually bounced and hit one of the marshals the onc course marshals. So, uh, Bryson Dshan was right down the slope and he’s managed to chip it out of there up onto the green. He’s up on the right level, but still probably 15 feet away. Yeah, advantage European team here. John Rom with a pretty straightforward pitch shot. Just 8 foot in the air, hit the edge of the green, release it up. This could be a gimme. This could be a problem for the US because they’ve got 15 ft for birdie staring at them. So John Ram now just down the slope at the back of the green just sends it up into the air and it lands on the green and it’s rolling down towards the hole but notice not quite as close as Andrew predicted it might have been. He’s left that seven or eight ft away. So birdie puts to come to Ian though first here on the 10th. The Americans are are shouting encouragement to Patrick Kentlay as he pitches onto the green. Third shot on this par four. It’s advantage the United States here because the uh European pair of Bob McIntyre and Victor Hoffland who are one down in this match. They found the greenside bunker short left. It was a long bunker shot, a difficult one for Holland and he flew it all the way over the green and so Bob McIntyre is going to have to chip with the fourth shot from the collar of the rough. And can they chip up to probably 6 ft from the hole? maybe just inside that is uh obviously putting them in an advantageous position. So uh we’ll be having that McIntyre chip very very shortly, John. But back to you. Yeah, Justin Thomas is is down on his horners looking at this put from from behind the line. So the Europeans two up in this match and the Americans now it’s reaching that stage of this opening for the 13th hole where the Americans will know that they need to take the chances. So this for birdie this from 15 ft. Justin Thomas steadies himself and sends the ball towards the hole. Stands stock still but misses it on the right and the Europeans will have a birdie chance and a chance to go three up here. here on the 10th. McIntyre just shy with his chip and it’s a conceded bogey first drop shot for the European pair who are one down in this match against the Americans who’ve got a power putt to come now for Xander Schae after that chip from Patrick Hley to go two up and American need this. Yeah, I mean it’s not easy. It was a very difficult bunk shot from Havland. Um but the Americans in a serious driving seat here Bob’s hit a lovely chip back. cuz Hoffman’s flown the green but um they’ve got a 4footer for the uh for the hole. Let’s go back to you John Terrell Hatton steps forward now. So this this to win the hole and this to take Europe three up in this match. For much of the early stages, Europe were one down, but they’ve turned it around. And this is a chance to take a grip on this match from Terrell Hatton. A grip on the match and a punch of the fist. Andrew McGee. Three up Europe. We’ll get a word from Andrew in a moment. First, Ian. Yes, because Xander Schoffé has this puck here now to go two up for the Americans in the bottom match. He’s over it now. The bright sunshine casting a vivid shadow. Motionless he is until he rocks those shoulders, sends it forward and into the hole. And a rare American cheer here at Beth Paige because that par is enough to give daylight to Kantlay and Chauffe who holds that par putt. They go two up now in the bottom match against Bob McIntyre and Victor Hov. So Rah and Hatton at the top are three up on Dashambo and Thomas and they have five to play. Ober and Fitzpatrick are five up and they have 13 14 Indian they have six to play and Maroy and Fleetwood as they come down at 12 in front of us and they are on the green are the Europeans here. They are four up. So keeping as far as the Americans are concerned at the moment, Katrina, their main aim is keeping that red on the board at the bottom match because all of a sudden we talked about the importance of the top match for the momentum that that’s drifting away from the Americans at the moment. They’ve got to keep the red on the bottom. Yeah, the the Europeans have really taken that first game uh by the bull by the by the horns. Sorry. They’ve taken it by the bull. My goodness. Getting excited here. But but yeah, I mean I think this bottom game now is crucial for the Americans. To to be fair, if I was to pick two golfers on the European team who could take the whole bull and not the horns, it would be Ram and Hatton. It is BBC Radio 5 Live. We’re live in New York at the 45th Ryder Cup in glorious sunshine. Yes, you’re listening to BBC Radio’s coverage of the RDER Cup. Shots of uh the American basketball great Michael Jordan on site at Beth Ta watching the golf. not best pleased with the way it’s going for the USA at the moment in the morning for session. You’re listening to us out on the golf course on ryercup.com as well. Blue skies and bright sunshine and holes running out in the top matches for those American pairings. Tier Hatton’s just hitting a T-shot for Europe on the par 3 14th. So Ramen Hatton three up with five to play against Bryson Dashambo and Justin Thomas who brilliantly won the first hole in the match with a birdie but have been up against it ever since. Uh Ludvig Oberg and Matt Fitzpatrick five up with six to play on the world number one. Scotty Sheffller and Russell Henley. Rory Maroy and Tommy Fleetwood. They’re playing the 12th. Uh so seven for them to play. They’re four up on Color Morawa and Harris English. And that all important match for the USA down at the bottom with Xander Schoffé and Patrick Kentlay having won the eighth and won the 10th with that par putt being rolled in. They are two up uh in that bottom match on Robert McIntyre and Victor Havlin. Not since 2004 at Oakland Hills have Europe won uh an opening session of the Rder Cup in the USA. They are on their way to doing that uh at the moment. Three up in the top match, five up then four up, but two down for Europe uh in the bottom match out on course. So Tier Hatton has hit that T- shot there on the par three 14th for Europe. He’s taking a big swig of a drink at the back of the tea. Uh this is a long par three over a valley. The green splashed in sunshine. The green which turns from left to right quite shallow big grandstand at the back of it and Justin Thomas needs something quite special and he was just about to strike the ball there and he’s backed off. Important moments, important decisions to be made and they are coming thick and fast for these two teams uh in the morning forens at the Ryder Cup. So Europe up in three matches. They are down in the bottom match. We’ll hand you back to our encourse team here with Mark Chapman on BBC Radio 5 Live. He’s gone to the stage. Wherever you are in the world, you will always hear a a shout of go on Tommy lad. James Gre and the ball on the way from the putter face of the man from Southport. And that should leave Rory Maroy with what a foot or two for a four here at this par four 12th. And their strategy, Sean McKil, USPGA champion in 2003 alongside me for this match was, let’s just not do anything silly here. Let’s just get this over the line. And it seems to have paid off here at 12. I think we reached that point. I think in the very beginning, it’s make as many birdies as you can until you run out of holes. You know, the strategy has definitely changed. You saw that on the last hole, playing safe. Rory hit a great iron shot in here. All he needs a two putt. I mean you you can’t be having 25 footers to tie holes in alternate shot and expect a win. Well, that is a result of the American pairing of Colin Morawa and Harris English realizing that as Sean said they are running out of holes and that’s perhaps why the aggressive play that we saw here at number 12 came to fruition. They went straight to the pin. They were a club short. Into the bunker it went. And now Harris English is left with well a fairly meaty par putt up and over a little ridge as well. Right in the middle of this two-tiered 12th green for a par four and likely to have this hole and prevent them from going five down from 25 ft. It catches the left lip. Nothing going. The silence is deafening from a USA standpoint. Thousands of spectators all around this pinch point of the golf course. And Rory Maroy will have no more than two 2 and 1/2 ft at the absolute most to send Europe. This European duo, this dynamic pairing, the famous Fleetwood Mack combination where they went two from two in Italy in the Forsomes, five up with six holes left to play here on day one. So the Northern Irishman once again struts up confidently. The putter resting nicely behind the ball now. One final little flick of the blue cap towards the cup and pure I mean just absolutely pure stroke. And we saw that the very beginning and I told you if he made the put on one look out. I mean his stroke is just precise. Fleewood and Mroy have both had the year of their careers so far to date. The first win on US soil for Tommy Fleetwood. Maroy completing the career grand slam. And they are both Mark Chapman well on their way to helping Europe to a vital point in pursuit of their biggest achievement in the game. They are five up with six to play as are Fitzpatrick. Further up the 13th against Sheffler and Henley win this hole. They get the first point on the board. Cat, they do. Yes. Is this where we’re going to see the last of the action in this second match out on the course? Has been a superb performance so far from this new pairing of Matt Fitzpatrick and Ludvig Ober, but desperate to keep the match alive. The rookie Russell Henley firing at the flag here. He’s gone right at it. Oh my goodness me. Could he hold out from the fairway? No, he doesn’t. It just sucks back. But it’s a superb effort from Henley. Just when the Americans needed it in this match, Ollie Wilson, that was a great shot. Yeah, he could be really aggressive there. A little back stop and obviously had to do Aber. Um he was slightly obscured from the front bunker so quite awkward to get it up on that top tier. But fantastic response by the Americans just trying to claw this game back and try and extend it every hole they can. John, out to you at the 14th, the par 3 14th. Two terrific T-shots played by Tier Hatton for Europe and Justin Thomas for the United States means that they have birdie. It’s a birdie shootout yet again and it is Bryson Dshambo to go first. This from the 12 foot 12 to 15 feet range. Bright sunshine now here on Long Island east of New York and the Americans in a a right hole in this match. Bryson Dshambo. They need something to drop for them. On it goes towards the hole. And there there that’s what they needed. A punch in the air from Justin Thomas as he stands and watches and a massive uppercut from Bryson Dshambo too. Well, slaps on the back Dambo and Thomas. But the Europeans the Europeans still have a chance from a similar range to have this hole. A must make. A must make from Bryson there to keep this to have any hope at all. And now to watch John Rom. And he just stickked the needle right in him again here. Let’s see if I’m closer than the one Bryson made. One, two, three practice strokes. Well, that is the most animation that we’ve seen from players on the course at this RDER Cup so far. True animation from Dambo and Thomas, which actually tells its own story. That tells us how much they needed that. And this this would rock them right back on their heels once again if John Ram is able to find the bottom of the cup with this one. This from 10 ft. Ram Ram for birdie to follow the Americans in. It’s in. What a response. Wowee. That is great play. That is great sport here in the sunshine and very understated from Rahm. A low five with Hatton and Europe. Rahm and Hatton remain three up in this match with four to play. Cat the drama continuing up there on the 14th green here on the 13th. Birdie Pup for Matt Fitzpatrick. It misses and you can hear the booze and the jeers in the crowd. This match is still alive. A superb approach shot from Russell Henley. didn’t need converting. The pup was conceded and on we go to the 14th with Matt Fitzpatrick and Ludic O still in the driving seat, but Sheffller and Henley have done what they needed to do to survive on this 13th hole. Yeah, at this stage they’ve just got to try and extend it because you never know what can happen. But that was the first bit of life we’ve really seen from the American team, putting some proper pressure on the on the Europeans and obviously try and feed off some momentum from elsewhere around the course. Just the second hole of the day one for Sheffller and Henley is the comeback on Ian. Well, here we are on the 11th. The only match where the United States are ahead. Xander Schoffé and Patrick Kempley. Two up on Bob McIntyre and Victor Hovland. And it’s Schoffé who is putting first. Camplay’s approach spinning back and this is a good 35 maybe 40 ft for Birdie. And then we will see the European putt from a little bit inside that. Here comes the putt of the American up the hill heading towards the hole. The crowd willing it to disappear, but it won’t. And it’s tough to say how far away that is, but it is being marked by Patrick Kee, so it’s not been conceded. And next up is Bob McIntyre. Jamie Donaldson watching this match. You know, if Europe could snatch a half out of this, they’re two down after 10 at the moment. Then that really would turn it into well an extraordinary morning for Europe. Yeah, I mean there’s never time to hold a put. It’s now I mean this is a big put from Bobby here and they both hit really good shots in it and uh there just so much spin on the ball. These greens are so receptive but this is a important put at this point of this match. Really sense from the crowd that they recognize the importance of this match. They can see that leaderboard with the Europeans three up in the first match, four up in the second match. Five up in the third match. The only red on the board is two up for Schoffé and Kelay. But that could be halved. Those Aras could be halved here for the Europeans. It’s Bob McIntyre. He’s proud proud all over this putt with his aim point feeling the line with his feet and then he holds the putter out there in front of him. Now he’s just standing at right angles behind the ball, swinging it onehanded with his left hand with his right hand across his chest. And now he’s ready to approach the putt. Two last wafts of the club’s practice swings to feel the pace here. This for the win from around about 25 ft for Bob McIntyre. Sending the ball up the slope. He looks interested. Will it drop? No. No, it doesn’t. And it looks like we’re going to have a tense couple of knee knockers here on the 11th. Yeah, there’s two uh there’s a lot of meat left on these two bones. Both have got testers. Um Americans is uphill where ours is down. So it’s in their corner at the moment. It’s tough to say who is going to be putting first. It looks like it’s the Europeans. Yeah, Bob McIntyre was quite aggressive there and he’s he’s left his partner with a bit of stress here. Yeah, it’s a proper knee knocker downhill. Looks like about four and a half 5 ft down the hill. Not what you want to need, but he’s got to hit an aggressive Porter this time in this match. You know, it’s the two down. Could have done with uh that one just going in, but now he’s left Victor a little bit work to do, but I’m sure he’ll roll it in. And he’s taking every care with this. He he also uses the aim point which is that way of feeling the contours of the green by straddling the line of the putt and feeling in your feet trying to gauge just how much break there will be on the putt and very carefully now he puts the ball down. He’s got a line on that ball and now down on his launches just to make sure that that line is exactly where he thinks it should be. Crucial putt this in this bottom match. Two down Europe need to hold it to make sure that they don’t go three down over it now. Put ahead behind the ball in the bright New York sunshine. Victor Hovlin for Europe sends it forward and misses and misses. And it’s backto- back bogeies. Backto back bogeies. And that’s run on as well. And you can hear the crowd. You can hear the crowd. And the Europeans haven’t lost their turn here. USA USA and you’re still away. Bob McIntyre now calling Patrick Can in to say who is it? Oh no, he’s saying you need to move your marker. Well, little moments of drama playing out here on the 11th green. A reminder Ramen Hatton three up after 14 against Dambo and Thomas. That’s in the top match. Oberg and Fitzpatrick brilliant against the world number one. Sheffler and Henley they’re four up after 13. Rory Mackoy and Tommy Fleetwood five up after 12 against Colin Morakawa and Harris English. But it looks like Europe are going three down in this one and they will do if Bob McIntyre misses this. This is the third putt on this hole and in it goes the right edge of the hole. Grabs it. So up steps Patrick Klay much shorter putt probably only couple of feet maybe 3 feet something like that Jamie this to go three up yeah they’re looking like three up here I mean it’s this is as easy a put as you’re going to have on the green it’s dead straight straight up the hill goes down on his hornes gray caps for the Americans today blue shoulders and then white and navy blue horizontal stripes beneath the red stripe that goes right across the chest. Navy blue trousers, white shoes with navy blue stripes. Very patriotic for the United States in their outfits today. And here comes Camp Lelay this to go three up on the 11th green for the United States in the bottom match. Just a short par putt after three putts by the Europeans here for back-to-back bogeies. This match seems to be swinging America’s way. In it goes from Can they and confirmation they do go three up as we go to Katherine DS. Oh my goodness me. That’s the moment of the match for rookie Russell Henley from 30 ft. He had had to drain that one because the Europeans are just 4 ft away for a birdie that would have won the match if they could sink it. Now this putt takes on a whole new complexion for Lud Goar. was going to be a matchwinning pot, but Russell Henley has sunk that birdie putt from miles away. That was unbelievable. The first proper putt he’s hit that got to the hole. Dead weight. Um a huge moment to put the pressure on the Europeans and this 4-footer has now become a little bit longer. Certainly don’t want to miss any opportunity to uh get, you know, get in and uh move on onto the next. They’re fighting for their survival. Scotty Sheffller and Russell Henley. They won uh the hole on the 13th with a birdie. And now there’s a birdie putt for Ludvig Goar which was going to be to win the match. Five and four here on the 14th green. But now he needs to see this disappear below the surface of the green. Absolutely stunning T-shot once again from Matt Fitzpatrick who hasn’t missed a beat today to put his partner to inside 4 feet. Vivid black shadow cast by the tall Swede as he just goes through his pre- putt routine and now slides the big head of that mallet putter behind the ball. He’s going to put through his shadow towards the hole and in. It’s birdies a piece. But there’s a guaranteed half point for Europe on the board. They’re four up with four holes to play. But what a moment for team USA. Scotty Sheffller and Russell Henley. And what kind of momentum can they take into the closing four holes here? Can they keep this match going? Cat, thank you. Back with you as they go up 15. Further ahead on 15. John Murray and Andrew McGee watching Dashambo and Thomas against Ramman Hatton. And Bryson’s T-OT went way right. John, yes. The Europeans three up with four to play. For the first time this week, I’ve hiked with Andrew up to the halfway up the hill to the back of the 15th in the sunshine. And we’re now staring back down the hall and an avenue of supporters has opened up and Bryson Dshambo. His T-shot ended up underneath the rubbish bins up against the grand stand. Well, they played like rubbish so far. Um, not done yet, John. Let’s keep our dber up here. Let’s see if Justin Thomas, he’s way to the right there in the shadows of that huge grandstand. Can he pull the right club? Can he get the right club up this what is that? 50 60 ft uphill to a pin right on the front of the green. Very difficult to get this club collection and of course the European team in very good shape winning this hole. They’d get a point on the board. Yep. So we’ll uh we’ll let you know what happens. Mark. All right. Let me jump in because Mroy and Fleetwood could get the first point on 13. James Greg where they are five up. They’ve been brilliant. Five front nine birdies in response. Team USA could only manage a couple. They then dropped a shot at the previous hole here. And there we are. We’re five up with six holes left to play. They win this hole, they win the match. They’ve been brilliant. Well, the Americans had an opportunity there with Rory or with Yeah. Royy’s T-shot in the rough there and them having to lay up. But the Americans just couldn’t capitalize. I mean, that’s the thing about the rough around the greens. It’s just kind of going every different direction. It’s wet. It’s thick. You You get the pin in the back. So, typically your mindset is I’m just going to, you know, pitch it out there, let the ball roll. We’re just not seeing balls really roll up to the hole. And so, they’re going to have to start flying the ball, maybe adjust their strategy a little bit. Um, I’m not liking where the pins are set. As we’ve talked about with the with all of the pins in the back on soft greens, you typically don’t want to put them there. It’s like we talking, if it’s downwind, you don’t put them in the front. And the Americans have had a tough time. The European team, particularly Rory, has hit his irons magnificently. I mean, it’s about distance control, and they’ve had a lot more opportunities to make birdies in the Americans, and it shows. Tommy Fleetwood now then has a birdie putt for he and Rory Mroy. And if he were to knock this one in, it would mean that Murray Cara has to hold from the American standpoint to keep this match going. The man from Southport, the seasonl long champion in the States, remember, steadies himself for this 15-footer. He stays down on it. He likes the way it’s looking. Oh, it catches the lip. The knee bend from Fleetwood. That was oh so close. And now Morawa down on his hornes will feel the weight of the United States on his shoulders here. I mean quite simply Sean, you’ve just got to throw everything you can at this. Yeah, you you just don’t have any other option. I mean this this putt has to go in. You can’t let it end here. Just play for some pride. Maybe work for something for this afternoon. But he absolutely has to make this putt. And we’ve not seen him hold one yet from 20 ft. There are five holes to play after this one. This would bring the score back to four down for Team USA. Maybe still a flicker, a glimmer of hope. And that one catches the lip. The ball whispered its way across the green, but the hole whispered back and said, “No, no, no.” Maroy has a bit of tidying up to do, I will say, from around 2 and 1/2 ft for his part to ensure that they are five up with five to play. And that would of course Mark guarantee a first half point on the board for Europe. Let me uh well Bergen Fitzpatrick are four up with four to play uh as well. So so that’s going well for those two. And in all that time we were listening to that. Justin Thomas still hadn’t played John has he now? Yes, he has. Uh from under the bins and up against the grand stand, he took a drop. So, uh, his his second shot for the United States came right up here. This huge elevation on the 15th and it landed on the back left of the green. So, on the on the back left here, the the hole is right at the front of the green and the the Europeans have landed it on the putting surface. Tier Hatton on the right level, that lower level. And it is very much advantage to Europe. And indeed this could be where this match finishes. But James Greg and it is going to be at least a full point on the board. Even if everything went catast catastrophically wrong from here on in for team Europe, it doesn’t look likely. But team Europe in this third match, Fleetwood and Mroy are five up with five holes left to play headed towards this 14th TE and it just seems inevitable now. Okay, so Maroy and Fleetwood five up with five to play. Her and Fitzpatrick are four up with four to play and Raman Hatton could be close to closing out their game against Dambo and Thomas on 15 here on 12. This last group, Ian Carter as the cheers come in uh for an approach here. This last group’s just a little bit lagging behind. Yes, it is. But that’s a fantastic shot. And those were European cheers for Bob McIntyre who’s just hit a wonderful approach in to around about 10 ft something like that on this 12th hole. But as you say, Europe are lagging behind here. And they’ve donated the last two holes, loose bunker shot on the 10th, three putts on the 11th and that’s what’s given clear daylight to Patrick Kentlay and Xander Schalay. And they are three up here as we get ready to see what the response is to that wonderful approach from Bob McIntyre. And here is Xander Schae with this second shot for the United States now from the right edge of the fairway round about 180 yards out launches into it and watches intently packed grandstand behind this green and he’s missed to the left and he’s nestled down just into the rough left of the green shortsided because the flag located just four paces off the left side of this putting surface. Advantage Europe here on 12. John, so on the 15th, the Americans right towards the back of the green in two and the Europeans down on the front of the green near the flag probably 15 ft also in two shots. If the Europeans win this hole, this top match, this first match at this 2025 Rder Cup will be over and Europe will have won it. So the Americans with a tall order in front of them, Dshambo and Justin Thomas, Andrew McGee. Yeah, this would traditionally be just a lag putt, but but they can’t afford that. Um they’ve got to expect European team to sink that putt and close them out here. So this of course has to go or they’re going to It’s got to be It’s got to be 50 ft, isn’t it? Oh, it’s it’s to a ledge and then straight down the ledge picking up speed. This is a defensive minded putt. to see if Bryson has any of that in his mind cuz I don’t think he can be defensive. Do you? Well, he can’t afford to be, can he? But that’s they say not in his nature. Not in his nature. But he has to get it there, but he can’t blow it way by. Chances of European team making that putt. Ah, what do you give it? 50/50. 5050 maybe. Yeah, about 50/50. But but the United States, I mean, this is such a tough putt because we’re standing right up through the the back of the green on the slope and and it is a severe slope from back to front and and halfway around about halfway across the length of this putt, there is another slope which takes it further down. And to judge this, apparently I’m told it’s 63 feet this put. Oh, look at that. And Justin Thomas is nowhere with Bryson looking at this. He’s kind of looking at his own. What’s he doing with his hand? He’s kind of mimicking what he thinks he’s going to do to himself cuz he has not had one word. But Bryson, you don’t think there’s a bit of a rift in the team, do you? At this point, there wasn’t a rift on the team on the last green. I know that much. When we saw the the slapping and the fist bumping, they had to make that one. But they’re right up against it now. This this strong American pair, the pair that Keegan Bradley put great faith in. But the Europeans are three up in this match. And the Americans are really scrambling here on the 15th. And Bryson Dshambo from over 60 feet. He’s ready now. Straight arms head over the ball. Touches it on its way. Now, how is he how has he judged this slope? And it catches the top of that next slope and rolls on down towards the hole. It gathers pace, but it’s going by on the right hand side. Still going. Still going. I mean, it’s very well judged to 6 ft. I’m not sure he could have done much better than that. Ian here on the 12th. Magnificent chip from Patrick Canle. Just swished the wide open face of his wedge underneath the ball, landed it onto the putting surface, used the slope to allow it to tumble down to the whole side. And so it’s a par four Americans who are three up in this match. But Victor Hovland has a real look at Birdley. Jamie Donaldson. That was an approach from Bob McIntyre that was right from the top draw and it got better and better the closer we got to the green. Yeah, it was an incredible shot that this pins cut tight on the left hand side and he’s gone straight at it. He needs to. He is three down. Let’s go to James where Rory Maroy and Tommy Fleetwood are onto the green at the par three 14th hole. It’s Elliot Shaw par three Shaw McKel and I think that Fleetwood probably had grand designs on pitching that over the pin and dragging it back towards the pin. Yeah, the only place you couldn’t be here was short and he aired on the right side. Maybe took a half extra club to me. Probably a hard nine, maybe a small eight. Short does nothing. Long doesn’t hurt you. Uh John Murray, uh over to you before Maroy strikes this birdie putt. And this warm sunshine here. This is John Rom over his birdie putt for Europe. And if he holds this from 16 ft, that will win the hole and win the first point for Europe at this RDER Cup. He touches it on its way. It’s curling down left to right, but it will pull up short. But the Americans still have to hold their put to to keep this hole alive. James, five up. Five is a play. That’s the score in this third match here. The 14th green is where Rory Mroy stood over a birdie putt that will break a little to his left hand side and will be treacherously fast. It’s on its way now. It catches the apex of the slope. Mroyy’s eyeing it up. He steps after it. Ooh, the knee bend. The jers from the Americans. That though just a 2 and 1/2 footer to come back up the hill for Tommy Fleetwood. Back to you, John. So Justin Thomas now has to hold this put. 5 6 ft to keep this match alive. If he misses it, Europe have claimed the first point at this Rder Cup. in these morning forces. Thomas steadies himself over the ball once again is ready now and rolls it by and he stares after it and he cannot believe it Justin Thomas that that did not drop and that means that Europe have claimed the first point at this 2025 RDER Cup. Ram and Hatton are winners. Four and three. The hats are off. The hands are being shaken. What a start for the strong pair from Italy. They’re doing it again in the United States here at Beth Paige. Andrew McGee. Yeah, they deserve the win. They birdied holes. They put pressure on the Americans. They hit the fairways. Americans were in the rough too much. They’re missing greens. Had chip shots. Had three-footers, five footers. They gave away a few. Europeans deserve to win. One nil to Europe. James Greg and it could be 2-0 to Europe shortly if Harris English doesn’t knock this birdie putt in from around 15 ft from left to right across the green. Oh my goodness me. Are we going to see a concession here? I wonder. No, we’re not. Moral will plow onwards. 4 and 1/2 ft he’s got for his par. He’s hoping that after he knocks his in Fleetwood will miss the par put for team Europe. Yeah, we saw all day that just the Americans just could not just couldn’t hold anything. They had some good putts, but just couldn’t get it close enough to the hole to really have any realistic chance. So, blue on the board already. We’re going to guarantee ourselves another half point at the very worst in this third forome. Color car. We’re not wasting any time. This one maybe just completely in vain. Even if it does go in three feet straight back in the direction that it came from and that one does drop in. So they are going to want to see this in from Tommy Fleetwood. And there are the roars of encouragement from the Europeans all around this brilliantly packed grand stand, the sun beating down and this is quite the occasion. The stage is set for Tommy Fleetwood to deliver yet another Forsomes point for team Europe. So far, he’s played for one in his RDER Cup career. This his fourth appearance for team Europe alongside golf’s newest Grand Slam winner, Rory Mroy. Steadies himself now does the man from Southpaw. And a ball finds the bottom of the cup. And Fleetwood and Mroy, the chorus of Europe in perfect harmony here on this opening morning. A duet that was in full flight, turning foromes into a symphony of might. Sean McKill. Well, I mean, how do you compete with that? I mean, that was spectacular golf. Really, the Americans didn’t play too poorly. They had one bogey, but the Europeans played absolutely flawless. Again, they started out hot, which was which is the goal. Let’s just get off and start making buries. And then they were fortunate enough just to hit some quality iron shots in the end, make a few two putts to get the victory. Six and four the score. A wonderful performance as Maroy and Fleetwood shake hands with their fain US opponents who themselves clasp hands. And well, the inquest will begin because as we discussed earlier on, these guys were ranked 132 out of 132 possible combinations in the Forsomes for Team USA. Questions to be asked of Keegan Bradley, but whatever questions were asked of Europe’s favorite duo in this alternate shot format, they’ve answered them. An absolute pasting in this third match. Maroy and Fleetwood delighted. Five and four they beat Morawa and English. Ram Manhattan win four and three against Dambo and Thomas. Ian Carter and Jamie Donaldson rider cup player here on 13. Let’s just tidy up what happened on 12. Uh and what’s also happened with the T-shots here on 13. Well, more good news for Europe because exactly the response that was required despite Kantlay’s excellent chip and the conceded par4. Victor Hovlin fully capitalizing on the brilliant approach of Bob McIntyre and making the birdie. Only the second birdie of the round for the Europeans, but they had to win that hole. You feel they did and they’re now only two down with the momentum that is gathering on that board as well for Europe. This match is not done by any stretch of the imagination. Both T-shots Bob McIntyre has gone way left and the Americans have gone way right as we go to John Murray. Yes, we have John Ram and Turl Hatton live on the BBC. That’s not bad for starters, John. No, not at all. Uh, not the first few holes we expected or that we wanted. Uh, you know, I made some very poor swings and Terrell really kept us in it. And then, uh, I think we got fortunate on six and seven to be able to have shots towards the green and have birdie putts out of all things, actually putts to win the hole. Uh but then from the eight on you know I think we both found our our stride. We both got comfortable and played really really solid golf. Yeah. And Tur for for Luke Donald to have said I want you two to go again together carry on the momentum that you that you gathered together in Italy and you’ve done just that haven’t you? Yeah I mean it was uh it’s quite an honor to to lead the line with John again. Um yeah, we knew it was going to be so noisy this morning and um a pretty tough atmosphere for for us to play golf in, but we kind of dug in and um we weren’t too far behind through the opening six holes and um then yeah, I guess we settled into it a bit and started playing some nice golf and yeah, just really happy to win our point. Yeah, very well played the two of you. Thank you very much. John Rahm and Turrell Hatton four and three winners against Dshambo and Thomas and good winners as well after losing the first but that was the only hole that the American pair won. It really it was it was indeed and Tierrell Hatton there Katrina Matthew Sol winning captain said we settled into it. I mean they did more than settle into it didn’t they? They did. They ended up playing some great golf. You know, I think they made about six birdies on their round today, which in Forsoms is is tough to do. So, I mean, they’ve played well. I think the the worrying thing for Keegan Bradley and his team is the is the margin of the victories we’ve had so far. And yeah, four and three and five and four. The second match, Europe are four up with four to play. Cap the third shots of both teams into the par 4 15th here. Both of them finding the rough down the left hand side. Very tricky second shots out of the thick stuff just at the at the foot the feet the shoes of the spectators down that left hand side. The Americans managed to muscle it out. Sheffller putting Russell Henley on the steep banking that comes up to this elevated green. And the ball of Matt Fitzpatrick. He gouged it out of that rough. Muscled it down. It thought about bouncing over the lip and onto the green, but it was eventually just snatched back down into this enormous gaping sand bunker with this hugely steep side. I mean, it must be 20 ft below the surface of the green. It’s It’s vast. It is. It’s enormous. And I actually thought that the Americans had advantage because they had a back stop. But Henley’s played quite a clumsy shot and flown it completely over the top of it. So, lost the advantage he had. So, now Ober’s got a deep bunker shot and advantage back to Europe. Yeah, a really tricky putt coming for Scotty Sheffless on the steep slope coming back down. Oberg picks the ball out of the sand, flies the flag. didn’t have much green to work with, but he’s done a pretty good job of that. He’s about 15 ft or so from the pit. Yeah, that looked like he was just playing safe, taking all um danger out of play and giving Fitzpatrick a chance to close this out right here. Remember, the Americans have to win this hole to keep this second match on the course alive. The Europeans currently four up with these four final holes left to play. A guaranteed half point to come for Luke Donald’s men, but is this where they close it out? Matt Fitzpatrick just taking the ball from his caddy Dan Parrot. He’ll be the one to take the putt for team Europe that could clinch the third point of this opening morning, the 45th RDER Cup for the Europeans. But first, it’ll be the world number one. And this is such a difficult putt, isn’t it? And it’s not the kind of putt that Scotty Sheffller would have hoped for trying to keep the match alive here on the 50. Well, it’s not, but the fact that it’s so fast, it it doesn’t really matter. He can give it a go because it it has to go in really. So, um, that part of it is is not too bad, but the fact that there’s probably a 3ft ridge to come down. There’s a little bit of slope in there to match it all up is going to be hard. But he is the world number one. And he is taking this part in sections, just 3ft sections. He’s lining up the line and then he moves back another 3T. And then he moves back another 3T and back another 3T. It is about 25 ft, I’d say. Maybe just outside that. down this steep slope. Big grand stand to the back of the green there where a huge Swedish flag is spread out across the knees of a bunch of spectators. It’s got Ludvig Oberg’s name written across it. Stars and stripes draped everywhere as you’d expect. And all eyes trained on Scotty Sheffller in the center of the green here. Steep slope, dark shadow cast by the tall world number one from Texas. And this important part to keep the hopes of the US side alive in this second match. It’s tiptoeing down the slope. It just needs to bend round to the left. Oh, and it won’t disobediently. It won’t. It stays straight as it comes down the slope of the green and Matt Fitzpatrick picks up the ball of the American side and uh chucks it back to the world number one. But now there’s a putt for team Europe to claim the third point of the day on. Yeah, it’s obviously 15 ft. It’s quite a lot of break on it left to right, but it’s uh it’s not one that he has to make. So, it’s a nice position to be in just to roll it down there. And uh you know, as he was walking up the last couple of holes after his hit shots, he’s been looking over to the the European inner circle with huge grins on his face. So, he’s feeling pretty good. And I think uh this one I wouldn’t be surprised if he knocks it in. Couple of putts then to win the third point for Europe. Matt Fitzpatrick with the first attempt here from just outside 15 ft across the green curving around towards the hole. And in it goes for Matt Fitzpatrick and he gives an enormous swipe of the fist. A huge bellow for the Englishman and Beth Paige Black is turning blue in the Friday Forsomes. Handshakes all round. Luke Donald is straight in there to shake the hand of the world number one. But hat is off the head of Scotty Shepler. Another heavy defeat for Scotty Sheffller in the Forsomes. That record defeat for him and Brooks Kepler against Ludvig Ober and Victor Hovland in Rome. And now Ober’s done it again. And Scotty Sheffller, one of the big guns for the US, failing to fire on the opening morning of the ride caroly. That was um well they certainly failed to fire, but the European performance was perfect. It was uh did exactly what you have to do in Forsoms. They kept the pressure on all the time. They allowed nothing. Um, they had they made the Americans earn everything and they really couldn’t come up with the goods. They put on a little spell at the end there. They started a little bit of life coming, but it just wasn’t enough and it was far too late. Three points on the board then for team Europe in this opening session of the 45th RDER Cup. We’re going to scamper off and try and get a a bit of a chat with Ludvig Ober and Matt Fitzpatrick. They’re absolutely flying. Handshakes, high fives all around as we head to the back of the green on the 15. I am I am so pleased for Matt Fitzpatrick. I am so pleased Matt Fitzpatrick and we’re stood here at the back of 13 and Keegan Bradley is 10 yards to our left, arms folded, watching his final pair come down 13, the only red on the board and Rory Maroy is stood a further yard to Bradley’s left. All the pressure is on the American captain at the moment. Can Europe make a charge here in the final match? Ian Carter. Well, Bob McIntyre and Victor Hoffland won the 12th to get it back to two down. And here we are on the longest hole of the course, the par five, 13th. And both pairs having missed the fairway. Europe to the left, America to the right, have laid up to leave wedge shots here. But they’re very difficult wedge shots to come in. Jamie Donaldson just talking to me off air saying just how difficult it is to judge because if you put too much spin on this it’ll scoot back too little and it’ll skip through the back of the green. And here’s Bob McIntyre and this needs to spin back and it does spin back and that is a really really good shot and it’s got Jamie Donaldson alongside me purring. Yeah, really really good shot uh back in this match. He’s an absolute ripper here. Very tricky green slopes front to back. Two very easy to get too much spin on the ball and he’s played it beautifully with not much spin to just finish 8 ft above the hole. The uh the final round of applause that you could hear there whilst you were talking to Jamie, the last person applauding was Maroy hands hands above his head applauding. Absolutely. And that’s the spirit of this European team and it’s been Europe’s morning. They’ve won the session. The question now is by how much. 3-0 up already as the third shot comes in here now and that looks like it’s been douffed by Xander Choffé and that has come up way way short and that’s going to leave a 35 footer up the hill. Yeah, well he’s just simply duffed that looked like a long swing bit of del uh no uh hit on the ball and it’s on the front of the green with a long put left up the hill and that’s the result of the pressure applied by McIntyre’s brilliant shot. Yeah, a really aggressive shot as well from Bobby. Very easily to go long here. Got a back flag. Bobby’s just a brilliant shot. Last two holes. A great shot into the last. Another one here to put the pressure on the Americans. So, here we are, Mark. This is This is now turning very serious for the Americans. 3-0 down here. Yes, they’re two up in this match, but real momentum about the Europeans right now. Points already for Fitzpatrick. We’re trying to get some reaction to that. Point as well for Maroy and Fleetwood. Point for Hatton and Rahm who have become only the second European pair to win their first three forsome matches together after Garcia and the current European captain himself Luke Donald who won their first four forsomes together in 2004 and 2006. And the American advantage in the final match could be cut here. They will go first, Ian. They will indeed. And they’ll do it from distance. And there’s a drone overhead that just elevates itself in installments. Actually, what a view that must have. The camera on that over this green as Joe Lar. The caddy of Patrick Can puts the flag. Bright brilliant white flag, the pole and the flag with the number 13 on it. The par five. This is for a birdie. And it’s a a huge putt up the hill. Yeah, it’s a biggie. It’s a long putt. Not much in it. Pretty straight. Um, you know, it’s um pretty simple as it goes. As far as a a long put goes, it’s as easy as it can be really, but the pressurees on this game. It really is. The pressure right on the Americans. They’ve lost the first three matches so far today. Cample and Cha in the bottom group match here. a two-up, but the Europeans are in close after McInty’s approach. They’ll be looking at a much more likely birdie putt very shortly. So, here is Camplay now intently staring at the hole. Eyes fixed on it and then smartly the head comes back and then he swings the arm, sends it up towards the hole. It’s turning to the left of the hole and it’s gone on by 2 and 1/2 ft. That’s one of those where you’ll just think about whether you’re going to give that. But you’ll certainly see what what’s left. I mean that that that again it’s not a it’s not a gimme. It’s two and a half feet. It’s a little bit of left right in it. It’s downhill. You can wait on it mate. You can see Keegan Bradley standing arms folded. He’s deep conversation with Joe Lar’s caddy. And wow, what’s going through the mind of Bradley right now? His team are 3n down after a brilliant morning for Luke Donald’s lineup from Europe. And now Victor Hovlin. It’s a delicate one this probably 6 and 1 half 7 ft. Yeah, pushing eight. I mean it’s downhill. There’s a little bit of pace in it. It’s quite a quick put. Not easy by any stretch of the imagination. But a great one to hold at this this time in the match, especially after holding the one he did on the 12th. He walked that in very confidently. Very confidently. Love to see him walk this one in as well. Well, it’s a slightly different putt because it is down the hill. Can’t afford to be aggressive and then leave a nasty one coming back. The Americans look pretty certain to have made their par five. This is for a birdie here on the 13th. And if this goes in, then the American advantage, which a few moments ago was three holes, would be down to one. So Hoffland with a bright red grip on his putter grips halfway down that extended piece of rubber at the top of his steel shaft and the putter head then goes behind the ball. Victor Hovlin now looking to cut the Aars even further sends the putt on its way delicately down the slope. Watches and clenches his fist in celebration as the ball disappears. It’s a brilliant birdie. It’s backto back birdies for Europe and they’ve come from three down to now just one down as they go to the 14th T. Jamie Donaldson. Well, just unbelievable. I hoped he walked in and he did. He just rammed it into the middle of the hole. Strided after it. Another hole won by Europe. On we go. On we go. Let’s get through this crowd and keep walking. Katrina, the first the um the first Oh, there’s a player coming through. So, we’ll just move through. We’ll wait for Xander Shoffley to go back. Andy’s Caddy’s gone past. Now we can go. Um, in the first three matches that Europe have won, you talked about the margins that they’ve won. Americans have won four holes in those three matches. Yeah, that that’s a worrying statistic for them to have only won four holes in three matches. And I mean, I know the Europeans played well, but these are your top 12 American players. You expect them to make some birdies, get this crowd going and they just haven’t done it. They can you can sense the crowd are just willing something to happen. They are Europe in this final match have won two holes on the spin. The Americans are just one up whilst we wait for the T-shots here at the par 314th. Let’s hear from Rory Mroy and Tommy Flewood after their five and four victory earlier. The Fleetwood Mac reunion concert has went pretty well. How much did you enjoy that out there, Rory? Yeah. Um, I’ve, you know, I’ve been looking forward to doing this again, uh, since that last putt dropped in Rome. So, or at least since Ricky gave Tommy his putt on the 16th green. Um, so yeah, no, it’s been amazing to be a part of another European Rder Cup team. Um, to play alongside this guy, you know, he’s he’s one of the best players in the world and to know that I have him by my side, you know, it it frees me up. I can play with ultimate trust and ultimate freedom. And you know, you saw a little bit of that today. And Tommy, considering what has happened in the Foresomes in the previous uh matches, how important a focus was this for you all going out? Yeah, of course. Foroms is a very tough format. Um yeah, it’s Friday morning, the Ride Cup. You want to uh I think we talk about fast starts a lot. I think Luke has uh always drilled that into us since being captain and and that’s what you want to, you know, that’s what you want to do. That’s the ideal. Um and you know, so far so good. Um yeah, we have a a lot of great players and a lot of great partnerships and um you know it’s one one part of the journey is done now. Another wild goal. Congrats. Thank you. Thank you. [Applause] Ian is I can’t hear anything. It’s so loud back here towards the 14. So I’m assuming that interview is finished. the the cheers are for Europe because that’s an excellent T-shot into this 149 yard par 314th from Victor Hovland and he’s set up an opportunity here. I’m guessing we’re a long way from it at the moment but probably around 15 ft for Birdie for three in a row. So the pressure is mounting all the time on the Americans and Patrick Campbee who is now ready with his T-shot from the teen ground. People standing 5, six deep on a mini grand stand behind this tea. There’s the T-shot climbing into the clear blue skies and landing on the green and spinning back. And that’s a super shot from Canlay as well from here. And we’re about 50 60 yards short of the green. I would say that it’s the Americans who are marginally further away, but both pairs have got the ball. Their balls onto the green. Both will be looking at birdies. And remember the Europeans now only one down in this match having been three down two holes ago. Jamie Donaldson, the turn, and I know you’re marching ahead of Ian, so I haven’t deliberately asked you a question so Ian has to run up a hill to to catch you up, but the turn around here has come quite quickly, hasn’t it? It has. Yeah, but he kind of felt he was going to at some point. I mean, they’ve played so well the last two holes, the European boys and Victor’s hit a great shot here. We’ve just got closer to the uh the actual green and he’s hit a really aggressive shot within about 12 ft from the hole just on the Americans about 15 16 ft away. Uh Andrew McGee has made it back to the commentary box ahead of the morning sorry ahead of the afternoon four balls which will be announced uh a little bit later on. If you’re Keegan Bradley, what are you saying to your players at the moment? Andrew, I don’t know what you’re going to say. I I’d almost be just quiet. They they know they’ve taken a beating and these this avalanche has just picked up speed towards the bottom of this hill and the American players just look dejected. I’m looking at the TV and I was like I don’t know what you say. I mean what hey let’s go. I mean I don’t know. I It has to come from these guys. I don’t think this is a captain thing. This is a player thing. You would agree, would you, Katrina, as a Soulheim Cup captain that it has to come from the players out there really. It definitely has to come from the players a little bit in the four who haven’t played this morning. They’re just going to be chomping at the bit to get out there and try and turn this score around. Uh, yes, Mark. We are We’re on the G. Where are you? I mean, you’ve been much slower than me. I can tell that. Oh, there you are. Not too bad. The battery packs are pulling my shorts down a bit. So, I forgot to wear a belt. So, did you? It’s just a little bit of That’s what happens when the alarm goes at 3:00 in the morning, isn’t it? Should have really worn a belt for everybody’s sake, really. So, to give you sort of concrete on the speculation, it will be the Americans to put first here. And actually what we found out when we got to the green is that the ball of the Europeans Hovland’s T-shot just skipped off the green by a matter of inches. Now it’s only 15 ft away from the hole. It’s a great opportunity, but how does that affect the the putts you would imagine for for Bob McIntyre? Possibly is the answer. We can’t see quite whether the angle of the grass is. If you know, if this is running down the grass, he’s only just off maybe by 3 in. So, you know, it depends on where the grass is lying. Let’s hope it’s running down the he can hit it online in the hole. Yeah. Well, let’s see with the grand stand behind this green. Jam-packed. The Americans ready to will this into the hole from probably 22 24 ft something like that. He has that very familiar putting style. The shaft of the club very very erect as he sends this one forward towards the hole. Has it got the legs? It’s just trickling away to the left. That will be conceded. It’s a par three. But now Bob McIntyre is looking at a puck from just off the green that would level this match three holes after being three down. Oh, I mean absolutely. This is just huge. if he can get this one. And this just a colossal momentum swing, three holes in a row, but you know, let’s got let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. This is still got a little bit of length on it. And uh you know, he needs to hit a good P and hope that fringe doesn’t affect the line of the pot. It’s the only match on the course I can see Luke Donald yumping up the hill from behind the green to catch up with this. And one of his assistants, Jose Mar Ol, when there’s only one match on the course, everybody starts to gravitate. It’s jam-packed inside the ropes here. Donald with its shades on just marches past us. Jose Marola Thbull just pops his arm on his shoulder of Alex Norin who’s been with this match. Now the captains and vice captains are going to have a conference and they’ll choose to do it right in front of me. So I can’t see where what’s going to happen with this putt. So I’ve just moved to my right now. So much movement. So many people. Yes, that’s right, Mr. Photographer. And you just get into that line of vision for me as well. And now we’re ready. This is Bob McIntyre. This to level the match from 15 ft from inches off the green. Sends it forward. Heading towards the hole. No, no, no, no. It’s just missed on the right edge. He’s been aggressive as well. The Americans will want to see that putt for par. Yeah, they will. It was in a great putt there. It’s just missed. It’s just run past the edge of the hole. Really good putt from that position. Uh but he’s got a little bit of work to do. It’s gone about 3 3 and 1/2 ft by and and the error on pace potentially caused by the ball just not being on the putting surface. Yeah, it sometimes you try and hit it through. I mean, obviously if it’s growing in a little bit, you try and give it a bit of a whack and then it shoots out, pops up and skips on with top spin, which is obviously looks like what’s happened there, but uh it’s at least it’s an aggressive port running at the hole. So if you’ve just joined us on BBC Sounds and Five Live, John Ram and Tierrell Hatton beating Bryson Dashambo and Justin Thomas 4 and three in the first match. The world number one along with Russell Henley. Scotty Sheffller going down to Ludvik Ober and Matt Fitzpatrick 5 and three and Rory Mroy and Tommy Flewood five and four winners over Colin Morakawa and Harris English. The first three points have all gone to Europe. They’ve won the session and this is the only match on the course. And I have to say it hasn’t been at all hostile for these Europeans. They have silenced the American fans pretty much throughout this extraordinary morning session. And now Hoffland has to make no mistake here from 3 ft to maintain the position of being only one down in this match. He’s over it now. Sends it forward and into the cup. And so it’s a whole halved in pares. We’re going to head over the road and up to the hole they call Mount Olympus the 15th. That’s next on this match. The only match left on the course, Mark. And it’s the Americans of Canle and Showled who lead it by just the single hole against Victor Hovland and Bob McIntyre. You did very well there, Ian. Because if if there was anybody around that green that could stand in your view, including the European captain, they did stand in your view. You did. You have to bob and weave like you’re like you’re a heavyweight boxer. Listen to no one ever used that analogy for me. No, that’s true. They haven’t. Just listen to this noise. We’re about a yard away from Canlay and Cha and Keegan Bradley as the three of them walk together and this is the noisiest cheers that the Americans are getting at the moment. But as Ian has said, as somebody waves an Irish flag just opposite and we wait for Victor Hovland and Bob McIntyre to come through and they do that uh right at that moment with Jose Mira Label right next to them. But we’ve seen every match come through. We’ve walked the course a bit Katrina as well and the I mean look there are a few pantomime boos here as the Europeans come through but apart from that there hasn’t been anything has there really. No there hasn’t I would say the crowd’s been very very good so far. I mean, as I was saying, there’s not they’ve not had much to cheer about or to. So, I mean, but yeah, the Europeans are making more noise at the moment. And there are a lot of Europeans here and certainly around the 12th earlier when the Europeans were hitting their approaches into the 12th. The loudest shears were for them, weren’t they? Absolutely. I mean, we were standing there watching all the games go through and yeah, the European the Americans are just kind of looking kind of shell shocked. I particularly liked as well when we were around the 12th. This is another private jet goes over here. But when we were actually Air Force One, it looks Was that that wasn’t Air Force One? Well, it was flight with the blue. Who knows? I knew that was Air Force One. Ally, where are you? Standing in this grand stand, this massive grand stand behind the first T and it has suddenly got buzzing. That jet, Air Force One, I believe, has flown overhead. The President Donald Trump is on his way. The American team certainly needs some inspiration from the country’s leader. That last match out on the golf course. All eyes focused on that. But this grandstand is packed to the rafters again. They might see this last match come to the 18th green. Uh and the president of the United States will be landing shortly. He’ll be on his way too. I mean strictly speaking, Katrina, it is a private jet. It’s a private jet. You were absolutely right. The other thing that I was noticing when we were by the 12th as well, everybody has their mobile phones up ready to take their pictures and so on and so forth. And there were two Europeans with two old-fashioned blue plastic periscopes that had English and Irish flags on. And that was their way of being five or six back in the crowd and seeing the shots. Yeah, they’re the kind of things I remember seeing at the at the open. You see, they had the yellow little periscopes you used to see in the past. A good idea. We’re ready for the T-shots on 15 for the US. One up monster four this one. As I say, they call it Mount Olympus because the green sits 50 ft above the fairway in the distance as Bob McIntyre, the lefthander, launches into his T-shot. He watches a little bit anxiously to see where that lands. And it’s just in the semi- rough down the left hand side. So a nice position there for Bob McIntyre for the second shot which will be hit by Victor Hovland and next up it is the T-OT Patrick or rather of Xander Choff and he is just sizing it up from behind the ball getting himself ready and now the club head behind the ball driver out for the world number three Xander Schoff. play, winner of the USPGA in the open championship last year and he needs to play like a major champion to protect this onehole lead coming down the closing stretch of holes. Launches his way through that beautifully balanced swing from the American but it’s going left and it’s bat and I think it’s hit the hoardings and bounced up into the rough off the hospitality hordings and the spectators are scattering around that ball way way left. It’ll be trampled down grass, but that is a big big miss from Xander Sha off the 15th T. Yeah, a bit of a shocker. Pressure’s on. You know, the boys are on a real big comeback here and he’s just it’s just got to him and he’s, you know, just shows, doesn’t it, what can happen in this event and he’s hit a big snap up against the boarding and uh you know, it looks pretty thick over there to be fair. And Jamie, is that the pressure that is being exerted by their opponents who’ve won two of the last three holes or is it the fact that their teammates have lost the first three matches or a combination of the two? Yeah, it’s a bit of everything in a bit of everything. Five five yds higher and that would have gone over the white picket fence in the hospitality and landed in that tent and it hit the red hoarding. So it’s just below that picket fence. Kine, yeah, that would have been heading over to the 16th fairway. It it would advantage Europe at the moment. It is 5 11 here in New York. It’s 5 4 in the afternoon back in the UK with Europe 3 up in the morning foresomes with this final match out on the course where the Americans are one up. We will just pause and take a news update. Yes, you’re listening to BBC radio’s coverage of the 45th RDER Cup in the sunshine on Long Island, uh New York. It is hoting up out here in terms of the temperature. It is hoting up in terms of the atmosphere as well. I’m standing at the back of this giant grand stand behind the first tea. The afternoon four balls local time will get underway uh in about an hour and 20 minutes time. But at the moment, all attention is focused on that bottom match. The last Forsome’s match out on course with the American pair of Xander Schoff and Patrick Kentlay currently one up on Robert McIntyre and Victor Havland as they make their way down the 15th. But Schofflay’s drive went way left into that hospitality pavilion that runs up the side uh of that 15th hole. So we’re going to have to wait and see what he has to deal with. Europe leading 3-0 in terms of points on the board so far. John Ram and Tierrell Hatton four and three winners over Bryson Dambo and Justin Thomas. Ludvig Oberg and Matt Fitzpatrick 5 and three. Uh they beat Scotty Sheffller and Russell Henley. Only Matt Fitzpatrick’s second point earned uh in a Ryder Cup. and Rory Maroy and Tommy Fleetwood, they really got it going. Came charging out of the blocks on the front nine and they were five and four winners over Colin Morawa uh and Harris English. So, plenty to play for in the last match out on the golf course. Up on the big screen away to our right, we have just seen shots of the American captain Keegan Bradley giving his latest thoughts on proceedings, trying to put a brave face on it, obviously thinking about his afternoon pairings in the four balls as well. All three rookies yet to get started in this RED Cup for the USA. The US Open champion JJ Spawn, Ben Griffin, Cam Young as well, and Sam Burns who played in Rome 2023. And to add to the excitement, that incredible sight of Air Force One, hundreds of feet above us, came roaring over uh in the bright blue skies above the 18th green here at Beth Page Black. So just to add to the drama and the hull below, the president of the United States, Donald Trump, is on his way and we expect him in these grand stands around this first T 18th green probably uh in the next half hour or so. You’re listening to us out on the golf course. Thank you for your company. We hope you’re enjoying the coverage in the Gulf so far. You’re also listening to us on riderup.com uh around the world. I’m looking at a big screen away to my right hand side about 50 yds up on the right from the first TE I can see Patrick Kentlay and Xander Schoffé deep in discussion the American golf ball is there in the rough on the left hand side big match important match Europe 3-0 up so far in the morning forum Schoff and Kentlay one up on McIntyre and Havlin they are on the 15th and we will be handing you back to our on BBC radio 5 Live Yeah, we are live at Beth Paige Black in New York for the 45th Rider Cup and we have just come up Katrina Matthew up the 15 which is called Mount Olympus and that is some high up from the fairway to the green. It is it’s I think it plays 13 yards uphill. So it’s a big they can’t they won’t be able to see the green from down where they are. There are a lot of people panting up here in Carter. There are and are you one of them? Well, I was, but uh the recovery rate has has surprised me to be fair as we waiting to see the second shot here from Patrick Klay. It’s not on the green. It’s after the Oh, h sorry, Hland has missed the green. Hland played first. We’re looking from right up at the top of the green back down there. And my eye was actually on Cat. He’s come up short. And this flag is tantalizingly positioned right on the front of the green. So that will be a very very difficult to come. Out of the way too, please. Thank you. And that’s the sound around Patrick Canary now as he gets ready to play from the left rough. So the advantage has swung potentially to the Americans here who are one up in this match as it stands at the moment having lost two of the last three holes. Europe having won the first three matches out on the course. This the only action we’ve got the afternoon four balls to come and they will be conducted we’re expecting in the presence of the president of the United States Donald Trump. Now this isn’t running particularly well is it Jamie? No it looks like and it’s in a little bit of the heavy stuff here and quite easily to get a bit of a jump. Um so we’ll just have to seize over the ball now. Yeah, the club head just waggled behind the ball. Horseshoe of thousands of fans around him and he’ll be hitting dramatically up the hill. The green 50 ft higher than the fairway. And now the crowd willing it to land on the green, but it’s come up short. And both pairs have missed the green. And the place not to miss is short given this pin position. Yeah, we’ve got a a pin here tucked right at the front of the green and it’s a really steep hill and the last thing you can do is be sure there is a little bit of a downs slope behind the flag that you could possibly bring the ball back down but it won’t come all the way down to the flag. So the story of this match the Americans going one up after two then at the seventh a bogey from the American pair meant that it went back to all square. They responded with a birdie at the eighth and then really the Europeans very sloppy on the 10th and the 11th to fall three down but then backto- back birdies from Hovland and McIntyre got it back to just the onehole deficit. They both just have the 14th in uh threes, par threes and here we are on this terribly difficult par 4 15th and the players just emerging onto the green. Bob McIntyre leading the way. Victor Hovlin just behind him and he is surveying the scene as he goes back to his ball which is only a fraction short of the green. Yeah, it’s further up than we actually thought. This is not too bad. He’s on a big ups slope as well providing the lie is half decent. He could even actually hold this. Well, there we are. Bold stuff. You got You’ve got the European blood pumping through your veins, haven’t you? Oh, we’re all absolutely bouncing here. I mean, what a day’s goal. three up so far and this match is turning around and momentum is fully on our side. It really is and just stressed looks on the American faces. I can see Gary Woodland and Brans Netica, two of the vice captains along with the captain Keegan Bradley, he’s here. Captains have to start thinking about getting their pairings in for the afternoon four balls. Are they going to play all 12 of their players? That’s the luxury that is now definitely available to Luke Donald after knowing that his team have won this session. The only question is by how much. And now here now is uh Cha sizing up his chip. He’s got about I don’t know 7 yards something like that to the to the surface. Yeah. But he the good thing is he’s slightly left so he’s got a bit of green to work with. You know this is um it’s a good chance of getting this up and down to be fair. So here comes Chevle. Oh, he’s got too much of that and that won’t spin and it’s gone long. But then it will catch the slope and that will allow it to come down. Daring shot from Cha. Wasn’t the spin, it was the gravity and he used the slope to allow the ball to come down to 4 1/2 ft. Yeah, that’s the hill I was talking about before. It’s gone up, come down, but it’s it would never take it fully down to the hole. So, it’s still advantage on our side here. just uh just all depends on the lie that Bobby’s got. And the ball looks like it’s a significantly below his feet as well. Sharply uphill. Yeah. Yeah. Pretty much straight uphill. And it doesn’t look like there’s any break when it hits the green. Uh it’s slightly uphill to the hole. So, it’s all in his favor. And like I said before, it’s just all depends on the line. And so, he has a look. He’s sized up the line. He fancies holding this. So Chip from well the length of his shin below the putting surface cuz we can just see his knees poking out from where he is standing and then the rest of his torso and now he’s ready to go. Glove on his right hand. The leftander pops it up or given it a bit too much and that has just skipped by the hole and they’re pretty much equidistant apart and both real high pressure putts to come. Yeah, very difficult putts as well. These are 4 1/2 5 ft down the hill with break and quick puts. So this is the test of the better putter. Franchesco Molinari with a a quiet modest smile as he just catches the eye of his captain. The sunglasswearing Luke Donald. And there’s a meeting of minds. Franchesco Molinari, Eduardo Molinari, Jose Maria Oltharbal and Luke Donald who’s standing looking very comfortable, hands on him. Oh, he’ll be absolutely bouncing. I mean, it’s obviously down to him, the selection, the pairings, the timings, how they’ve gone out, which order they’ve gone out in. It’s obviously worked so far. We can turn this uh game around now. It’s a very successful day. Europe leading by three points to nil after winning each of the first three forms matches this morning. BBC sounds and five live at Beth Paige Black and it’s Patrick Camplay who will be putting first. What we’re saying four and a half, 5 ft. Yeah, it’s five. It’s about 5 4 5 exactly what you said Ian but it’s just a stinker. It’s a proper downhill left to right quick. So camp who has done so many great things for the United States wearing RDER Cup uniforms one up in this match needs this pup. His captain watches his partner watches and now the ball makes its journey delicately down the slope and misses. It’s missed to the left. thought it was going to borrow more from that left hand side and it’s going to be a bogey for the Americans. Camplay picks the ball up and step forward. Victor Hovland. This put from 4 feet is to level the match. It is indeed and he’s had a couple of rippers in the last few holes. So, you know, he’ll really fancy this now watching Canle roll it by. It is a tough put though. It doesn’t change anything. Um but he’ll be buzzing for the opportunity to get this match back to all square. The lightly bearded Camplay shakes his head, hands on hips, can’t believe that he missed that putt. His partners Shofflay comes up and says, “Come on, we need to keep this together.” Meanwhile, Victor Hoffland, impervious, is standing both feet aside, feeling in those spikes, the contours that he has to negotiate. As Jamie Donaldson said, really slippery putt down the hill. how hard you hit it to get the contour to make it move from left to right. Can’t they hit it too hard? It’s a slightly different angle. It’s a very similar distance. And if this goes in for Europe, it’s all square. It is indeed. I mean, it’s just a little bit straighter than Klayly’s put. He’s over the ball now. I ain’ting it up. And here he goes. Just creeps in closer to the wall. this to level the match for Victor Hoffland from 5T on the 15th. The ball is on its way heading towards the hole and in. And in it goes for Europe and they’ve come from three down to level it with three to play. Brilliant stuff from Luke Donald’s team and Victor Hland holds his nerve after the excellent work of McIntyre and my goodness me all the momentum is with Europe right now. 3-0 up on the board and now all square as we head to the 16th in the only match left on the course. Katrina and Matthew, we were right behind both those parts. And look, both of them were tickled, weren’t they? Both of them had to be tickled. But if you can do it, the Hamlin one was tickled with a bit more confidence. It was tickled with a bit more confidence and on the right line. Can just always looked left from the moment he hit it. Let me ask you about this this final match at the moment because it’s quite difficult to explain just how many people are with this game. Not outside the ropes, inside the ropes. They’ve obviously got friends and family. There’s media here as well. But as they came up 15, then there must have been six, eight buggies behind them with various members of the Americans and the European teams on when everything was on one match in a session. Did you like virtually all your back room staff to be with them or did you want to give them a bit of space? No, I think you want everyone with them, everyone there to support them. I mean, you know, as a player when everyone comes to your game that yes, everything else is finished. They’ve seen the scoreboards. They know need they know they need to win this game. And I think that caused the the hook off 16. It’s just it’s a combination of the pressure. Is that what you wanted, Jamie? You want everybody at your match? Oh, haven’t got Jamie at the moment. You got me. Yep. Go. Say again. Did you want everybody at your match as there are as as sort of this match has, you know, all the buggies with all the back room staff following it and there must be over a 100 people inside the ropes at the moment. Yeah, it’s all gone mad. I mean, at the end of our rider cup, obviously everybody did turn up on my match and uh you know, but you just got to concentrate on your game. Whoever’s there, whoever’s inside the ropes, how many people are hanging around you, concentrate on your game, win your match. Andrew McKe, you’re in the commentary box at the moment as we wait for the four balls to be announced. The other thing here now with this last pair for the American point of view. All the pressure is on them. Partly because of the scoreboard and partly because of the lead that they had. Yeah, this one’s uh melting away here quickly at the end. I just thought uh Alex Meelli, my great friend, just came in and sat down and uh he said, “Ooh, this isn’t good for the red team.” So, let’s see if they can just salvage one. Hit the fairway. Hit the fairway here. I’m watching the screen. Very important to play some golf. I don’t In our match this morning, they weren’t playing golf. They They sprayed it. They missed putts. They chipped too much. And that just had adds up to a loss. They have to get a half out of this. At the very least, the Americans, Andrew, you’d say, get something, get a point, right? And then hopefully this afternoon, I don’t think Keegan Bradley can say anything to these guys. I I don’t know what what he’d say. Go get them. Try to keep your head down. I have no clue how he’s going to change this. It’s up to the players. I’m sure people listening will have heard this during the week, but did you notice who was on one of the buggies as we walk past? Yeah, I thought John Franco got a nice little smile from him. What’s a lovely week he is having? Just sat on the buggy driving. Which of the Molinaris is he driving around? Edwald or Franchesco? I think it’s Franchesco he’s good friends with. Driving Franchesco Molinari around. He’s in the New York sunshine and he’s watching Europe currently leading 3-0 and all square in the final match as we come down 16 in the Friday Forsomes waiting for the four balls to be announced. Ian Carter. Yes, they’ll be coming in 20 minutes from now. I’ve got to be honest, Mark, we’re battling our way down this 16th and as you were detailing, just so many people inside the ropes here. I can’t actually tell you what’s happened with the T-shots here. I can cuz we’re by them. So, both balls both balls are on the fairway. One just towards the right, one just on the left. And there’s maybe 10 to 15 yards between them distance wise. Perfect position on the fairway on the short grass. You know, they can lift it, they can clean it, and get a good shot into this hole. There you go. Are you with us? Yeah. Brilliant. No, good stuff that. Thank you very much. It’s just absolute bedum. you know that as we were coming down that slope, you’ve just got to be so careful because it’s it’s damp under foot and this 16th hole runs in exactly the opposite direction from the 15th. So, having done that 50ft climb up to the green, you do the 50ft climb back down the green and uh or back down from that level and uh so obviously you lose sight of the players on on the team. There’s just so many people who are inside the ropes here. So, uh well done yourself. I think that was really I think it was Katrina that probably exactly no problem at all. We’re spritly Katrina and we just move like gazels. There we are. Well done. I said well done and I’m not saying it again. And now we got so carried away with ourselves I just tripped over Katrina and trod on her. So there we are. Right. Your view of those T- shots, Jamie Donaldson. Say again. Your view of those T-shots. Yeah, they’re both um Oh, I’m just tripping Ian up on the old wire here. Nearly sent him flying down the hill. Legs are a little coming down that big hill. Um both in real strong positions, both on the fairway. Uh the pins at the back, so they can both be quite aggressive here. Yeah, and it’s the Europeans who are have got the longer drive. They’ve hit it right down to the left hand side. And so, uh an excellent T-shot from Victor Hovland. It’ll be Bob McIntyre to play the second shot. And he walks up and he marks the ball so he can clean it and place it and get ready. And you know, as the angles go, it it’s not it’s not that crucial because there is so much green to work with, but there’s slightly more favorable angle coming from that left side to that back right hole location a tiny bit. There’s hardly anything in it really cuz that pin is pretty central in the back portion of that green. Um so both can be, you know, relatively aggressive. You don’t certainly don’t want to be going past it, but there’s uh there’s room to play with. Ju just a wider point about this course there, Nean, and you’ve walked this course over the course of the week. You know, I go back to two years ago when we were in Rome, and there were a couple of incredible signature holes as we came home, the 16th being the one that sticks in my mind with the water and so on and so forth. Would you would you say there is a signature hole coming down this closing stretch or not? I would say the 15th. I mean, the 17th is a tantalizing par three. The 18th, let’s be honest, is a little bit meh. I mean, it’s dead straight. Uh there’s plenty of room, bunkers either side, but not much else going for it. But with the RDER Cup, so many holes are decided on 15, 16, 17 that they’re pretty good holes to decide them. And this 16th is is pretty decent. Spectacular drive down from the top of the hill. And then it’s pretty flat. But the thing is this is this is downwind off the left it looks like to me. But the flags are more animated than it feels at ground level. Yeah, he’s over the ball now. The only thing he doesn’t want to do is get a little bit of adrenaline because he’s uh he’s been fighting a little bit chauffe and go long. He’s over it now. Second shot from around about 150 y in the middle of the fairway. Three/arter back swing accelerated through the ball. High trajectory flying through the clear blue skies landing on the green. The American fans love it. Super shot from Chaé and he’s put it to maybe 15 ft something like that. Excellent stuff. Yeah, really solid shot. Yeah, the pressure’s been on them. Everything’s been against him. The Europeans have won the last three holes. The crowd, you can hear them now cheering, fighting for something. Scraps on the the table at the end of this first morning. They are chanting. They are trying to get behind their side. But I have to say this is one of the most subdued crowds that I’ve seen at an American Rder Cup. I mean, obviously things have gone against them in the first three matches and very convincingly, but there’s not been any of the hostility that was so telegraphed in the buildup to this match. Nothing’s really got the crowd going. And now it’s Bob McIntyre who has to try and reply in kind. This match all square. Europe having won three of the last four holes to come from three down. McIntyre sends it on a slightly flatter trajectory, but it looks good. It hits the green. Oh, it’s superb. Excellent shot from McIntyre as well. And both pairs are looking at birdie opportunities here at the par 41 16. And Victor Hovland applauded him there, didn’t he? Did you see that? I did. I saw that. He liked that. They’re right into this game as you see coming back from three down. All the momentum is with them and I would not put it past Victor knocking this in. So Victor Hoand has putter in hand. Maybe just three or four yards to his right and three or four yards behind him is Luke Donald. Luke Donald looked at Victor Hovland. Victor Hovand looked at Luke Donald. There was no emotion on the faces and they just kept walking. And just in front of Victor Hogland is Keegan Bradley just talking into his little uh gadget thing to talk into. You’d have thought I’d know the word for that, wouldn’t you? I tell you one thing, Mark, that really struck me listening to the interviews that the other guys have done with the winning European pairs. No one getting very excited. All very matterof fact. Yeah, this is very calmly what we expected from our forces pairings because we’re very good at it and you know we’re not getting carried away and we’re going to hear from Matt Fitzpatrick in a little while who alongside Ludvar beat Scotty Sheffer and Russell Henley five and three well aware that people may be getting into their cars and traveling home from work getting an early finish on a Friday so might not know exactly what’s happened while Ram and Tur Hatton lost the opening hole of this morning’s forsomes to Bryson Dambo and Justin Thomas But it turned out to be the only hole that the Americans won. And Ramen Hassan won four and three. Herburg and Fitzpatrick five and three against the world number one and world number three Scottish Sheffller and Russell Henley. And then Rory Mackoy and Tommy Fleet would beat Colin Morawa and Harris English five and four. This final Forsome’s match is all square and we are on the 16th green. Ian and the players have arrived at their balls and both well we got we’re up greenside now Jamie Dson we can confirm they were two fantastic approach shots from these players. Yeah, wonderful shots both of them. Uh Xander hit a great shot in first put the pressure on and uh Bobby just put hit a lovely shot in afterwards. A slightly lower flight bit of chase on it moving it up the green a little bit. Beautiful shots from the power of him. The Americans slightly got the advantage. He’s slightly closer but it’s Europe to go first. So this is a big put to put the pressure on. Certainly is. And Victor Hovland on this back nine has found his putting boots. He’s hold three really good ones. He has. He must that hole must look like a bucket at the moment. The last three holes, three big putts to get this game back to level. So he’ll be eyeing this up thinking there’s only one way this place this is going to go. 15 16 ft something like that up the hill for Victor Hovland who on the front nine hit good putts but they just shaved the edge of the hole and then on the back nine from the moment that they went three down his putter has been on fire and as a result the Europeans are back to all square. Just two holes to go after this one. Here we are on the 16th green. Thousands of eyes staring as Hovland gets ready for this birdie putt. Sends it on its way towards the hole. Looking good, but just shaving the right edge. It turned from left to right. And that has been picked up, conceded by Kentlay. Par four in the bank for the Europeans. But Kantlay can put him and Chauffe one up with two to play here. And what’s he got? 10 ft. Yeah, 10 ft. a little bit of right to left, little bit of uphill. Um, you know, it’s big, it’s advantage back to the Americans here. This is a very important put that could make all the difference in this game. And it’s slightly longer than the one he missed on the 15, but it’s a whole lot easier because it’s up that slope. Little bit of movement from right to left as Jamie Donaldson says. He looks very confident over it. the bearded figure, the man they call Patty Ice. Patrick Campé from California for the United States to nudge ahead in this bottom match once again. Sends it forward. It’s turning away and it stays above ground and it’s all square with two to play. And that was a real chance. One you feel the Americans had to take. Yeah, they did. It was I mean that’s probably the worst point is it all day. Never ever started online. Puts right to left. Starts it straight. misses left. Big pull. There are some nerves out here. Andrew McGee on there. Yeah, I’m sorry I didn’t quite pick that up, but yeah, I’m not sure if he pulled that or misread it. I think he misread it cuz it went He probably thought it was going to go right. It just stayed left. He has to make those. Maybe we’re saving them. Chappers. Yeah. And and and also probably has to make them given the the Europeans opened the door. Really? There it is. I mean, it’s absolute bedum down here. The crowd are probably 10 deep. They’re about six deep inside the ropes. Uh, as well, Andrew, thank you. We’ll talk we’ll talk to you in a little while. Excellent. As you get ready for the four balls, let’s get some reaction as we wait for the T-shots on 17. Matt Fitzpatrick along with Ludvig Oair winning five and three earlier against Sheffller and Henley. Here he here the two of them are. Ludvig, the Olays are ringing out around the green here on the 15th. Just this is a new pairing. Tell me what was working so well out there. Uh yeah, I think uh obviously we we play well, both of us uh which is which always helps, but we also get along really good. So Matt’s a great guy. I enjoy hanging out with him and Forsome can be a little tricky sometimes. The dynamic is a little tricky, but I felt like we uh handled it, you know, really well today and um yeah, pleased with the result obviously. And Matt, what a putt. To finish it off, your first point in the foresomes. I know this is all about the team, but on a personal level, how important and special was that for you? Yeah, of course. Obviously, there’s, you know, for me, this is um a special week for for many many reasons. Obviously, there’s a few things in in my own mind that, you know, I want to obviously achieve as well uh given, you know, my history in this event, but um you know, it’s it’s much easier when you got a partner like Ludvig. uh is uh you know the the trust is is uh it’s very easy to just step on a tea and and know it’s going down the middle. So um yeah, we’ve had a had a great morning. I felt like we played very very well and and definitely deserved it. It’ be the start of something special. Thank you both. Well done. Well, that was Patrick Wood. There’s just been a huge boo here by the crowd aimed at somebody who shouted something as Bob McIntyre approached the ball and was about to take his T-shot and the whole crowd turned on whoever shouted and booed them. I’m going to be quiet now cuz I’m right by the tea. So Ian, you’re further up 17. couldn’t hear you but uh can now and here we are with Bob McIntyre and his T-shot having backed off there. There was a stray shout and he just very composed backed away from that. This is the par three 17th sends the ball up towards the green and the Americans are cheering because that has missed the putting surface J. Yeah, it’s high floating. It’s quite gusty around here. I don’t know if he’s missed the wind or didn’t quite get it, but the ball was high floaty going at the middle of the green. It’s dropped in the bunker. So, this could even be plugged. I’m hoping it is. So, next up is going to be Patrick Can. and he rather Xander Schaeoff who is ready to go with his T-shot lightly bearded figure another Californian from San Diego over it now is Caddy Austin Kaiser lazily leaning on the driver in the big American bag par three here 168 y goes the T-OT high into the sky the Americans willing it to land on the green and it does and it does and so advantage USA here because a difficult bunker shot to come for the European pair and the Americans have found the putting surface. Excellent T- shot there. Yeah, shows it a fantastic shot straight at the flag. There’s no messing momentum against him. He’s come up with a trump with a trump card there. An absolutely wonderful shot. And if the Americans can win this hole, they guarantee themselves half a point. They guarantee themselves something from this opening session which has otherwise been utterly dominated by the European visitors. And this is the first time Katrina that we’ve heard them as pumped up this crowd as they are. They had a shout on McIntyre’s back swing which the rest of the crowd then reacted to and booed as we were explaining. They barked him after he t he’s taken his T-shot. They’re pumped also for their American pair and actually it shows more what a good job the Europeans did in the first three matches to silence them because when it’s tight or when they may be in the lead they are up for it. Absolutely. When it’s tight there I mean you heard they just erupted when McIntyre’s in the bunker right behind us saying in the bunker my Bobby. So yeah I mean you can see that just shows how crucial it is for the Europeans to get leads in some of these games. Uh they will be going down 18 whatever happens. So I would imagine bearing in mind the 18th green alley and the first tier are right next to each other here at Beth Page Black. It is rammed up there. Yeah. I mean for for a couple of reasons Mark not only because this last match of the morning forms is definitely coming up the 18th but also because when was it say half an hour or so ago we saw the white underbelly of Air Force One come roaring uh overhead. We’ve got helicopters buzzing up around us in the sky. Lots of men in in dark suits walking around behind the 18th green behind the first tea. A very visible police presence as well. And a big sort of it’s a five panel like a big bay window of like thick and toughened glass um that has been erected uh just in front of the grand stand I’m standing in and just behind the first te in the 18th green. So at any moment uh Donald Trump may appear through that player’s tunnel and make an appearance in front of these stands. when that T-shot on the 17th from Bob McIntyre went in the bunker when that was confirmed, huge roars went up uh around the grand stand here uh behind the first TE behind the 18th green. So I I would say it’s a fever pitch at the moment. We’re going to get drama on the golf course. Uh and um we’re going to see something I don’t think we’ve ever seen at a Ryder Cup as well with a with a with a sitting president turning up very shortly. Ian, he’s got a lie. This isn’t too bad. Well, here on the 17th, Victor Hovland has arrived at his ball for this bunker shot. And if it’s lying okay, it shouldn’t be too tricky for the Norwegian. Addressing it now. Second shot on the par three with the Americans 16 ft away after a brilliant T- shot from Schoffé. The ball comes up, skips by the hole from Havland. And that was pretty decent. He’s put it to 6 and 1 half 7 ft. Yeah, it’s 6 and 1 half 7 ft. You know, it’s probably, you know, he’s he’s not his best, but he’s pretty good. He’s got a chance here to uh to put the pressure on and see if he can make that for par. I tell you what, this match has been a slow boiler, hasn’t it? But it’s an absolute epic contest now. Yeah, it’s it’s it’s really going off now. He was a little bit slow to to start the day, but Victor was hitting so many good putts and he just weren’t quite going in. The back part of this uh this match when the pressure’s really been on, he’s been making them all in the middle. The last one just slid by, but he’s puted way better on this back nine. How many thousand people do you think are around this green? Yeah, there’s so many people here now. This is just wonderful scenes here at Beth Page Black. Amazing. I I I reckon there must be 10 to 15,000 people because the grand stand behind the tea and the elevated area around that they’re standing 20 deep and then the whole is encircled by that kind of measure and a grand stand behind. Hospitality to the right, hospitality to the left, hospitality back right. Goodness gracious me. So many eyeballs here on Patrick Camplay of the United States. This to go one up with one to play. This is for Birdie on the 17th green. It’ll move from left to right. He’s aiming well to the left. He’s missed decent putt opportunities on each of the last two greens. He desperate to make this birdie and you’ll know all about it if it disappears from just over 20 ft. Over it now. Pulls it to the left. Lets it turn to the right. heading towards the hole. Heading towards the hole and stopping on the edge of the hole. Yeah, it’s one of those that you can’t really be too aggressive with because the Europeans have still got quite a lot of work to do. He’s hit a great point. He was tracking all the way, but it’s just not quite got the legs. Uh it’s a big putt now coming up from Bobby Mack. Yeah, remember the third the first of the par threes and he hold that 15-footer. That was so important in those early exchanges. Here he is on the last of the par threes with a putt that’s a little bit shorter but a whole lot bigger. Yeah, there’s another big one. Yeah, that one early on, you know, and he just stayed him at one down, didn’t it? You know, this is another one, like you say, exactly the same. A must make. He’s down on his hunches and he’s looking at it from the side angle and now he’ll take every every care over this. And it’s Bedum around here. They are chanting. there singing and Bob McIntyre is his own little bubble. It’s the stray shouts that put you off and he did so well to back away as he did when that lone shout came on the tea. Aborted his takeaway and reset himself. Well, here now quiet descends on the 17th green. This for a half. This to go to the last all square. This from 8 9 ft sends it on its way. Misses to the left. misses to the left and the United States are guaranteed something from this session. They can’t be beaten in the bottom match. Can’t they and Chaof have gone one up on the 17th against Hland and McIntyre. A bogey four for the Europeans and it means they have to win the last to grab a half and make Europe unbeaten on the first morning here. Yeah. And as we walk up this walkway, Keegan Bradley just ahead of myself and Katrina and he is waving his arms in the air and he is trying to get this crowd going as the players move on to the 18th T. And they are pumped and I keep going back to it. Katrina, this is what happens when they have the chance. Yeah, the atmosphere now it really is electric. That’s the biggest cheer we’ve all heard all day. Can hardly hear anything in the headphones now. No, to be honest, I’m just guessing when somebody stops talking and then starting again. It’s different now. Ian Carter, it is. It is very different. There is a There’s something There is something for the Americans to cling to and they’ve had precious little. All of it has come from these two and they are a tried and tested combination. Yes, they lost both their forsomes in Rome two years ago, but they have delivered more than they failed for America. And you can see why Bradley wanted them out last in this group. And that was a vital win there. And obviously the the the bit that that that let Europe down was McIntyre’s T-shot ultimately. He missed the green. The Americans found the green. They made their par. And that’s why they’re one up with one to play. And Alex Miselli who is back in our commentary box, US golf journalist, that there’s an element of relief out here as well because it means that the USA will have something on the board at the end of these forums. Well, I think you know if you were Keegan Bradley, you must have thought about what happened with Zack Johnson in Rome and there was no you had no solution for that after it happened. So yes, I agree with you chapters. I think the other thing is is that if you’re going to lose this match in your America, you would like to have lost it at the 12th or 13th hole because you’ve given now the uh the Europeans or the Americans a time to get involved as you said with the fans. And I think that’s something that wouldn’t have happened if this would have been done much earlier. Yeah, that’s the uh that’s the big thing, Ollie Wilson, at the moment when you were out here on the course. It was all very flat, wasn’t it? I was amazed at how quiet it was. Uh the crowd certainly hadn’t turned up this morning. You kind of expect them to be rallying around considering things weren’t going well for the players, but they just never did. So, I guess now there’s a little bit of uh bit of bit of red momentum coming up on the board. They’re starting to get going, but been very disappointed with them so far. So Patrick Can has teed off on this closing hole down the hill 411 yds and then up the hill to the green and he’s found the fairway with his T-shot and next up with driver in hand it’s Victor Hland. Europe have to win this m this hole to grab a half point and make Luke Donald unbeaten after the opening sequence. There goes the T-shot peeling away to the right. There are bunkers down there. There’s thick rough down there as well, and it’s hard to say exactly where it has landed, but it’s way right of the fairway. Seas of bunkers and thick grass down there as well. It’s in the rough down the left hand side. So, advantage America on the board in terms of this match and advantage in terms of the context of the closing hole as well. Yeah, it’s a it’s a dead straight hole this one. Beautiful looking golf hole and the Americans have hit a solid shot down the left and sadly Victor’s just peeled it off right and uh it’s all in the lap of the gods now. We’d have to wait and see if if he’s got some sort of shot, but they need to make a birdie. Absolutely. And Jamie, we’ve got to do a massive yump now to get into position for this elevated closing green to see where those balls are going to land. But it looks very much as though as it stands at the moment, Mark, the Americans are going to grab a point from the final match. And that would leave the Forsomes at 31 and would just give a little bit of momentum for them going into the afternoon. Four balls, Katrina, definitely give them some momentum, but I think the Europeans have got to be the happier team. I mean, they’re going to be delighted with that start at 3-1. I think in all the kind of thinking beforehand, Luke Donald would be very happy. He’d have taken 3-1. Alex Miselli, what what has surprised you about how this morning has gone, if anything. Well, I I never thought that the fan issue was as going to be as big as we’ve talked about, so that didn’t surprise me. I thought the flatness of the fans were something that was kind of interesting. But I think the other thing is is the the typical US team showing up and then not really showing up, not making putts. I mean, Justin Thomas has a six-footer and misses a six-footer. You can’t miss a six-footer in the RDER Cup. But actually what what happened in those first three games really is that the Americans, we were saying to Katrina earlier, they only won four holes in those first three games. So the margins of victory were huge. But even if you, you know, even if you’re three down and win a hole to go two down, you can you can feed off the energy. And they weren’t really doing that either. You know, one thing we don’t do very well, Mark, is we don’t step on your throat when we have an opportunity to do that. And the example came the first match after we won the first hole. What did we do? Nothing. We didn’t do take advantage of situations we had early on. And we didn’t do anything to go ahead and and move the number a little higher. Two up, three up. No, couldn’t do that. And then all of a sudden, Rahm and Hatton found it out by I think the seventh hole. And then they just they just boat raced us all the way to the end. Alli, uh, where are you? Are you are you where you were earlier? Above the first two, above the 18th green or exactly? Yeah, Mark, I’ve got a pinpoint perfect view of the 18th green. I’m about 40 ft above it, about 50 yards behind it. Incredible scenes away in the distance. So looking at this hole in reverse. So away up to that 18th T at the top of the hill, those sort of three giant steps, the different teaing grounds that you come down. And all I can see at the moment is just thousands and thousands of multicolored golf fans streaming left and right this fairway trying to get into position uh to see the closing drama uh of this forome session. We know that Donald Trump may appear behind this first T18th green at any moment. But obviously the spotlight is on those golfers out there uh inside the fences playing the hole with the American Shalay and Canlay one up. People still pouring into these grand stands but it is standing room only. They are tightly packed in. Everyone trying to get a view of the action in the blazing sunshine. Katrina just went to had a little look at where the European ball was and how it was lying. Not good. It was really looking pretty buried in one of the thickest lies I’ve seen actually this week. The only good thing going is he’s not got that far. Probably only about 100 yards, but it’s a tough line. He’s going to have to really gouge it out here. Yes, we had a look as well. So did Joseé Maria Olaf Farble, the vice captain for the Europeans, and he went straight onto his radio to relay what was undoubtedly bad news at that point because uh Jamie Donaldson is going to be a tough ass to find the green from there. Yeah, it is. It just looks like that uh really thick grass. This could spin the club face. This thing could go anywhere. So uh it’s going to be hard work. Um but you never know. It’s Bobby Mack. He is every anything’s possible. Yeah, he’s standing there. He’s looking at his yardage book with Mike, his caddy, and they’re working out what to do. We might be able to hear their conversation. Number I mean, I wanted to pitch 114. That’d be ideal, right? Maybe that’s the conversation that’s going on. Pretty close to try to get that number. Yeah, he’s taking the club anyway from way right of the fairway. The one thing he’s got going for him is there’s plenty of green. Yeah, he he has actually got a great angle coming into this pin. But if the lie is uh as difficult as it looks from here, then I don’t think it’s going to matter. Been an epic contest this. The Americans always ahead, pegged back a couple of times. There were three up at one stage, but this is the American second shot coming in right now and spun back beautifully. What a great shot. Low five there for Xander Sha because he’s put it to 8 n ft if that and that is just brilliant. Yeah, that’s a wonderful shot. You know, he’s hit it just past the pin, spun it back. Beautiful. Absolutely great answer to this European onslaught on this back nby’s over it now. He just needs to produce something that he’s never hit before here to get it tight and put the pressure on this, you know, 8ft put the Americans have got left. So, McIntyre, I’m surprised on the angle it looked like he would be hitting first and then up it came. He’s thrown everything at that, but he can only get it as far as the bunker. And this is very, very close to being closed out now because Victor Hovland will have to play from the bunker. a bunker shot of around 25 yds. And if it doesn’t go in, I think they’ll call it quits because the Americans are one up here. Looks very much as though this session is going to be won by Europe by three points to one. Yeah, it was as tough as as we thought it was and, you know, he’s given it an almighty Larup and it’s just not come out at all. It’s gone, you know, sort of uh 2/3 of the distance that he had. So, he’s got a really long bunker shot and yeah, like you say, Ian, it’s got to go in. And we can see from our position the glass that has been put into place for presumably where Donald Trump the president will emerge at some point and uh he’ll emerge behind that glass. We’ve seen Secret Service agents as we’ve made our way up to the 18th and maybe the pre presence of the president is potentially going to inspire an American fight back and maybe that is starting with this match. Should I give you the afternoon four balls as we as we wait for this shot? So, first out will be Scotty Sheffller and JJ Spawn and they will take on John Ram and Sep Striker. Then Ben Griffin and Bryson up against Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose. Then Cameron Young and Justin Thomas again against Ludvig Ober and Raasmas Hoygard. And then finally Sam Burns and Patrick Canle will take on Rory Maroy and Shane Lowry. So just looking at that, that’s all 12 men on both sides will have featured by the end of the first day. Thanks, Mark. Well, here is Victor Hovland and he’s got to he’s got to hold this and he’s way below the level of the green. 25 yds, sends the ball up onto the green and the ball puts its brakes on and that’s three shots played by the Europeans. And I wonder I wonder would you just call it quits here or would you just wait and see the the European or the American putt for for birdie? You kind of should really but you know if you you could let them see one point. It depends on who who is it on here but you’re pretty much close to pull picking it up. Yeah. Well it doesn’t look look like that’s going to happen with Bob McIntyre. He is marking his ball. The Europeans haven’t lost their turn. Certainly, if he misses this putt, it will be all over. But if it goes in, well, it’ll just ask the question of the Americans, but they’ll have two putts to win. And it’s very hard to envisage professional golfers three putting from that position in terms of the scoreboard as well. But McIntyre is going to give it absolutely everything. He is, and it’s an absolute must. You know, he if he doesn’t make this, it’s just a pickup. But um I think you’re pretty much there anyway really because the Americans are so close to the hole. Yeah, it was a brilliant approach in from Cha and uh it’s Cha and Camplay very sportingly holding their hands up and saying let’s have best of order here for Bob McIntyre as he putts now to try and make the par for the European team. sends the ball forward towards the hole and it misses and that will surely be that. The caps come off. Handshakes McIntyre to Kantlay. Hland to Cha and the crack pair of the Californians. Canlay and Choffle have delivered for the United States. And for once, the music strikes up in celebration on this dramatic morning which was so dominated otherwise by the Americans. And if you were born in the USA, you’ve only got one one match to celebrate. It was the bottom one and it has been won by Schoffé and Can. And I have to say I think they deserved it. They they withstood the comeback and then they closed it out very well and actually that would be the message for Keer Bradley. the rest of his team. Is it they went from three up to all square and four back and he needs a little bit more of that. He does. I mean that was two quality shots they hit coming down the last just showed their class. I think the twotime major champion and show you know hitting a great shot in there on the last Jamie. Yeah, I mean it was a really good game. You know they did fight back. They got so close to just uh getting right back into it and stepping up on the 17th. the football didn’t go in and then it all changed and then it’s just a you know they’ve managed to get a point on the board. So you know it’s 3-1 not 4-0. If it had been 4-0 it would have been a world of pain for them but it’s still not a great place for the Americans and a great start for the Europeans. So every so many stats point in Europe’s direction after that first session. I could read so many out. I mean, going back to 1991, teams that have earned at least three points in the first session have then won the RDER Cup seven times out of eight. I I’m happy to walk, but I have no idea where we’re going. And with with all I never thought I’d say this. I don’t really want to get in President Trump’s way. No, but I’m going to go down this way and see if I can get an interview with the the the players here. Don’t know whether it’s going to be possible, but we’ll give it a give it a crack. But you you’re right to highlight that statistic. Winning the foresome session on the first morning more often than not equates in overall victory by Sunday night. And also an away team winning the Forsomes is so hard to do. In previous four RDER Cups, the home team had won the Forsome sessions by a total score of 24 1/2 to 7 1/2. Shows how hard that is to do. It just shows how momentous that morning was. I mean the and the the level of the victories as you say five and four. Got Patrick and with me now. The Americans are really and and I’d expect them to. They’re going to come out firing this afternoon. Sheffller is not going to want to be well beaten again. I’ll read those pairings again for you. But it does show what they’ve achieved so far. It does. It’s unbelievable. I mean, the Forsomes is a great form of golf. It’s such a pure g part of the uh the game and you know, it’s just great to see and it’s one of those that if your rhythm goes playing fors, it’s the hardest format to get it back. And you know the the lads have just performed unbelievably today to get this 3-1 lead in this first morning. So Matar and Havland will both be rested this afternoon. Tier Hatton rested this afternoon and Matt Fitzpatrick rested this afternoon. So they’re the four who will sit out. Yeah. I mean I think Luke Donald wanted to get everyone playing today. It’ be really tough not to play the first day. So I mean at the end of the day I know they’ve played really well this morning but you’ve got to you’ve got to sit some people in the afternoon to get the other ones out there. What impressed you the most then this morning, Ollie, in the bigger picture? Yeah, I I um I I just think the uh the the European team came out as I said the other day, yesterday, they within the camp they were feeling very very confident and I couldn’t help but it was a bit contagious, you know, to feel how confident they were and they came out on the course and that showed they played great. They got off to a great start and that those first five holes uh so important and they just got off to that great start. Okay, I’m just going to jump in. Ian Carter live with the American duo. Yeah, Patrick Can and Xander Show. Many congratulations guys. You really delivered when your team needed it. Yeah, nice to be out there with Xander. Uh we love playing alternate shot together and nice to get a point on the board going into four ball. Xander, it was a really tense contest throughout, wasn’t it? Yeah, Pat and I had to kind of lean on each other pretty hard through throughout different parts of this match. So, it’s never great to lose lose a big lead, but it’s nice to finish off this way. Yeah, Patrick, when you were three up cruising in a sense, but then pegged back to all square, what were the thoughts then? Yeah, we’ve been in that that spot plenty of times. Um, and we just stuck to our process, hit a bunch of good shots coming down the stretch. Yeah, and and to respond in that way must give you so much confidence. Yeah, I mean, it’s not about us here. We we we saw a lot of blue on the board and we know it’s crucial to get a point and uh it’s nice to get one late going into four ball. And I’m asking you to speculate here overall what do you think the mood guys will be in the American team room after that session fight we’ll be good to go good to go and fight. Thank you very much indeed. Really appreciate your time. Thank you very much. Thank you guys. Ian Carter with Patrick Hanley and Xander Schae. Fight and good to go. Would you agree Alex Miselli? Well I don’t know if I agree. I mean, what I saw in the first three matches wouldn’t necessarily lead you to believe that, but we’re all pitting our hopes on what happened, if you’re an American, on what happened in match four. Katrina said she expects the Americans to come out fighting. I think that’s probably true. But the question is, do they have the firepower to be able to uh overcome a European team that clearly is a more cohesive team than what the US team is? for all the talk for all the talk of Patrick Canle and and what happened in Rome, he has and and also why he wants to play this event and everything else that goes with it. He has some steel, doesn’t he? I mean, I thought that with how he handled himself in Rome on the Saturday and the Sunday, to be honest with you. We were together. Yeah, I think that’s Sunday. And it it was incredible, wasn’t it, to see all of that noise and the hats off and the singing that went on, the taunting that went on. Way more atmosphere than we’ve had here at Beth Paige today. And he stood tall in that and he delivered. And that’s why he was a captain’s pick for this American Rder Cup team this time round. He is a captain’s dream, isn’t he? I mean, and maybe Dream and Patrick Canly don’t often go together in the in the same sentence because he can be a a divisive character and his his style of golf and his slow play is not for everybody, but as a captain, you need people like that. You do. He’s kind of like an Ian Poulter for the Europeans. You need someone who’s probably going to kind of rile up the opposition. His nickname Patty Ice. I mean, no, he kind of lives up to that billing, doesn’t he? You know, he is going to probably deliver for you. Uh, Alex Miselli, is he going to be crucial? Well, I think everything’s crucial at this point when you’re down 3-1. I think everybody has to step up. I think what’s more crucial is to see Scotty Sheffller show up because, you know, you’re world number one. You’ve been world number one for a while. Everybody, meaning on both sides of the Atlantic, look up to you. And when you don’t show up, I think that only buoys what the European team is doing. And so I think if Scotty Shuffler showed up and could win a point in the afternoon and then do something uh tomorrow morning, that would be a huge thing for the Americans. Uh why do you think that that becomes a thing in quite a lot of RDER Cups with the world number one or the top ranked player that quite often more often than not they struggle? I had the stat earlier. I think it was something like they’ve won 38% of their matches have the highest ranked player in a Ryder Cup. Well, I I think you know I obviously I don’t you may have a better feel than I do chapters on what it’s like to be world number one. But um I I I think I think they put all they put a lot of pressure on themselves because they are world number one. And as as much as Scotty Shelford talks about the fact that oh I don’t think about this and I don’t think about that. I think that’s garbage. I think he thinks about all of it but he’s not going to necessarily articulate it to us. Um, so I think, you know, the pressure of trying to win a RDER Cup, the pressure of, you know, trying to help your guy around and make sure that everything works out well. I mean, Tiger didn’t care about that so much. Scotty Shuffler is a different kind of individual. And I think in his particular case, I think he has these feelings about, okay, I need to lead, but I don’t want to be seen leading. I don’t want people asking me about leading. It’s a it’s a it’s a huge conundrum for him, I think. And and we see it. And I think he’s, you know, his his for his foresome play is just atrocious. And it’s there’s really no explanation because you see the guy winning tournament after tournament after tournament. You’re like, “Oh, there’s no question that he’ll finally figure it out.” Well, here we are in 2025 after the first morning’s matches and he still hasn’t figured it out. I mean, both both teams like to have motivational speakers. You know, the the big four in men’s tennis, Jovovic, Fedra, Nadal, Murray all gave motivational speeches. as I mean Farrell has as well. Has has Keegan Bradley asked you to go in and give a motiv motivational speech, Alex, to the team? Uh I don’t think that’s uh Keegan Bradley’s deal. Um and and to be honest with you, and when Andrew McGee was in here earlier, he thinks he thinks he should just say nothing. Go have lunch, guys. Calm down, get something to drink. And I mean, these guys have been doing this for a long time. They pretty much know what the deal is. They know that they got to go out there this afternoon and perform. And if they don’t perform, then I guess they’ll be the losing team in 2025. See you later, Alex. Alex Veli, US golf journalist with us on Five Live Sport. So the morning forums are done here at Beth Page Black in New York and there’s now hardly a cloud in the sky. Gorgeous, gorgeous uh afternoon on the way here and it has been a lovely morning for the Europeans as well. After the Forsomes, they lead 3-1. The four balls get underway in uh what about 20 minutes or so. So we’ll do a little bit of golf on Sports Extra 3 drive coming here on Five Live in the next half hour to round up all the day news. Then we’ll be back on Five Live. Here’s Chris Wbertton. The Voice [Music] So, here we are on Sports Extra 3 here on the BBC and with the Encourse Radio as well. Um, now still with me are Alex Machelli and of course member of our team, former European Rder Cup team member Ollie Wilson. And uh, look, we’re going to dissect this stuff continuously for the next 20 minutes or so. Um, so let’s we’ll go into the four ball uh, pairings shortly because we did go give those out with Chappers um, a short while ago on Five Live. Um, I look initial thoughts, we’ve already given them. Um, I’ll give you a stat. The last time Europe won an opening session of a Ryder Cup in America was 2004. Um, Ollie, you watch Sheffller and Henley against Oberg and Fitzpatrick. I mean, how good were that European pairing in that? They were brilliant. Um, they did everything that they needed to do. They came out, played solid, hit well, they actually didn’t hit that many fairways, but they played well, but their approach play was phenomenal and their put in was great. They did exactly what they needed to do. Took advantage of those first five or six holes where there’s birdie chances. Um and it and it was just great. They just applied the pressure on the US team and I actually thought later on on the round I I thought the setup of the golf course actually played into the favor of the European team in that match. Um Alex, you’ve already given your thoughts on kind of what’s been a fairly humbling morning for for Keegan for Keegan Bradley. I mean they’ve got to be feeling pretty flat, haven’t they? Well, well, I you know, I don’t know about flat because of what happened at the end. I mean, I think that that can be a motivator. Um, but I I I want to ask a question actually, if you don’t mind. Go for it. Alli, what what do you think is set up the setup in this golf course makes it something that would actually lean towards the Europeans versus the Americans? Well, in in that particular match in number two, um, Scottish Heffler obviously hits a lot of fairways. Uh Russell Henley is short but hits a lot of fairways. Um lovely Goberg bombs it and he’s straight but they actually in that group they actually missed quite a lot of fairways but they were so far in in advanced uh past the the Americans that they they took advantage of it. They were going in with shorter shots and the rough wasn’t a problem and the the fact that the rough is cut down so much. It’s um it’s not putting a uh that much importance on hitting the fairway. Now, I should just interrupt you both gentlemen because on the first tea, we can see President Donald Trump. He’s joined by his granddaughter Kai, who is a very talented young amateur golfer herself down in Florida. He’s there. He’s got the blue jacket on. No tie for him today. Sunshining down. He’s taking the cap off his head and just shaking hands with some dignitaries there. So, all of a sudden, lots of whooping and hollering there on that first tea. Um, Ollie, have you ever played golf in front of a president or a bit of royalty or anything like that? I can imagine it’s it’s something a bit different that these guys are going to be experiencing. I’m trying to think back to 2008 of Valhalla. I I can’t remember um if the president was there at that time, okay, but there was I I don’t think he was, but there was a lot of um I remember Michael Jordan on the Boogies. Um, I remember all the sort of crew of the US team, they were all there very close trying to make an impact, like getting quite close to the Europeans, asking to be, you know, needing to push them back, get them out of the way. So, in terms of that, you know, more and more people close by, trying to make you feel uncomfortable, but I can’t say I’ve ever played in front of the president. Okay, Alex, what what will this do to the US team? What will it do to the crowd? Well, I mean the crowd obviously there’ll be some interest in the fact that the president is here. The first time I think a president, a sitting president has ever actually been at a Ryder Cup. Um, but I think ultimately it doesn’t really change anything about this. I mean, at the end of the day, Donald Trump is not making any putts out there. He’s not supposed hopefully he’s not going to be uh putting any tariffs on anybody for playing poorly. Um, so the the hope is is that, you know, as Keegan Bradley says, the hope is is that for some reason Donald Trump here is going to be something that’s going to invigorate his team. I’m not really sure how. I think I’d rather have a guy making a 15-footer than Donald Trump being here. Well, that’s something that Keegan Bradley needs to hope for himself this afternoon. And well, there he is. President Trump in a enclosed glass box just behind this first tea. packed out grand stand as the US national anthem is being belted out. Caps over the hearts on the chests for all the Americans in the stand and you can see some European fans as well all stood up um in respect of that US national anthem. So if you are on the golf course or maybe you are listening from a far-flung corner of the globe, welcome along to our coverage. I hope that you enjoyed the morning session even if the result didn’t quite go your way. And if it did go the way that you were hoping for, well, even better stuff. Now, we’re just going to talk about some of these afternoon pairings uh whilst we have a moment. So, team Europe will have had all 12 players out there on the golf course, as will team USA as well. So, those players who were missing from the morning session, Justin Rose and Raasmus Hoygar come in. We’ll run through the exact pairings in just a moment as we hear a big fly pass fly straight over our studio. And that is very loud indeed. What jets are those, Alex? Our tax dollars at work right there. Well, it made quite the noise as it thundered overhead. And I think that that’s a nice treat whilst we’re in a bit of a lull here whilst the players go and get themselves a little bit of lunch and dust themselves down ahead of this afternoon session. So whilst all the festivities go on on the tea, let’s run through those afternoon footballs then. So the world number one Scottish chef partners the US Open champion JJ Spawn three majors between them in that particular US pairing. They’re up against John Ram and Sep Straa who comes in for Europe. He sat out of course in the morning session. Um initial thoughts on that particular from my standpoint um I think Straa is still trying to deal. I mean just had a baby was home for a while hasn’t really played very much. Uh, you know, obviously John Rom is John Rom, but I really do like the shuffler spawn thing. I think JJ Spawn is uh been playing well. I’ve heard that they pretty much gel together, Shuffler and Spawn. So, I think that might be a that might might be an American advantage. But, uh, you know, you can’t discount John Ram at any time. And you need birdies, don’t you? And that that looks like a ripe pairing, Ollie, from a European standpoint. It does. Um, I mean, to be fair, all four are, you know, some of the four best ball strikers in the world of golf. So there’ll going to be a lot of greens hit, a lot of chances. Um the Sheffless Spawn pairing, um I do like um I that worries me a little bit. Um I think Dre Spawn’s got something that he could deliver pretty big this week. Um which is slightly worrying from a European perspective, but you know, Seep Striker, I think, yes, he’s not played loads coming into this week, but I don’t think he’d be going out with John Ram first in the four wall if he wasn’t in good form and looking strong. So that’s promising that he’s in that position. I mean, he’s a Ryder Cup rookie JJ Spawn, isn’t he? And he’s had obviously had a career changing year winning that US Open and been in great form all year really. He’s had a I mean, he could have won three or four times. Um, all that kind of goes out the window, but it’s it’s a different entity, the Ryder Cup. You played in the Ryder Cup yourself. I mean, it’s it’s all right having a major championship under your belt, but you’re partnering the world number one here in in a really important match, you know, because that’s going to set the tone for the rest of the session. Yeah, I mean uh my actually my college coach Josh Gregory coaches him. Um and I spoke to him about him and he was very complimentary as he would be obviously but um he was saying that he loves the big occasion. He doesn’t fear it and he’s sort of thriving now and I think the fact that him and Sheffller get on so well. Uh he feels comfortable around the world number one and that might help Scotty as well just feeling like he doesn’t actually need to pull somebody along with him. So, um, yeah, I just think for various reasons, that’s a very strong pairing. But, you know, John Ram played well today. Striker, great ball striker. I think number one in most of the stats. Um, so it’s going to be a good good game that one. So, that te’s off in just under 10 minutes time. Um, in fact, no, that’s a lie. 14 minutes time at 12:25 p.m. local time. Match two, another rookie and partnering Ben Griffin will be Bryson Dshambo. We asked Bryson Dshambo yesterday, Alex, what kind of a role he felt that he had to play in that US team. He said he would do anything that’s required. He obviously had the star match or star pairing earlier on that didn’t really go exactly how he would have hoped it to. in terms of the afternoon. Um, he’s now got to kind of carry the can and and get Ben Griffin into the swing of things in terms of a Ryder Cup. Well, you know, Ben Griffin has been chomping at the bit to get out here. So, I think in some ways if you’re Bryson, your job now is to kind of tamper him down a little. You don’t want to get too emotional too quick because you want you don’t want to fade down the stretch. So, I think, you know, he’s just got to take it, you know, one shot at a time kind of thing even though it’s the first hole. Bryson on the other hand, he has to understand a that he’s playing four ball now versus forsomes. So he needs to make birdies, but he at the same time he can’t be so aggressive that he puts himself out of the hole and leaves it to Ben Griffin. I mean, the one thing that anybody knows when you’re playing four ball is that the fact that you want to put two balls on the green and you want to get each of you to have a chance to make birdie and that’s very very important. Yeah, I I would agree. But just with him being a rookie, I I really like the US rookies. don’t think they’re proper rookies. They um they’re more than capable and I think that was a mistake leaving them out some out of the foresome. So, it’s good to see them playing in the four ball and I expect the rookies to perform really well this afternoon including Ben Griffin. It’s not going to be easy. I had the pleasure of walking around and watching that Fleetwood Mroy powering. Fleetwood is involved in this second match. He partners Justin Rose who is an experienced hand at the very least. Oie. Um, that is that’s quite a formidable European pairing, isn’t it? And the way Fleetwood played earlier, I mean, it’s it’s hard really to see who’s the supporting role in that. They’re both going to be going straight at it, aren’t they? Yeah. I mean, you would always put Rosie as the leader. Um, he’s, you know, the leader of the uh the whole team really with his experience, but Tommy stood up and and obviously tour champion. Um, there’s just a whole lot of pedigree in that group. So, I think they’ll be pretty excited to get out there with each other and they’ll just be supporting each other and just go and play their game. I think they they both know, you know, the strategy out there. They’re just going to have to make some birdies. So, um again, really strong pairing. Yeah, it really is. It really is. In match three, Cam Young makes his debut uh alongside Justin Thomas, Ludvig Oberg, Rasmus Hoyar. Um the DNE’s debut. Um Cameron Young, a New Yorker, Alex, playing in New York. What What is it that you like about him in terms of um you know, being part of this US team? Well, I think first of all, he’s always been a really good professional, just couldn’t find a way to get it over the line and win a win a tournament. And then when he finally did, you start seeing all the positives that he has going back to when he used to finish all these runner-up finishes, just just not figuring it out. So now he comes to New York. He loves New York. He’s from here. His dad’s a PJ professional. I mean, the whole pedigree kind of thing just just kind of fits together nicely here. And, you know, he’s he’s a strong player. That’s I Alli said it. You know, you look at our rookies and they they really are not rookies. And he’s a he’s an extremely strong player. And I think the thing is is that he may be the one that has to pull Justin Thomas along after watching what I saw this morning versus Justin Thomas having to pull him along. And and if you’re going to pick any of the four against European pairings that you have to play against, I think this is the one that’s probably the most suspect. So I think if you’re if you’re an American team and you’re you’re Cameron Young, you’re like, well, I got a really good chance here. Yeah. Is that the way you see it, Ollie? Uh it is. Um I’m excited to see Rasmus High get going. Um it’s made for the football as well, isn’t it? It’s made for him the course. Um and and to be fair, watching Ludwig um play today and hit the driver, it’s it’s made for him, too. So, it’ll be fun watching them two off the tea, just launching it down around the course. But I think Raasmus’ uh you know, I know he’s going to be nervous. He’s so excited to have made the team, but it’ll be so excited to get going in this format in the afternoon. You know, the crowd’s going to be a little bit more boisterous. I fully expect them to turn up today, this afternoon. I certainly hope they do. Um and that’s kind of part of the fun. So I think um again strong pairing but I like the Europeans in that one. Yeah. Yeah. I mean this is the sort of stage isn’t it where actually you know you can hide behind Ludvig um if if you’re not quite up to it or you’re a bit nervous to sort of feel the feel your way in a little bit in in many senses. But he’s had the pleasure last time of sitting on the boogie and watching his twin brother Nikolai at Marco Simone. How important is that? the fact that he’s been in there and amongst it and knows what it’s all about. He sat on a buggy with Thomas Bjorn. He watched his brother do battle and now it’s his turn. So, how how was it important that he was in Italy or not? I mean, it helps. It all helps. It just makes you feel part of the team even more so than you than you would normally. The fact that they’re so close with Thomas Bjorn, who’s been a part of the Ryder Cup for for, you know, almost decades. Um, it’s it all plays a part. He’s going to be feeling comfortable, but he’s still going to be nervous. Um, but he’s got the game for it. And I think he could go, you know, he could be very exciting to watch. Just seen some pictures of Gary Player, who is a neutral, I suppose, when it comes to the RDER Cup on that first T. And we see Keegan Bradley now, I think, just looking up at that huge 8,000 seater grand stand. That is well, a humongous horseshoe. really really daunting thing actually for the players to to see as they walk through that 800 um that 100 yard tunnel all the way underneath the grand stands out there uh to lots of spectators who by now as we would say in the UK very welloiled um Alex the atmosphere um I must say actually having been out there for that match I was expecting New York rockus crowd they’ve got a reputation to uphold and I didn’t really see a great deal of it this this uh this morning. Yeah, I I and I agree with you and and the question is if that what reason that is. Is it because we weren’t playing well? Um is it because I mean part of the reason I would say here is this is one of these places that’s a hard golf course to walk and a lot of people may decide that they’re not going to really go out there far out there and and walk and and see what’s going on. Um, there could be the part of the fact that we talked about this ad nauseium about the fan interest and how they’re going to be maybe over the top that most fans are like, “Okay, all right. We’ll we’ll try to we’ll try not to do anything crazy.” I don’t really know what the reason is, but I do know that support a supportive fan base is something that could help the Americans in the afternoon. And if we don’t get a supportive fan base, uh, it could be more of the same what happened this morning. What surprised me about the crowd this morning was obviously it wasn’t going well for the US team, but I didn’t hear one like real sort of cheer like supportive shouting comment to the US team to get them going. It was just sort of accepting it and that really surprised me. I thought there’d be people just trying to rally them along, but I never really heard that. Well, you know, we’re not very good at chance. Well, I’ve heard that. There’s probably better to stay and I think we proved it. I think we proved it today again. Well, maybe this afternoon is the time. We’ve still got one other match to kind of just look at quickly. So, that fourth fourball match which gets going at 1:13 p.m. local time. Sam Burns and that man Patrick Klay up against Rory Mroy and Shane Lowry. You know, I I had heard out of the European camp that Shane had not been playing that well. And there are a lot of people that question maybe why he is or isn’t on this team. But when you put Roy Moy with Shane Lowry, you put together one of the most powerful duos there is on the European team. So, as much as I heard uh Chapers talk about how he liked Kantlay, uh I think this is a a a knockdown easy one point for the Europeans in my mind. Oh, I like I like that. Um I I think it’s going to be fiery. I think they could be, you know, last group out. The fans are going to be welloiled as you said by then. I think coming on that back nine there’s going to be a little bit of fire going on. Well, and you got Joe Lava. Exactly. So, thinking back to Italy, there’s some history there. Yeah, there is. Let’s reignite that. If if those of you who don’t remember, Joe Joe Lava was uh Patrick Kentley’s caddy and uh there was some incident on Saturday afternoon on the 18th hole. Um that kind of poured over to the next day actually really. Um but uh it made it was the not the first time but was an unusual time to see Rory Mroy pretty upset uh with what was going on. And this also connected up to the whole hat thing and players getting paid and you know we don’t want to go through the we don’t want to relive it again but the most interesting thing about all that was is that the guy that got the brunt of it was a guy that wasn’t even involved which was which was Bones Mai. So anyways that being said yes you’re right Ali there could be some fireworks but I think at the end of the day that that group that European team is going to be very formidable. Well, we’re seeing the first of the European pairings trot their way through underneath the grand stand, that 100yard walk where they’ll be able to hear everything that’s going on. And they’re greeted, of course, by booze, but also with a handshake from the US captain Keegan Bradley. And there they are, Sepraer and John Rahm. And they look business-like. They’re standing shoulderto-shoulder as they stride onwards towards that first te. Rahm with a very satisfied look on his face. I don’t understand why they’re not genulecting when they walk past the president. Isn’t that something you should be doing? I mean, you know, from a European standpoint, why why would why why would they why would they, Ollie? I think they’re just in the zone. Just just uh don’t want to get distracted. You don’t know where that’s going to go if they uh they address the president. As as Bob McIntyre said, well, um he’s just another spectator. Absolutely. how how that went down, Alex, actually amongst the US contingent. You know, I didn’t I didn’t know that Bob McIntyre had that kind of uh common sense about him. I thought that was a great comment to be honest with you. It was I mean I mean I mean you know from from a from a European standpoint I suppose that’s what that’s that’s one way of viewing it. We’ll leave it at that. We see JJ Spawn and Scotty Sheffller there again standing shoulderto-shoulder. Spawn has his putter in his hand, presumably not anticipating Sheffler to drive this first green or indeed himself to knock it on this first green with it being the full ball format. Presumably that’s just from a final few finishing touches to his game uh before he heads out for his RDER Cup debut. Let’s not forget that. And I think the crowd have detected that the US players are nearly at the end of the walkway. Fist bumps all around. There is Joe Lava. There’s Ted Scott, the two caddies for these US players. And there we have it. Does JJ Swan smile? Well, he’s going to have to at some point, Alex, isn’t he? If we’re talking about body language, see Sheffller Sheffller just pointed to uh to the president. JJ Spond, was JJ just dancing to the president then? Was that a little jiggle aimed at Donald? Well, there we have it. Um so caps off clasp fists between spawn cheffler ram and co and all the pleasantries will be put to one side very shortly. Now just thousands of spectators lining that first fairway all the way down the left hand side and the grandstand as well just behind it. Looks to me like that that that te um oh no we’re we’re on the same tea as earlier on. I thought they can’t move it any further forward, can they? That that would have been an interesting uh element to it. Well, there is a T further forward, but I don’t think they’ve moved it any further forward. I think it’s in the same position. It’s which is about 30 yards further forward than it normally is when it’s here. So, guys are being able to drive it way over the corner. And if the wind’s favorable, uh players like Rory and Dambo can actually knock it on the green. But at the moment, there’s not a whole lot of wind and they’re going to be all trying to just hit it 50 60 yards short of the green and leave a little flip onto the green. So, as far as RDER Cup T-shots go, it’s not the most stressful. And that actually has probably helped both teams are just easing their way in. We certainly saw that earlier on. Now, we are going to hear both players being introduced onto this first TE. Here we go. Well, that’s team Europe and booze predictably coming from the 8,000 strong crowd in the grand stand and all those engulfing the side of that first. Now, Sheff has his arm around a very steely JJ Spawn. And look, Ollie Spawn is no spring chicken. He’s in his mid30s. He’s been a journeyman player. He’s had to drop all the way down onto the corn ferry tour and play his way back into the upper echelons of the game. know this is the very best year by some stretch in in his golf career and you know does that help or you know the fact that you know you thought you might never have had this opportunity but you know what you know and you’re long in the tooth enough to be able to drink it in and enjoy it or is it a case of look you know wow this is I’d never thought I’d be here and he can freeze I think it’s it probably helps him he’s been around world golf he’s been playing as a professional for a long time I think it’s all adds to experience and now it’s exciting that he’s finally got to this point where he’s able to come and play at the Ryder Cup. You know, the one thing I would say is that he’s got three days where he could really elevate who he is in golf by having a good week and I think that’s that’s extremely important. I don’t know if he thinking if he’s thinking that, but it is extremely important and an opportunity for him. So, there’s the first T-shot and that’s Ram. He’s cut the corner. He’s just into that left hand rough. That’s okay. that yeah the pins moved from this morning. So the pins front right now. So whereas this morning the the good miss was right at the green this afternoon actually left is a good miss. So he’s got a great angle back to that front flag. So here is Sepraka Austrian mother in his second rider cup. He’s been an imperious figure actually on the PGA tour. He won one of those big signature events the truest championship at Philadelphia Cricket Club. This T-shot heading slightly left. We said that that’s okay that side and that is going to be absolutely fine. In fact, you can see most of that ball. Ollie, you played Beth Paige Black in the US Open um back in 2009. The rough is not penal at all. It’s almost sat up, isn’t it? It’s fine. It’s so thick, it’s so lush that and consistent that yeah, the ball almost sits. Now, this morning with a heavy dew, it actually did play quite tough. Certainly the first few holes I think people were getting used to actually having to dig it out a little bit and hit more more club being more aggressive. But um now it’s dried out. It’s it’s fine. It’s you can get to all the greens really. Well, Hush descends after a brilliant brilliant welcome from JJ Spawn onto this first tea. So the blue trousers, the white trim on the bottom half of the US team tops and Spawn will be so proud to be wearing it. That though is the wrong side to miss that on. and maybe maybe just the result of a little bit of nerves. I I actually think that’s probably all right there. It’s just carried past that last tree. Um and it’s obviously the short route to the flag. So I think he’s only got about 30 yards to that flag. So he’ll be able to figure something out with the greens cuz they’re still not whilst they are firming up, they’re still pretty soft for what we are used to. Here is the world number one Scotty Sheffller who was on the receiving end of a rather humbling humbling forome’s defeat this morning. But that as we know will be well out of his mind now. He’s one of the best players at compartmental compartmentalizing his thoughts, his feelings, what’s come before and just looking ahead to the next T-shot. There it is on its way. This one leaking way left. I think it might just carry that fairway into that rough. Yep. So his ball alongside the two European golf balls. In fact, a little further on than that. That though will be absolutely fine. So there we are. That first four ball match from this afternoon here on day one underway. Now Alex, how important is it here that the US get some red on the board early early from well certainly the first couple of matches? Well, it’s extremely important and usually the captain will put his best team out first to kind of get that started. So, in his mind, he’s thinking that the Sheffler Spawn Group pairing is their best team this afternoon. So, he’s going to hope that that’s the case because if you start seeing, you know, if you start seeing blue again, it just permeates not only through your team, but it permeates with the fans and we saw that as well. So, you you really need to get something going early. um this is a good hole to do it but most likely you’re looking at two or three that you’re going to be where you’re going to get to that point and I think you know when we talk about Madina people that talk about Madina the realization is is that we lost that m we lost or the US lost that because in singles we started losing quickly I mean very quickly the first three matches there was a lot of blue on the board and that was the beginning of the end and we never we never could quell that and that’s what can’t happen here you can’t have another situation where you all of a sudden you look up and three of the four matches has blue up up there because it makes it very difficult for the guys to come up to come back from that. And from a European perspective um Ollie Wilson I mean you know I know we’ve we’ve kind of dissected how brilliant that was but that feeling just describe what I mean if you can what what you think they’ll be they’ll be all about. I mean, you you know a lot of the guys in that locker room. You know, a lot of the caddies and the vice captains and such. They’ll be so satisfied with all that prep, all that thought that’s gone into the pairings and which golf ball they use and all this minuti. Um, it’s all gone to plan so far. It has. And I know I’ve talked about it so far, but I was honestly blown away by the feeling coming out of the camp how confident they were about getting this job done this week. all every angle has been covered. I think most of the players are on those kind of same wavelengths that they it they feed off of that and they executed it brilliantly this morning and um you know it wasn’t a million miles away from uh from keeping the red off the board completely. So it was a great start and I think they’re doing exactly what they wanted to do. The pairings I think they’re very happy with how that lines up. So they’ve got to just go and do it. But you know that’s just one session this morning. the four balls. We know that the US are usually better. Um, and certainly in this afternoon, we’re going to have to get off to a good start and try and quell the crowds because you don’t you do not want to see red on the board and the crowds are getting full flow because that will make it really hard to uh to win the session. Justin Ray on uh social media who’s brilliant golf statistician. Any major golf tournament, you want to be keeping up to date with Justin’s stats if you like that kind of thing. He said the last three foresome sessions at the Ryder Cup, Europe Europe have won 10 points, USA have won two. Europe have won 70 holes to USA’s 37. Um holes actually leading in Forsome’s matches. Europe 133 holes, USA just 29. You say that the USA are usually better in the four balls. They’ve got to hope that that’s the case this afternoon. Yeah, I think it’s it’s imperative. I mean, there’s there’s no way around this. You do not want to go into Saturday at a deficit of four or five or or six points. And I think the one good thing for the Europeans is is that and actually the Americans have done the same thing. There’s it’s one guy that played this this morning and then a uh someone that didn’t play uh in the morning. And it’s that’s why it’s imperative because this is not an easy golf course and it takes a lot out of you. And I think we’re going to have some guys are going to play five five matches, but you want to try to minimize that as much as possible. And actually, the Europeans have been good at doing that because they won so early. They don’t they’re not going to be as tired as they would normally be if they went to 18 holes. So, we’ve just seen the second shot to that first pitch shot from around 80 yards or so, I’m guessing from that kind of left corner of the dog leg out of the roof from European’s uh Se Stracker just shy of the surface. Next to play will be in the USA colors Scotty Sheffler. B lie looks okay to me here. Remember that whole location, the front right corner on this two tiered green. And the world number one looks like he’s made good contact with that one. Trying to fly it just onto that front edge. Didn’t quite fly as far as he would have liked, but he’s going to be putting for a birdie from around 15 ft. So there we go. A short walk up to that first green with a putter in hand for the world number one. Now with uh Straker’s ball. Okay, just shy of that green. Putter out in hand. It will be, I think, separ. Um, or will it? Yes, it may well be. Spawn, by the way, the only player to have missed this fairway right on this first fairway. Just a little bit of uh working out to be done here. Um, and yeah, it looks like it will be JJ Spawn. You didn’t think this angle was as bad as as you thought, Ollie? No, I think he got just far enough past that last tree and he’s close enough to the green where it’s not a problem. There is a back stop so he can flop this up onto the green. He’s got looks like he’s got enough room over the rough just opening up a little bit. He’s actually gone a little bit lower but he’s played a beautiful shot there. Pitched it just on the front of the green released up to 3 ft. Really well done there. That is a stunner. Really, really nice shot. And if there were any nerves flown through the veins, which I’m sure there were there was, that’ll have settled things right down. Well, it’s always tricky when you come out on the first hole or you’ve not been playing in the morning to just gauge the rough, like even though the rough’s not long, you’re just gauging how hard and it’s always tricky to hit it harder than you feel like the shot requires. So, he’s committed really well to that and he’ll be pleased with the result. John Ram next and this only a gentle little 60yd armsy one, I think, trying to fly it all the way there on these receptive greens. Did fly it all the way there. It’s just going to release out a little further. very much advantage team USA here, Alex. Yeah, I think what you learned out of that was is that if you if you land in the front, it just kind of kind of killed it and stopped it where JJ Swan landed on the green and released up to the hole and even and John Ram landed on the green. He was just further into the green and again released as well. So, I mean, um it’s starting to dry out there a little, but still, if you’re around the surround, you’re not going to get the same kind of release as you would if you land on the green. If you’re listening on the BBC in the UK, well, you’ll know because you’ve gone away and found us. We’re on sports extra 3 at the moment. Well done you if you’re listening on riderup.com or indeed on course with the little earpieces. Um maybe you’ve spotted us out and about this morning. And uh well, next time do do give us a little tap on the shoulder as long as it’s a friendly one. All our team will be out there uh throughout the afternoon. You do not need to move anywhere. If you are indeed here in our coverage, we’ll be with you all the way through until this afternoon session concludes. The rest of the gang are just getting their kit on and putting the final touches to some notes ahead of what is set to be an absolutely scintillating afternoon of golf. If you are just tuning in, Europe won that first session three matches to one. It was a brilliant performance from the meticulous meticulously prepared I suppose for some pairings from Luke Donald and that first football match well underway. We’ll run through all the pairings again in a few moments from now. Um Ollie, you played at Valhalla. In fact, we’ll talk about that in just a second because Sep Strer is wasting no time in giving his birdie try a nudge here from just shy of this first green. A little right to left that actually indeed stayed straight. So, it may well be good enough. I think it will be good enough for an opening par for the European team. But, as we’ve discussed, JJ Spawn in nice and tight. Bit of a free run actually, isn’t it, for John Ramp from 15 ft or so. Yeah, it’s a slippery one back down the slope with a little bit of left to right on it, but nothing to lose. It needs to go in. Um, and you know, as we said, we’ve got to keep the red off the board as long as possible. So, this is quite an important foot. Yeah. And we see that second US pairing of Bryson Dshambo and rookie Ben Griffin with the uh aviator shades on looking a little bit like uh Maverick from Top Gun uh there as he always does. Uh just looking actually perfectly relaxed. He was a joy to listen to in the in the press conference yesterday. I’ve got to say he’s always got something to say. He’s got a really good perspective on things. Was a former mortgage loan officer. Uh did that for a few months when he was struggling on the PGA tour. Alex Miscelli’s shaking his head here at that he’s probably financing mortgages now after the year he’s had where he’s picked up his first two PJ tour victories. Absolutely right. Now Rahm, this is a big putt here. This one effectively to have this opening hole in this top four ball match because spawning nice and tight. 3 and 1/2 ft to go for the US Open champion. Perhaps 15 for the big burly Basque. this ball on its way left to right down the hill. No, the speed beat it, didn’t it? That one, Ollie Wilson. Yeah, I think even even with this even with perfect speed on that line, it was still too high. It was very probably only left edge. So, bit of a misread. Not the best of starts for us, but um this one’s not dead um for JJ Spawn. It’s probably three and a half ft, but has got a little break on it. So Bryson Dshambo, Ben Griffin shaking hands with President Trump and his granddaughter Kai there. Yeah, Bryson is very tight with the president. Extremely so. When they played uh the live event in Virginia, uh I think Bryson spent at least four nights in the Oval Office with Trump. Oh wow. So they know each other very very well. Okay. Well, actually, President Trump has walked out of his glass box that he was stood in in front of that big grand stand. He’s venturing right towards that first tea. Shares an embrace with Keegan Bradley as well. And uh I bet there’s a few nervous secret security officials there. As we head back towards the first green, Shefflet to win the hole. This for a birdie. Remember, spawn in tight as well, but this would just help things if he could knock this one in for Birdie himself. And that’s going to just run out of juice up the hill. A bit of a weak effort there considering was going up the hill. Um and nothing to lose. Not not rolling it quite as well this morning. He uh had a few chances that didn’t go in as well. So maybe not quite in tune with the green so far. So the stage is set then for an opening contribution of JJ Spawn’s RDER Cup career. Three feet is what he’s got left. And he always has that same expression on his face. The the one where he doesn’t smile. Yeah, that was I He’s really into it obviously. Um but you know, I think when you’ve gone through what he’s gone through in his career, just the fact that it’s just difficult being a professional golfer and trying to find your way and trying to get, you know, trying to find ways to win golf tournaments and play well and so forth and so on. all the things he’s done as he just knocks that one in unafraid of the big stage and what was that pump fist pump a bit of emotion a bit of emotionally Wilson what a great start on your Ryder Cup debut playing alongside the world number one three feet put some red on the board yeah it’s a great start for him and trying to get the crowd going I think he wants to hear them they didn’t turn up this morning he’s trying to get them going and get on their side so he’s he’s feeling it great start um but you know back to what you were saying about the expressions every professional golfer figures out how they play their best. Some people love getting riled up in the emotion and and showing it and some people feel like they got to subdue it because it hurts them. And uh clearly JJ feels like he’s got to subdue it and keep a more of an even keel. We are seeing the second of these afternoon fourball matches being announced onto the first te. The predictable booze once again ring around the huge coliseum for Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose. But listen to this noise. Bryson Dashambo and Ben Griffin just basking in the star spangled applause with President Trump continuing to make his security detail incredibly nervous. Stood right at the back of that first te. You know, I thought Bryson played very well this morning. Um Justin was obviously what the anchor of that team. I mean, a real anchor, not not the positive anchor. Um, so I mean it’d be interesting to see what happens this afternoon because uh Ben Griffin is like we said earlier, he’s really really wants to play and playing with Bryson, they they supposedly get along pretty well. So it’ll be very interesting to see what happens. I was going to say it’s a baptism of fire, but I suppose every debut in the RDER Cup will feel that way. Justin Rose who is an experienced cool hand. His first feray out onto the Beth Paige black golf course that is sun-kissed at the moment here in this Rder Cup match. Sends his T-shot on the way high into the crystal clear blue sky straight down for the tea as that ball reaches its apex. And with good reason because that just takes one little hop and then nestles right next to its pitch mark right in the middle of that fairway. You know, Ally, the fact that Spawn makes birdie, he’s already contributing first hole. How much does that a positive? Because, you know, you’re just you’re just coming out and you all of a sudden here you are and and you’ve just made birdie and now all of a sudden you put some red on the board. Yeah, I think it’s all these little things that go towards it. You know, at the end of the day, you want a point on the board. Like the most important thing is just get a point on the board as early as you can as a rookie. Um and then you break it down into smaller parts. And you know, now he’s contributed. He’s played the hole really well. Um he’s got the world number one as a partner, so he’s going to be feeling pretty good. You know, that’s the beauty of the Variety Cup. When you have a partner that is so good, it almost takes some pressure off you cuz you have such confidence in them. Um and that’s what you got to utilize and and use to uh to, you know, find your game and and find the performance that you need. So Bryson Dambo will step up. We saw the T-shot of Ben Griffin, by the way, just wind up in that okay area down the left hand side there. Just a short pitch left for the RDER Cup rookie. And this Well, that was a three. That was a 3-wood for Ben Griffin, you say, Alex? That was Oh, there we go. Okay. Well, Bryson leading the US charge. Fleetwood down the left hand side. Thank you, Alex. Clearly not paying enough attention, being distracted already by all the rasmataz around that first te. and Bryson an almost carbon copy of the T-shot he hit in that foresome session. Quite a brilliant effort from the American. I guess the president couldn’t stay behind his glass because he’s now uh within 15 ft of the first tea as Ben Griffin gets ready to get tea off. Actually, Ben Griffin looks like a Secret Service agent with those glasses on. Well, here he is then, the young man who’s won twice on the PGA Tour this season. one of those a very impressive pairs event win at the Zoric Classic of New Orleans at TPC Louisiana. And that T-shot is just the one that he would have been envisioning when he went to bed last night. That is a peach and it plugs into that first fairway. Really nice stuff. Two US balls in the fairway. Remember in that first match Sheffler and Spawn are one up playing the second hole. If you are listening on Sports Extra 3-hour coverage will continue. Likewise with rydercup.com. Let’s get back to Mark Chapman and the team with Mark Chapman on BBC Radio 5 Live to Beth Paige Black New York. It is a glorious, glorious afternoon. Plenty of blue sky. The sun is shining. Europe taking a 3-1 lead into this afternoon’s four balls having won the Forsomes uh this morning. Forsomes, of course, alternate shots, four balls. Each player plays their own ball. And just like this morning with the opening match of the Forsomes, the Americans have won the first hole. That is Scottish Heffler and JJ Spawn. They’re against John Ram and Sepraer. They won the first hole. So, the Americans are one up in the first match. The second match has just teed off down the first I mean round the first green here. It is an absolute throng of people. Back up on the first te. The players, the American players have the president of the country to greet as they come out of the tunnel. James Greg. Yes, it it was quite it was quite the scene actually, Mark. He’s being stood in this enclosed box. You might have heard Ally describing exactly where President Trump and his granddaughter Kai was stood in front of that huge 8,000 seater grandstand. I I’d imagine, Mark, that his security detail were probably a little nervous because he actually made the feray out the back of that and went and stood right next to the first te. He was 10 yards behind Bryson D Shambo and Ben Griffin as they teed off. Both of the US players finding the fairway with their T-shots in that fourball match. Of course, it’s a debut for Ben Griffin. You talk about a baptism of fire. How’s that? How’s that for an atmosphere to hit your first shot in Ryder Cup Golf? It was it was quite the scene. They’re up against Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose who were completely nonplusted by President Trump’s presence. Um and and yeah, I mean look, it’s it’s quite the scene again. You know, we talk about all the rasmataz from from from earlier on when that first match got going, but it’s uh yeah, I mean I mean it looks absolutely bonkers on on on that first. Well, maybe that was part of the planning, Carter, for Keegan Bradley. If he was going to put Ben Griffin out, then to put him with the the man who is the closest friend out of this American team by all accounts to the president. Yes. Well, I mean, Bryson Desambo has uh actually has a formal role within the American administration in terms of uh health and fitness for for young people. So, he actually does have a role uh to play there. And of course he was there as part of the victory uh celebrations on election night as well. But Griffin against and Dashambo as a partnership has long been telegraphed here. Um and no surprise that these two are together in that second match. Let’s go to John Murray out on the course. The world number one had a terrible morning. He and Russell Henley woped by Matt Fitzpatrick and Ludvig Ober. He’s off to a better start with his playing partner in the four balls. JJ Spawn, John. Yes, he is. We’ve we’ve actually just watched them come through, Mark. So, they’re now off up the second, but JJ Spawn very much enjoyed his moment when when he hold the put to win the hole. So, the rookie, the US Open champion, JJ Spawn was uh he he had a pugnacious look about him, I must say, when he walked past us and through the tunnel that there is between the first and the second. So, the US won up in that first match. But for the afternoon, four balls, I’m going to be with the uh second match. And I’m just watching now Tommy Fleetwood play his approach from the roof on the left hand side, 60 yd short of the green. And that is an excellent shot to the front of the green. The flag is fluttering right at the front. He’s gone straight at it. And Tommy Fleetwood is within I would say 8 ft there. So he’s set himself up a birdie opportunity already. It is Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose. That is the partnership for Europe this afternoon. While Bryson Dshambo, who was beaten this morning with Justin Thomas in the opening match against Ramman Hatton, he’s been paired with the rookie Ben Griffin who uh just four years ago was working for a mortgage company. Now he’s playing in the first hole at the Ryder Cup. And I’m going to be watching it all this afternoon with Sha McKil, a winner of the USPGA Championship. And in this bright bright sunshine, Sean, we’re about to see Justin Rose play his second shot at this RDER Cup. Well, we just got to see four really good drives. And this is where Justin really his bread and butter is. I suspect he’s going to get this really close. It’s just a beautiful day. He’s probably 75 yds to a front pin. The oldest man at this RER Cup, 45 years old, rich rich experience. And he lands it at the front. It bounces towards the hole but then grips and spins back and that is an excellent shot as well. Ben Griffin too is also on the front of the green. This looks as though it’s going to be a a classic shootout but we’ve yet to see Bryson Dshambo play his approach shot. Absolutely. But what’s interesting and I haven’t heard it today is that you know we’re playing lift clean and place. Yes. So this morning there were a few missed fairways by both teams. So I didn’t get to see too much of that but now you’re just kind of getting a sense of it. just how much spin these players can actually put on the ball, which can be a blessing or a curse, which I thought in the in this morning’s matches with the back pins, I think the American team really struggling keeping the ball back on the right level and everything was coming back and, you know, then they were faced with with really long birdie putts that they just didn’t have much of a chance to make. Well, Bryson Dshambo is is right in the middle of the fairway. What is he 25 yds short of the green? That was that was how that I mean it was a classic Bryson Dsham bowl t-shot on the first and after losing this morning I’m sure he’s fired up to see if he can rectify the situation this afternoon and now he has his little pitch up towards the hole advances past then grips and he’s the closest of the four Dan B to within four or 5 ft. Yeah, it was a Brady Fest. It’s what we talked about all week so far and we’ve got four really good opportunities. So I suspect I suspect these guys are going to have to shoot 10 11 under to to make it competitive. Yep. So that’s it. First green mark and it’s going to be a shootout very shortly. And what you would say Sean McKil as well, wouldn’t you, that Europe’s objective this afternoon in these first few holes a little exactly the same as this morning is to just try and take the wind out of the American sails a little bit and just calm everything down. I I would tell you Mark that um we are finding it rather difficult to hear on the first which which may or may not have something to do with the presidential visit. It is uh the reception is extremely crackly. So um so maybe we will just concentrate on the puts that we have in front of us. Are you going down the conspiracy theory route there? I can’t hear you. So, it’s going to be Ben Griffin to put first. Go Benny, someone shouts from up in the stands. Since he since he ended up in the team, he’s been known as Best Paige Benny. And here he is for Birdie at the first. But no, no, it doesn’t drop for the rookie. So, that is one chance gone. Four, four very, very good birdie chances. One down and we’re still waiting for the first. I mean, he has to be nervous. He is a very personable young man, Ben Griffin. I sat in on his media round yesterday and uh he he’s got a real winning personality and as I’ve suggested, having worked for a mortgage company four years ago, then you know, he knows a bit about real life as well as golfing life. I don’t think he has to worry about taking out a mortgage the way he’s played this year. Is a very good point. Okay, next for birdie. It’s for Europe and it’s Tommy Fleetwood. So Fleetwood rang bang on line and bang in for Europe. That’s the birdie that Tommy Fleetwood and Europe wanted to start out with and now Bryson Dshambo has to following in to have the first. Well, those were the putts that that his partner was making this morning and uh they paired up quite well. Now Tommy’s finally getting a chance to putt and we all know how good he is. You don’t win a tour championship without being able to to to putt. That was uh Tommy Fleetwood winning with Rory Mroy this morning. Five and four against Morocawa and English. So this is Bryson Dshambo and he was the he was the stronger putter this morning. I watched their match out on the course, Dshambo and Justin Thomas together and uh on the basis of what I saw this morning, I’m not expecting Bryson Dshambo to miss this. But you can’t count anything in a ride up until it’s in the hole. Well, he had a great start this morning making that 10 15 footer straight up the hill to get things started. But uh yeah, there’s he’s too good of a putter to miss this. So here he is, Bryson D. Jambo packed with goodness, bulging in all the right places, Djambo steps forward in his red, white and blue of the US RDER Cup team. This to have the first from 5 ft on towards the hole it goes. and in. And there we are. The hole is halved in birdie threes as perhaps we expected. And it’s all square after one in the second match out in the four balls this afternoon. Sean, well, it’s going to be quite the quite the adventure to walk with this group. You know, knowing how Bryson plays is going to allow Ben to play his game. He won’t have to force anything and he can just kind of sit Bryson’s crowd and he can just kind of play play his style of game. And on we go to the second with them. And we’ll let you go to the second. And as you can’t really hear anything we’re saying, we won’t go back to you. We’ll go to Ian and James Greg watching everything before they head out on the course with their groups a little bit later on. And it’s uh it’s like this morning all over again at the moment. Ian, it is, isn’t it? Um, you know, Fleetwood’s looking so so comfortable at the moment. Sheffller and Spawn getting off to the the flying start, but so did Dshambo this morning and we know how that was that was turned around. So yeah, it’s um America need to get something going in this session. I think you can’t overstate just how big that morning was for Europe to win the the the foresomes away from home three points to one. that completely bucks the trend of the RDER Cup for the last five editions of this competition. It’s a format, James Greg, as Ian has said, that has been dominated by the home side in whatever the RED wherever the Ryder Cup has been, the home team has dominated that format. It has, but the last three for some sessions now, obviously this only including Marco Simone, Europe have been specialists at it. They’ve won 10 points to USA’s two. They’ve won 70 holes to USA’s 37. And in terms of holes actually winning the matches, Europe have won 133 holes in comparisons to USA’s 29. So that is a real real statement of intent again this morning. It just validates how good Europe are in that alternate shot format. Okay, let’s just uh take you through uh well, I tell you what, Ian, what do you make of what Luke Donald has gone with for his four balls? I I I I think the the overriding thing he’s got all 12 out there. I think you know Hoygard against Oberg that is saying to Ludvig Ober you are you are one of my studs and we don’t need a a Justin Rose to to shepherd the debuton through. You can see them on the first tea together now. And up against Cam Young and Justin Thomas for this third of the four ball matches. Ram and Straa. I think Straaer probably needs a bit of nursing and Rahm is a a very good candidate to do that. And what has become clear as this year has gone on is just how tight in terms of friendship Fleetwood and Rose are. So again, that makes absolute sense. and Lowry if he needs a little bit of pet putting into his step. Well, who better than his best mate Rory Maroy in the final group. So, each and every one of them makes an awful lot of sense. Let’s just remind you as we uh uh approach 6:00 in the UK of how the four balls are lined up this afternoon. So, Sheffer and Spawn against Ram and Straker and the Americans are one up in that group in that match rather Griffin and Dashambo against Fleetwood and Rose. They’re all square after the first birdies for both Fleetwood and Dashambo. Then up on the first tea uh and about to get underway, this is Cameron Young playing his first match and Justin Thomas against Luther Goar and Raasmas Hoyard playing his first match. And then finally, and this will be at quart 1 or 1:13 New York time, so 6:13 America uh UK time, Sam Burns and Patrick Canle. Can having a very good morning in the Americans only points alongside Xander Schoffé. They will take on Maroy and Larry. What have you uh what have you what are you seeing? What have you got on the first TE James? Well, Ligers well just the the missed this afternoon is actually left. You know, we were talking about right being okay earlier because the pin was in the back leftand corner of the green. Therefore, you had a favorable angle. Every T-shot that we’ve seen so far, the players have been favoring that left hand side. And the T-shot of Ludig gobergs was down the left hand side and into the rough. And Raasmas Hoyar, his first hit in Ryder Cup golf is an absolute beauty. It’s cut the corner. It’s probably only 40 paces short of that front end of the green. 45 paces away from the pin. And that’s what the game does. Now it’s Cam Young as you can hear. And it’s his first taste of RDER Cup action. And as a New Yorker, born in the Bronx, raised on Long Island, this is very much a home ball game for him. And we talk about the firepower of Bryson Dshambo. This guy with a little pause, very unique at the top of his back swing. There it is. And then he unleashes one. And how’s this one? It’s a golf course that he’ll know well here, the Beth Paige Black Golf Course. And he kind of jogs towards the right hand side of the tea. I don’t think that was his finest hit, but it’s in the middle of the fairway. 50 yd or so back from that just the jobing. Listen to the noise here for this man, Justin Thomas. Despite a humbling defeat this morning alongside that all Captain America pairing alongside the Shambo, Thomas will be hoping to get a little bit of revenge on the European pair of Oberg and Huygar here. So Thomas, who is a very cruisy competitor in both President’s Cup Golf and Rider Cup Golf, will not want to lose both of his matches here. Wants to get some red on the board. That’s what he prides himself on. He’s just peeling a lovely little fade that almost traces the shape of this first hole and it will just wind up in the right hand rough. That’s going to be okay. It’s going to be set up just absolutely fine. So there we have it. That’s third the third four ball match off and running the marching down away from President Trump and all that malarkey down towards where you are Mark. Uh and just like Ian the uh start this morning the Europeans have pulled it back in that top game. Yes they have and um and and that’s really important to just maintain you know the the reminder that they are there and they’re not going to be blown away. And from an American point of view, Alex was making the point earlier, you know, you if if you get ahead, then you really want to capitalize on that. And they’ve not been able to do that. The way they did it as well, I should say, Mark, was a sumptuous chip in from Se Stracker, the Austrian on that front just short left. And well, the pin was out. He clearly fancied it and it absolutely clattered into the cup. A really nice way for that top match to tie things at the top. and he and John Rahm I think finally could get themselves a little bit pumped up. He’s not the most animated of characters as the man from Vienna, but he was there. That is a really nice thing for him just to settle things down on his first appearance this year’s rider. And the door was opened by a misputter in from Scottish Sheffler. I’m trying to look at a big screen here in the sunshine back out on the course near the near the fifth green and Scotty Sheffler opened the door and the world number one has had a very difficult start to the 45th Rder Cup. John Murray or maybe not John Murray at the moment. Uh yes, I can just about hear you, Mark. I can just about hear you. We’re in the uh we’re on the second and we’re just watching the the second match out on the course. The players arriving at their T-shots with Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose. the two Englishmen all square with the rookie and the the big star Griffin and Dashambo. So all square for the first and again it’s a similar theme Shan McKil isn’t it from from down in the valley away in the distance up to the green here with the with the hole cut towards the back left just a few yards on the back left then it’s uh it’s target golf as they say. Well, since it’s not a major championship, the really only difficult part of this shot is really kind of judging your distance up the hill. You know, we’ve seen a lot of balls spin back, but actually this is more of a collection area. So, I I suspect you see a few shots just to the right of the flag and drawing into the left. So, we’ve got um Justin Rose who I think is just off the the left side of the fairway in the first cut. So, if you if you’re new to us this afternoon on Five Live for the Rider Cup, these are the four balls. It was the foresomes this morning when there were just two balls in play, but a different ball game this afternoon, Sean, with each player playing his own ball. I mean, it’s important to get everybody out there playing. And I think this is the safest safest play. And just I I don’t really don’t think that this is the way that they set up the pairings due to what happened this morning. I just think they want to get everybody out, get them a chance to play. And again, I think this is the format that really benefits the Americans. So Justin Rose to play his approach shot first from the the left side of the second fairway. Here it comes. He leans to his left which indicates that it’s going to the right and actually lands just in front of us here right at the back of the green. That must be a foot on the putting surface. It leads leaves quite a significant divot there with these soft greens and then hops three or four feet to the left. So that is a long long birdie putt that that Rose will have here. Yeah, I mean it’s not really a makeable putt, but again, judging this distance is the most difficult part of the shot, even though they’re hitting maybe just a gap wedge into the green, but it’s it’s an accessible pin. Here we have a shot on the way. Yeah, just and it lands towards the back of the green just a little more than pin high, but again, that is 30 35 ft. I think that was Tommy Fleetwood who hit that. So, the two Europeans have played. When you’re 6’5, you can really see that. I’m kind of not seeing everything, but but you know, it’s it’s you’re going to look, you’re going to see this all day. This the better ball is going to you’re just going to have to make birdies. Like again, I said on one, you’re going to have to shoot 10, 11, maybe even 12 under to win this match. So, as Sean said, we’re right up at the back of the green. The uh the players are out of sight, but we do know that both American balls are in the in the fairway. So, two American shots to come up towards the the second green in now warm, hot sunshine. Actually, all of the morning clamminess has disappeared. And this first American approach shot lands just over the front lip of the green and lands on in the first cut. That only just got over the front edge. That big slope up to the second. Yeah, we saw that this morning with Rory when he buried it underneath the lip. So carry in the bunkers is uh is a really soft kind of wet sand that was misplayed. I don’t know if it was mishit but clearly just didn’t judge the distance very well. It’s probably playing up 10. But at the first hole they were all over it here. No one has got close. However, there is still one shot to play. Tall trees lining this second fairway. A huge divot of grass of Beth Page Black comes up and then it misses over the back left and is off the green. It hops maybe three or four bounces and uh right over the hole but in the in the quite thick roof off the back left. Well, that’s the direct result of the two balls that we see here to the right. You know, um that player, of course, I couldn’t see who it was. felt like they didn’t take on take on the shot and then you see what happens when you just misjudge the distance. There’s a little not much of a problem getting this ball up and down. It’s a relatively easy pitch. Well, as you can hear, Mark, the uh the spectators in the in the stand behind us are doing their best to to try and help their team to a fight back, but none of the four are necessarily threatening a birdie here, but we will see. We will. And there’s no red or blue on the board at all at the moment. First two matches are tied. They’re all square. James Greg watching the third match. Uh approaching the first group. Yeah, I was keeping an eye on that one as well. Uh Mark and that third match is uh Cameron Young and Justin Thomas. And Young with a lovely approach in there. Ludvig Goar with a nice one as well. He’s playing alongside Raasmus Hoygard. So we’ll be seeing birdie putts from the four players who are involved in that match. The third one out and then it will be Rory Maroy and Shane Larry against Sam Burns and Patrick Kelay. Alex Meli is alongside Ian at the moment before but Ian heads back out onto the course. I’m I’m fascinated to see how Scottish plays this afternoon. Alex, I know we were talking about him before there was the little break in between the forsomes and the four balls, but the world number one with only his own game to think about with the metronomic golf that he has played over recent months um and consistent golf as well. Should dominate something like this, shouldn’t he? Well, well, he should challenge for but you have to understand the other end of the equation. How many times have we seen the higher player world ranked players be on these teams and not necessarily show up? We’ve got Cameron Young, Mark I should say, standing over a birdie put here at the first left to right down the hill. 20 ft or so. It’s going to be really slippery. The ball gliding across the green glass at the moment and just going to slam the brakes on slightly shy. Alex, sorry. No, that’s okay. And and I think the other end of the equation is as I look at this Sheffler in some way if he doesn’t really play well this afternoon, do you sit him in the morning tomorrow? What would you do? I would sit him. Wow. Ian Carter, what would you do? I would sit him. I I think that would be a sign of uh of of break captaincy. But what I would say is that we’re very very early into the afternoon session and Scotty Sheffller, you know, he usually has his worst rounds first thing first in in a 72-hole tournament. And you know, we’ve always wanted to have these kind of um situations where you want uh the world number one to fire in a Ryder Cup, but it’s never guaranteed. Alli, time for the golfing whisper. Five live golfing whisper at the Ryder Cup. Third green drenched in glorious sunshine. John Ram stands 12 ft away from the hole. Birdie Charles on this path three over the valley. Steep slope in front of the green. You got to carry the bunkers. Rahm and Sheffer have both done that. And Shepher’s in a little closer. This match is all square. As the giant figure of John Rom settles over this putt, strokes the ball towards the hole. Will it go for Europe for John Ram? Yes, it will. with its very last revolution drops in a brilliant birdie from John Ram. So Katrina Matthew time for Scotty Sheffer to try and respond. This has been two and already hasn’t it spawns birdie at the first striker’s birdie at the second. Yeah, Ram Birdie the third Sheffer Birdie four birdie three as well. Yeah, big putt here for Scotty after his loss this morning. He’s going to want to get this into half the hole. Yeah, Scotty Sheffer the world number one takes center stage. So John Ron clutch put there on the third. Brilliant T-shot into 12 ft. Shepherd’s in that little bit closer. And if he doesn’t make this, Europe take the one up lead, having lost the first striker making the birdie on the second to get it back to all square. And as I just look across the stretch of this third green parked on top of the hill, I can see Ram and Straer, shoulder tosh shoulder, tall men, powerful figures, faces shaded under the dark blue caps of Europe. But here’s Scotty Sheffller. who knows a thing or two about holding putts. Tall man in the red, white, and blue turns the hand into the claw position on the putter. Settles, sends it on its way for the half. Does Sheffler get the birdie in the half? No, he doesn’t. Europe take the hole. So, Rams birdie from 12 ft wins it for Europe and Sheffller looks rather puzzlingly at the line of the putt. It didn’t drop. We’re on our way to the fourth. Europe a one up and Europe are on their way this afternoon. The first blue on the board this afternoon. Fleetwood and Rose all square with Griffin and Dashambo. Young and Thomas and Hoyard haven’t finished the first yet. I think they may have finished the first actually and they’re tied as well. But back up on the first T. Ian Carter. Yes, Rory Maroy has arrived there. But at the green, let me tell you that Justin Thomas has just hauled out for a birdie that ties Rasmus Hoyard the day off to a birdie start to his rider cup career. So that whole half to in birdies, I think this is going to be a absolute birdie fest this afternoon. And on that first team now, we have the final group which is Rory Maroy and Shane Larry up against Sam Burns and Patrick Canle. You can hear the European fans singing their traditional Olay Olays and it has been quiet from the Americans but that is because of the job that has been done by the Europeans. 3-1 up after the first morning and now one up in the one match that isn’t all square at the moment. Ramen Straker after three holes against Scotty Sheffller and JJ Spawn. But just to continue that point that I was making about Sheffller as we wait for Mroy and Lowry to get underway, Alex, you know, we’ve seen so many occasions where world number ones go in much wanted figures and they don’t deliver because it’s a completely different discipline that you are going to get when you’re playing in the RDER Cup, ladies and gentlemen, compared with winning 72 whole tournament. Good afternoon and welcome to the first day of the 45th RDER Cup. This is match number four. A fourball match between the European team represented by Rory Maroy and Shane Lowry. [Applause] Both Europeans smile to the evasion against the United States of America team represented by Sam Burns and Patrick Kentlay. And these two Americans played together in the President’s Cup in the four balls a year ago. So no great surprise that they’ve been paired. Kant Lake rock solid for his country earlier on today in winning the only point that’s been secured for the United States with that victory over Hogland and McIntyre alongside Xander Schlay. So it’s going to be Shane Lowry who’s going to get this match underway. 373 yds this afternoon the opening hole. the dog leg from left to right just over 350 yds to the front of the green. That’s the sound of Lowry’s shot. And it flies over the trees and goes way way left and down into the rough on the left hand side, but a decent angle to attack the hole which is located right on the front of the green. Now it’s Rory time and Oliver Wilson. Well, we’ll get your verdict after this shot, but Well, this is this is within his compass to find the putting surface. I saw him on the range yesterday fire one 382 yds. And now Mackoy over this T-shot on this 379 yd par four. Fires it away over the trees heading towards the green. Has it got the distance? The ball lands just short of the green. What a shot from Rory Mroy. just 370 yards down there today. So, pretty handy just trying to cut one in there. Um, easily the longest player on the European team, but off to a great start there. And Maroy now on 19 Rider Cup points. So, just one behind Jose Maria Ola Thbble and that would take him up to seventh on the alltime list for Europe. Now, Sam Burns, a captain’s pick, renowned for his putting, nearly won the US Open this year, has been one of the more consistent figures on the PGA Tour, climbing back up to 23 in the World Rankings. He sets his T-shot away again, taking on that little cops of trees that marks the corner of this hole. And the ball doesn’t quite make it onto the fairway. Instead, it’s down in the rough down the right hand side. Just getting the impression that maybe the lunchtime libations are starting to take some kind of effect. He’s definitely getting some noise coming right. It’s a little bit more atmosphere down there, but we need to get those people out on the course. All the Americans certainly do. I don’t know if they’re hanging around there too much. Patrick Canley, whose record now stands at six wins, just two losses in one half match. So, that is stellar stuff. from the 29year-old Californian. And here he is now with driver in hand. He knows Mackoy is just a matter of feet away from the putting surface. Nice balanced follow through, but this one going left and coming onto the fairway down the left hand side, but way shorter than Rory Mway. I’m estimating he’s got about 60 yards to the flag. About 60 yards, but I mean that’s pretty much where he would be aiming. Um, you know, he’s going to be teeing off alongside Rory all day and he’s it’s not the first time he’s done that, but he can’t get tied up to the lines that he’s taken and the distances trying to hit it. They’re going to be trying to play their own game and make bird their way. Well, what we haven’t mentioned as well is Mroy against Canlay can bring back Ryder Cup memories, can’t it? Yes, it can. And that is from Rome last year. And that tumultuous fourball match involving Maroy and Matt Fitzpatrick and Windham Clark and Patrick Kentlay on the Saturday afternoon. That was when that news broke that Kantlay wasn’t wearing a hat. It was alleged because he wanted to be paid to play for his country and the European fans latched onto that, started waving their hats, started singing hats off for your bank account. Absolutely extraordinary scenes. And of course it all built up into pretty acrimonious scenes on the 18th green as Joe Larver’s caddy started celebrating as Kentlay made a crucial putt there. And of course Kantlay and Clark got it home mainly through Patrick Kantlay. Then that led to the well the fight in the car park and Shane Larry having to calm things down and and stop Rory Mroy was berating uh Justin um Justin Thomas’ caddy uh Bones Mai and really extraordinary scene. So who knows what we’re going to get this afternoon but yeah delicious prospect Mroy up against with Larry there as well as the peacemaker just to hold him back. Calm down, Rory. Calm down. Yeah, calm down. Wait a little. I’ll don’t do that on the first. Anyway, don’t need to calm him down there. Maroy off to a good start there. Europe off to a good start this afternoon. They’re up in one. Two are tied and obviously Maroy, Larry, Burns, Canley are just underway. You’re listening to BBC Radio 5 Live. We’re at the 45th Rider Cup on the opening day. Uh it’s approaching 20 6. Owner has the travel. Thanks, Mark. The M62. So eastbound cues because it’s closed between 35 of the M18 and junction 36 at Gaul have been congestion on all of that surrounding route there. The A614 in particular between Snath and Hen the M6 Lancasher Q southbound 35 at Kford. It’s where the road work section is but causing long delays. There are delays northbound as well joining the M61 that’s at Blake. It’s a pinch point where the M6 and the M61 merge taking 20 minutes on each side each motorway. A1M all held and that’s since about 10 minutes ago really. Junction 47 at Allaton Park. It’s because of emergency repairs, but it’s causing a queue. The M4 bringing glass tunnel tunnel queue is still there as well. That’s the westbound side at 26 taking 40 minutes. And the M20, the broken down lorry is still there. Eastbound at 7 at Maidston in one lane on emergent five Live Travel. The Ryder Cup 2025 with Mark Chapman on BBC Radio 5 Live. Uh thank you very much. Um, it has been a little bit of a chaotic start to the four balls. It might have been due to the presence of of of a certain person on the first TE for the start of the four balls. It has made getting around the course that little bit harder with various paths blocked and therefore it’s taken some of our teams just a little while to catch up to their groups. Alistister Bruce B, you are very much with yours. Yes, we’ve caught them up. We’re on the uh the signature hole as we were told by the core superintendent at the start of the week. this stunning par five4th which climbs and snakes its way through the trees in this glorious sunshine up towards a green that the players are firing at uh right now we are watching John Ramen seps tracker they’re one up on Scotty Sheffller and JJ Spawn they can’t actually see the putting surface Katrina as they play the second shot into this green from Europe’s point of view John Ram hit an absolute screamer off the tea didn’t he I did he carried those bunkers at 290 off the left that track I just caught and had to lay up out of it’s a small green it’s like a little pimple pull up here up the hill. That’s JJ Spawn’s second shot on the way. He’s turned away from that quite quickly. That’s not going to get there. So that thuds down little thick collar of rough short right at the green. There are huge bunkers sprawled all around the slope that runs up to this green. Just mark on a couple of the um the sort of cat calls amusing jibes we’ve heard from the New York fans on my walk out here. Tommy Fle was told to take a shower. I think that was something to do with his long hair. And Seb Stra has just been told he’s shaped like a bag of milk. Uh, apparently. So that’s what we He’s what? Shaped like a bag of milk. Shaped like a bag of milk. I think not ripped and cut is the sort of the suggestion. I’ve never heard that. Have you ever heard that phrase? No. I mean, I don’t Katrina. Bags of milk. We don’t really have bags of milk. You never heard of a bag of milk. Maybe it’s a New York thing. Yeah. I mean I I don’t want to encourage heckling really but they’re too and bearing in mind you know we are the able to be listened to around the course as well but they are two terrible hecklers aren’t they that’s a good shot that’s a good shot mark in the background from John Ram that is the way to respond from Euro’s point of view that is a stunner with the iron from range again we’re not up by the putting surface but that was right over the flanker probably a little bit I say long it’s on the green and and left but that was terrific wasn’t it yeah that was a high towering kind of midl long irony hit up there up the hill. Looks like it landed just left, maybe just a fraction long as you said. And as Katrina was saying, Mark, Scotty Sheffer really needs to get it going for the USA. It’s a stunning site we’ve got here at the moment. We’re up standing actually on the 50. So we’re looking back down the fourth fairway and they’re 7 8 9 deep sort of the mast on the slopes that run down the right hand side of this hole. Chef was in a terrific T-shot here. He’s on the right hand side of this fairway. very similar position uh to John Ram but at the moment today so far Katrina you never write him off not quite had it just in terms of that last week trying to respond to the Ram putt classic match play isn’t it Rahm gets in from a little bit further out couldn’t find a putt yeah he didn’t really hold many this morning and started again I mean as you say match play first in quite often wins the hole but he needs a good couple of shots and a good putt so he needs to hold a putt make a birdie do something to get the crowd going and get him going few giant dragon flies buzzing around our head Scotty Shepher is waiting into play. The uh the buggy of one of the European vice captains, Joseé Maria Olaf, who knows a thing or two about the cut and thrust of matchplay golf in the RDER Cup is parked in front of us, shining blue as Sheffler swings that right leg after the follow through. It looks good. Slightly left and it hasn’t got the length. So Spawn and Sheffller both short of the par five fourth and John Ram is on the green. That’s the news from this match with Ram and Striker one up at the moment on Sheffller and Spawn. John Murray re the third hole, the first of the par threes. Bryson Dshambo with a lengthy put 30 ft 35 ft. If he holds this, they will go one up, but it is right for the whole side. And uh it is halved this hole. Sean McKielle in in par threes and actually the uh the last two holes have been hauled with pars and uh they have been two of the less dramatic holes that we’ll see at this RER Cup and the match remains all square. Well, I mean this is one of the toughest par threes and you see why both Americans played out to the right because of Justin’s poor shot to the left and then Tommy’s shot into the bunker. But it’s really not not a birdie. I was probably playing 225 today. So, so par is is a good score of the day. Yeah. So, after that dramatic first when they peppered the hole, uh the the the last two holes, Mark, have been less dramatic, but I’m sure there are dramas to come. All square after three in this the second match out on the course between Griffin and Dshambo and Fleetwood and Rose. Let’s go to the final match here and the hole being peppered once again. Lovely little chip from Rory Mroy almost equidistance to Patrick Kentlay with an excellent approach in there. Shane Lowry came up just short of the green. Samburn safely on the putting surface. And so now we have Lowry putting from just off the front of the green and only what 16 ft away. Doesn’t quite give it enough. And that ball comes up just shy. That will be conceded. So a par four in the bank and that means that Rory Maroy can go for his birdie putt. The two Americans Oliver Wilson are in tight. So Maroy needs this. Yeah. any opportunity to keep the red off the board, we’ve got to take. So, um it’s important to get off to a good start here and for him to roll it in. He’s been putting well. Um so, just got to continue what he’s doing. And big names are targets, aren’t they? And Maroy is the biggest name in the European team. He is. Um and he loves being that person where everyone’s aiming at him. So, that will fuel him uh for the rest of the day and the rest of the week. So Ramen Striker ahead in the opening match, the other two all square and then this bottom match here on the first is all square obviously at the moment because it’s not been completed but Europe can get a birdie in the bank here from no more than 5 ft with Rory Maroy but the two Americans in close as well and Maroyy’s missed that. That was no authority to that at all. The ball disobediently wandering away from left to right and that has got the American fans going. Yeah, I don’t think he was too comfortable over that. He just took us a couple of seconds longer when he was stood behind the ball and as soon as the the his putter had hit the ball, he was out of it. Stood up looking to the right and the ball just slid off. Um, so not to the start you’re looking for. You want to certainly take advantage of those and hit good putts. Even if they don’t go in, if you hit good putts, it’s not so bad, but you don’t want to be hitting good uh good you don’t want to be hitting bad puts early on. So, two opportunities from close range coming for the Americans, Sam Burns and Patrick Kante here to go one up after one. And definitely it is more rockous than it was this morning with these American fans recognizing that their team have to hit back in this afternoon fourball session. Four matches here. Europe leading by three points to one after the alternate shots this morning. Now the players playing their own ball. Here is the putt from the best putter statistically on the tour, Sam Burns. And with no fuss at all, the Americans slots that home. And the first hole of the bottom match goes the way of the United States. Burns and can’t one up after one against Mroy and Lowry. And again, we go back to this morning’s foresomes and Rory Mroy rolled in a putt to take that hole for him and Fleetwood straight up and that set the tone for that round. I wonder what that misput will do for the round this afternoon. Katherine DS watching Bberg and Hoyard against Young and Thomas. Yeah, and there was a bit of a whoop when that first splash of red went up on the board for Sam Burns and Patrick Canley. Ludviggoberg and Raasmus Hygar pairing together here in the four balls in this third match out. Both of them long range birdie attempts. Both missing. They’re both about three, three, maybe four feet away from the hole. But it’s Justin Thomas who has played the best shot into this second green. An absolute stunner. He’s put it to within 4T. And as he walked up onto this second green, he just cuped his hand behind his ear as if to say, “Come on. Come on. I can’t hear you. I need you louder and louder. And it feels a little bit like they’ve take taken away the crowd who were here this morning. Bust them off the property and bought in a whole new crowd this afternoon. The decel level has cranked up and they are thousands deep around this second green. They flooded down from the first um tea in the big grandstand there and it’s as though they are emboldened and galvanized by the presence of their president and the fact that their team are on the ropes after the morning session. Listen to this as Cameron Young drains a birdie putt. Justin Thomas might not need to put is in the hole. He doesn’t. Justin Thomas doesn’t need to putt because Cameron Young has found a birdie from 35 ft away. And that means that Justin Thomas and Cameron Young are one up on the second green against Ludvig Gober and Raasmus Huygar. How about that? These two have got some fire in their bellies. Andrew McGee. Yeah, I love seeing Cameron Young making that putt, not leaving that five-footer up to Justin Thomas just in case. But yeah, a little bit of crowd noise. Justin Thomas actually sounds like some kind of British soccer fans. Finally, all of a sudden we’ve got this New York atmosphere that we were hoping for. They’ve come alive this afternoon. Ali, thank you. Cat by the par five fourth green striker and Ram one up on Sheffler and Spawn and JJ Spawn’s just rolled in a 12footer. Now that is for a birdie for Katrina Matthew, but John Ram, we actually didn’t give his second shot enough credit. He’s got an eagle putt to come here from 10 ft. That is a stunning approach. Oh, it’s a fantastic second shot from Ram. I mean, towering iron shot and just landed so softly. The greens are soft, but what a shot to 10 ft. Yeah, Scotty Sheffer still had a birdie pter come. didn’t need it. JJ Spawn, we’ve seen him hold some big big putts this year. None more so than the 64-footer at Oakmont to win the US Open. Sheffller and Spawn stand to John Ram’s right. Striker can’t do any better than the birdie. And Rahm needs this. This is for Eagle from 10 ft to win the hole and get Europe two up in this first match out on the golf course. Ram and Sheffller is a battle we’ve seen over the last few Ryder Cups. They played singles in both of the last two Ryder Cups. Had a great battle couple of years ago in Rome that finished all square. He birded the last run to win the hole. Can he eagle this one to get Europe two up? Long shadow stretches out behind and he just widens the putting stance a little. Settles himself and sends it on its way. Brush towards the hole. It won’t drop and he swings the putter forward in frustration. So Rahm can’t make the eagle. Taps in for the four. That is a half. Europe remain one up. And again Katrina that that is that is matchplay golf. Our listeners are going to enjoy this over the next few days, aren’t they? But you think Wow, he’s in a great position there. If Spawn misses and Sheffller misses, great chance to win the hole. All of a sudden Spawn holes and it puts the pressure on. It is. It just shows one kind of long putt hole can make such a difference to a hole. And as we said earlier, you know, first in just put that put so much more pressure on John Ram’s part. I fancy JJ Spawn as a as a RDER Cup goal for a bit. Katrina, from what we’ve seen of him so far this year, I I think he’s going to be up for this. Yeah, I mean we saw him in the US Open and he hung in there fantastic. Hold some fantastic putts as you just said the 64 footer on the last one. So yeah, expecting anyone who can go out there and win a win a major. Um it’s going to be gritty. It’s going to be steely and it’s going to be tough to beat. So the fourth the par five fourth is halved in birdies. Europe remain one up. Ram Ram and Straker one up on Sheffller and Spawn. Yeah, Europe up in one, down in two, all square in one. Very, very early days, but all four of them are out on the course now in the afternoon for balls. Let’s go to the uh par 33. Cat, we’ll get ahead of them in a minute. Yeah, par 33rd then for Justin Thomas and Cameron Young. That was a little bit of an insight into Andrew McGee and I just plotting our exit route from this par three that’s perched right up on a a ridge of land here at Beth Page State Park. Justin Thomas’ ball flying towards the flag. Oh, it’s just dribbled off into the first cut of rough through the back pin cut towards that back lefthand edge. Cam Young’s ball though was in nice and close within 20 ft of the pin. So now it’s over to Luvig Ober and to Raasmus Huygar to see if they can get one in close. It’s going to be Ober, I think, to hit first. This tall statuesque figure of the Swede away in the distance. Thousands of people lining the short distance between us here on the green and the tea away in the background. Long tufts of thick rough between us and them. And Ober is just standing over this one now. It’s playing 210 yds the par three now as he sends it into the bright blue sky. Just little powder puff clouds overhead on towards the flag coar and he missed it short and left this morning in the foroms and he’s put it short and left once again here in the four balls this afternoon just missing the green to the left hand edge. So it’s over to Asmus to see if he can do any better. Yeah, good to see Kim Young the New York native off to a nice start making a long putt then hitting a really good shot in here. see if he can keep the momentum going and get this crowd going. Being the only New Yorker on the American team, I don’t know about you, Andrew, but I can feel feel beads of sweat trickling down my back. This course is going to change over this afternoon, isn’t it? Yeah, it’s going to dry you out finally and it’s going to make the greens faster and it’s what the players want. Ball of Raasmas Hygar on its way. High trajectory towards this par three. Plummeting down now towards the green. And he’s played into the very heart of the putting surface. It’s good 30 35 ft or so from the flag. The Americans are in slightly closer, but uh birdie chances a few here. Yeah. Um Cameron Young, I don’t know. He could be 12 feet in there, Cat. Let’s don’t discount that. He had a really nice shot early. We thought it was two balls, but your steely eyes picked out. That’s his pitch mark, Andrew. Okay. Digs a big gouging pitch mark. Uh we’re just going to stand up now and and move into the position that we identified earlier so we can gallop down the fourth. But Andrew, as an American, what do you think of this pairing? Justin Thomas, the elder statesman, a leader, although he’s reluctant to call himself that in the American team room going out with the rookie Cam Young from New York State. Yeah, I wasn’t too happy to see that after doing this match this morning. Justin didn’t play that well. He really, I think, missing that three-footer turned that match completely around. They lost their confidence completely and and the European team gained their confidence. It’s funny thing when you miss a three-footer, that can really help the other team without even doing anything. And how about the other pairing in our group, Ludvig Ober, who’s only playing in his second Ryder Cup. He’s picked up three points in the foroms, but he’s never won a four balls contest, and he’s playing with a rookie in Raasmus Hygar. These two, you know, very inexperienced. Yeah. But beautiful big long swingers. I love what Aubber does with his decision making. He puts his club down behind the ball and takes it back. You can tell he has an absence of thought. He’s already done his decision- making behind the ball. It’s a beautiful thing to watch. But they’re one down already. If this slips a little bit more, are they more likely to panic as as rookies in experience? It it’s just crazy. Oh, the Forsomes, the European team supposed to win and the best ball is a How does that work? I have no idea. Chance of USA as we get to the green with Justin Thomas and Cam walking shoulderto-shoulder up here towards these thousands of fans thronging on this little peninsula of land which is raised high up above Beth Page State Park. and booze as team Europe make it to the green. There are European fans in here. They are raising their voices, but Ludvig gober and Raasmas Hygal currently trailing by one as we tackle the third green. [Music] The uh Griff Griffin Drambo group have reached the uh the stunning fourth hole. It’s a par five hole. They’re taking on Tony Fed and Justin Rose. They’re all square. We’ll go to John Murray very shortly. James, Greg, you’re keeping an eye on Marroy and Larry and Burns and Canley. Or maybe he isn’t. We can’t get to James. You are there, James? No, he’s not. I tell you what, John Murray, are you on the fourth? Can you hear me? We can hear you. We can hear you. Come in, Mark Chapman. Good. cuz earlier on I I I was worried about how this might go for the afternoon if nobody could hear me or if people were just saying that they couldn’t hear me. No, as I said, it’s strange. Now, we’re on the fourth and it does seem that the tricky reception that we had early in the round does seem to have cleared a little now that we now that we’ve got this far away from let’s just say everything that’s going on near the clubhouse. I don’t want to be getting you out of a New York jail tonight. Okay. The pen the state penitentiary. Wonder made of you in there. I’m not desperate to find out what’s happening in your game. Anyway, it’s all square. This is Griffin and Dambo against Fleetwood and Rose. And uh at the par five, the uh the fourth hole, we have uh Ben Griffin, who hit a terrific shot actually from uh from the roof down the right side of the uh of the of the fourth hole. I’m just laughing because Sean McKill’s had his headset knocked off just down to our right. It might have been knocked off by Thomas Ly, but um Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose are uh are up there near the green. We just need to get into a position to see what the what the situation is. So, it’s all a little bit chaotic here, Mark. So, come back to it. Okay, we will do. Yeah, there there are a lot of pinch points on this course at the moment. That is what it feels like. Let’s go back to uh Cat who is watching Ober and Hoyer now. They’re on the par 3/3. So, this should be a little bit easier to navigate for us. That is, not necessarily for the golfers. Slightly easier. And I can hear you much more clearly now. I concur with John. As you get further away from that first tea in the presidential party, the airwaves do clear as Hoygar sends this long range birdie putt across the green. Really good effort from the Dane just coming up slightly shy, but he should have that one cuz he’s just pointing to the ball and Cameron Young just asking, you know, is that okay? Can I pick it up? He can. He is in for a par then. Now an opportunity for both Americans to birdie this third hole and uh to take a two up lead in the early stages of this four balls. How do you look see these putts then Thomas up next? Didn’t make anything this morning. Is he going to turn it around cat do you think? Is that how golf works? He looks he looks pumped though. I think you know that bitter loss. Oh cuz his partner just made that long putt and he kind of looked like he pumped it. Let’s see. Justin Thomas over it about 30 ft 28 ft away. Big split grip right finger down the shaft. Scoots it up. Little forward press. Ball’s on its way. No, doesn’t drop. Doesn’t drop. But there’s another chance for the US team here because Cam Young is the last to put which obviously means he is the closest to the hole. I’d say this is inside 20 ft. And this one looks quite a flat part. Well, he’s he’s got his partner in for par, so he can definitely give it a go. Not that you want to smash it, but uh he has a free run here. This is where you want to be as an American. This is a defensive place for the Europeans. I have a good friend, Willie Wood, I play lots of golf with, and I hate it when he’s at this position cuz he makes it every time. A bit of a free knock then. Really? Free knock for Cam Young. He’s got he’s got some leeway here to really go for this. the the New York State native. He’s got curly black hair that he’s grown longer for this rider cup, cascading underneath the the base of his cap, Tommy Fleetwood style. And then a thick black beard, tan skin, tall, long legs encased in navy blue trousers. And then they’ve got these blue navy blue and white striped lower halves to their t-shirts. A band of red around the chest and then a suave of navy blue across the shoulders. And that’s the outfit for the Friday four balls as Cameron Young sends the ball across the green here. And as you can hear from the crowd and the reaction, it does not drop. So the hole is harved in pars and it’s just one up for team USA. But a brilliant start for Justin Thomas and Cameron Young. They’ve really harnessed the energy of that first te the presence of Donald Trump and they’ve got the American crowd bouncing here. One up as we head to the fourth, John. Oh, Tommy Fleetwood for Eagle at the par five fourth. His ball was just on the left side of the green. He gave it a good go. Sean McKill, there’s a little twitch of the knees as it was getting close, but it just rolled by and uh that hasn’t been conceded. He’ll mark it, but it’s very close. He won’t have any problems with that one, but that that that just kind of ties into what he was doing this morning. You know, Rory kind of stole his thunder from putting. We saw a few lip outs from from Tommy, but now he’s now he seemed to have settled in. So Justin Rose and Bryson Dshambo also have eagle chances but but also from a similar range. They the hole is right towards the front of the green here. This raised green and Bryson Dshambo is right at the back of the green just a few yards away from me the big man. those absolutely massive forearms. And this long-handled putter with its thick grip, which is appropriately colored red, white, and blue, it’s right stuck to his left forearm now as he puts across the whole length of the green. Now for Eagle, watches after it. It’s right to left and still rolling. and then just just pulls up short and he turns and he puts his hand on the top of his sort of gray ball baseball cap and wonders how that didn’t have the extra rolls in it. How could you be disappointed with a putt like that? But you know at this level guys expect to make every putt. So that’s conc that is conceded for uh for a birdie and uh there’s a there’s a little bump of the fists between this these new teammates the the rookie Ben Griffin and Bryson Dambo who are chatting away together just off the side of the green. So they’re in for their birdie but Justin Rose has again a similar length putt for Eagle. Yeah, I mean he’s looking straight up the hole. The last two putts we’ve seen had just a little bit of break to the left but Justin’s putting right back up towards the fairway. Should be pretty straight. A huge cheer rings out from somewhere in the trees behind us. But all is still and quiet around the fourth green here on this first afternoon of this 45th RDER Cup on BBC Radio 5 Live and also on BBC Sound if you’re on the move over the weekend. Rose is ready now for his long long eagle attempt, but he’s immediately up and walking after it. It rolls by on the left hand side and the there’s just a little glance across to the Americans and yes the European puts have been conceded. So uh a fourth consecutive hole sha is harved after the birdies at the first and now birdies at the fourth as well. All squares we we haven’t seen anything that really separates the teams thus far. Everybody’s been in the fairway. Everybody’s been on the green except for Bryson on two. I mean playing pretty steady. You saw the the incredible shot that uh that Ben played off this tight lie behind the fourth green. That’s not an easy shot and I think it’s a testament to his nerves that he was able to pull it off. That is Shawn McKill, USPGA champion of times past and at this high point on the course. Sean, we’ve got a lovely breeze, haven’t we? Just blowing in presumably off the North Atlantic across Long Island. It is now very, very pleasant and it’s all square in this match. The second one out of the four balls and also all square. James Craig in the fourth and final match. Keeping the seat worn here for golf correspondent Ian Carter and Ollie Wilson as they head out onto the golf course to bring this one to you live from Beth Paige Black. But I can tell you the man who we were talking about as perhaps not being in the finest of form coming into New York this week. Shane Lowry was the man who boxed one from 25 ft. It applied pressure to the American Sam Burns who had the best chance from the Burns and Canlay pairing to try and match that for a birdie three. Burns Julie missed. Isn’t it funny this match play game? Lowry was well out the hole I thought, but it turns out he’s won it. So he’s tied that second match at all square stood on that third te the par three. Wonderful work from the Irishman here in the sunshine standing in between the fifth and the 12th. The 12th grand stand is full. There is not a seat to be had. And yet the leading group are still seven holes from coming to the 12th green. And there was one lone English voice in that 12th grand stand a few moments ago who just started singing on his own. To the Americans, you only sing when you’re winning on the fifth at the moment. Ram and Striker Alli. Yeah, we’re playing that classic game, Katrina, Matthew and I, of of guess whose ball is is at the Ryder Cup because we’ve got ourselves, we thought we were packing ourselves on the back, Katrina, getting ourselves into a brilliant position to commentate on the green because we’ve made our way about 50 yards up the right hand side of the sixth fairway and then we realized we couldn’t see them hitting the second shot into the fifth green. Another one where you hit from a fairway down below up to an elevated green. So, the balls landed and then you see the players making their way towards the green. John Ram has gone through the back. We were doing some pretty good guess work because you can tell almost by the by the roars or the muted applause or the cheers if a European shot goes wrong. Katrina. Yeah, you can. We were trying to guess by the cheers. You know, a loud cheer might have been a bad European or a good American. So, we were struggling in terms of staying in touch with it. By the way, as a captain, Katrina, you’ve done this Soulheim Cup and Curtis Cup because, you know, even as commentatories here, we’re watching one match. We’re trying to stay in touch with everything else. How difficult is it as a captain? Well, I think that’s why you’ve got your vice captains out there. There’ll be one following each group and they’ll be radioing in all the shots. So the captain will be listening to it on their earpiece and know what’s happening. Well, we’ve got Ramen Striker here. They’re one up in this match after the uh after the fourth. It has been birdies everywhere you look. JJ Spawn, he birdied the first. Sea got it back to all square for Europe by birdieing the second. John Ram got them one ahead by birding the third. They shared the fourth in birdies as well. Well, John Ram has gone through the back here uh of the fifth green and he is currently hidden from our view at the moment. Chipping from the back of the fifth green. Yeah, but a tricky chip. He’s got the pins on the front level. It’s a kind of two-tier green and he’s going to probably try and land it, I would think, just at the top of that. You can just see him there. He’s standing at the top of the slope on the top level. I think he’s going to land it about there and let it run down the hill. Yeah, he’s surrounded by a by a horseshoe of hundreds of spectators. You can just see his impressive physical figure actually striding back towards it’s a tiny little sort of three road stand uh at the back of this green. I reckon that’s for people with pretty posh tickets here who can get themselves in behind the fifth green. They’re going to have a fabulous view here of John Rom up close chipping from the back of the fifth green. Sepraker has a putt to come for birdie. JJ Spawn and Scotty Sheffller are also on the green, but John Ram is is taking his time just lining up this birdie chip from the back of the fifth. And all we can see at the moment is the back of his head and the back of his shirt. And then he throws it up high and it lands softly on the smooth putting surface and it tries to roll towards the flag and it gets within maybe 10 12 ft I would say from here. But again, you can hear the American response to that. They’re pretty pleased that Rahm hasn’t got that closer. Yeah, he landed that probably five yards shorter than he was kind of aiming to. It just got to the top of the slopes, not really come down towards the flag. And that’s where I think in four ball it’s important even if you think you’re maybe you can’t make a birdie, it’s important for your partner to try and make that par. So they’ve then got a free run at the the birdie put Europe 3-1 up after the morning fors. What is the time local? It is4 to 2 in the afternoon in the Long Island Sunshine. Quarter to 7 in the evening in the UK. Ramen Straker the only blue on the board in the afternoon. Four balls at the moment. One up in this match on the fifth green. Fleetwood and Rose all square at the moment with Griffin and Dashambo after four. Cameron Young and Justin Thomas one up on Ludvig Ober and Raasmus Hygar Cup debut. They played three Burns and Canley in the last match. All square with Maroy and Lowry. Sea going through a couple of practice putting strokes for Europe. That tells you that Sheffller and Spawn are in closer with birdie chances here on the fifth. Stracker’s ball on the way. Speeding across the fifth green turning right to left. Oh, that looked good from here. It goes sliding past. It’s got a weeway by. He gave it a good go. That was a fantastic effort. Looked good the whole way. It was just curling in from that right hand side but just slid past. Good putt there. So chances Katrina then for for Sheffler and Spawn because Rama’s chipped on. He’s a good 10 ft away. Stra was that conceded? I didn’t see actually. Not sure. I’m not sure on that one. It looked like he was going to go down and mark it, but maybe they gave it to him. Sheer now to put next, so he’s got a fairly long distance one, but Spawn’s got the real good chance. So, a big moment for the American team. Sheffller and Spawn together. Spawn the shorter man. Great putter that he is. Can recognize him from miles away as well. Not just because of stature, but he’s got he’s got the old um sunglasses which he always purches on the back of his baseball cap the wrong way round. And it’s spawn I think to to P. It is actually sorry it is spawn to go first just across the green. Going to break a little bit right to left. Birdie the first to get the USA one up. They’re currently one down in this match. 45th Rder Cup on the Beth Paige Black Golf Course Europe 3-1 up after the morning forms. But you’ve heard the chance of USA ringing around the golf course this afternoon fighting back. the all important they point they got in the last forms of the morning can spawn find the birdie on the fifth they’re calling it in and it doesn’t quite drop and we can’t see the hole from this distance away but you can tell Katrina you can tell from the reaction that actually hit the edge of the hole it lipped round and didn’t drop mighty close mighty close as you say he looked like he was ready to do a fist pump there and make his third birdie in five holes but just just missed yeah I think we got a humdinger of a match on our hands here in the top match out this afternoon Jose Maria Olaf Thber, one of the European vice captains, is pacing. Just saw him speaking into a microphone there. So, he’ll be passing details on to the European team, telling them what’s going on in the first match out on the golf course. Ramen and Striker are one up. So, the stage is set for Scotty Sheffller again. I think we’re all just waiting for Sheffer to kind of explode into life. Yeah. Had a tough Ryder Cup, didn’t he? A couple of years ago in Rome, particularly a very heavy defeat in the Forsons on the Saturday when he ended up in tears, fought back well, had a great singles match with John Ram has dominated World Golf again this year. Won himself a couple of majors. USPGA the Open Championship. He dominated a Royal Port Rush trying to make his mark on the RDER Cup here in the dark blue trousers on its way for birdie. We’ll give this a good rattle at the hole and Sheffller won’t find it either. So Europe survived. The Straka pop up was conceded. Europe get their four. USA don’t make the birdies. Europe remain one up in the first match out on the golf course. We’re heading down the sixth. If you want. Yeah, they’ve uh maybe missed an opportunity there of the American pair as that match heads to the sixth. Let’s go back to the third. The par 3/3. So many shots seen today and also yesterday as well on the practice going short left. How have Burns, Klay Maroy, and Larry done? Ian and Carter Maroy has done best with a brilliant T-OT and he’s only got 3 and 1/2 ft for birdie. Shane Lowry found the bunker and he’s just come out from the bunker and played a beauty and he’s put that to 2 and 1/2 3 ft tops. So that’s a nice shot. Sam Burns missed the green to the left. He’s chipped up and run on by about 5 ft. Was a good chip and it was an excellent T-shot as well for Patrick Camplay. Remember this match all square. The Americans with Burns Birdie at the first going one up and then Lowry’s birdie at the second leveling it up and now Patrick Canle Ollie Wilson with an excellent T-shot in its own right nowhere near as good as Mroy which was all over the flag but this is a chance for Birdie nonetheless for Patty Ice. Yeah, that 213 y’s playing. He’s hit a lovely shot into what 10 ft pretty straight put maybe a hair off the rise. It’s a great opportunity to put the pressure on Rory. So here he is wiping gently the face of his putter and now he settles over it. I’ve watched him all morning and you’ll have that practice swing and then he’ll creep in ever closer and then those feet will shuffle just trying to get comfortable over it. He’s always got so much nerve, this boy. Patrick Klay, 29-year-old Californian, and he just shuffles those feet and then motionless and putting from his own shadow hits the ball up towards the hole. It doesn’t drop. It misses to the left. And so Rory Mroy after his fantastic T-shot has got a short putt here to put Europe one up. Yeah, that’s said great T-shot. It’s got about three feet. pretty straightforward in terms of how easy a three-foot can be, but it is the rider cub and uh we do need to make some uh get some blue on the board. Obviously puted really well in the foroms this morning, but this first putt on the opening hole for birdie was a little poor. Had a decent chance, never threatened the hole. So, this would be a great settler and significant for the scoreboard. The sun just peeps behind a cloud and the green goes into shade and the ball goes forward and horseshoes out and horseshoes out from three feet and those are American shears. Celebrating a miss and a bad miss from Rory Mroy. He had a putt for the lead. He hit it positively. It horseshoed around the hole and it stayed above ground and so the match stays all square. Well, Ollie, he’s just had a couple of putts in these first three holes that haven’t quite gone his way. In complete contrast to this morning. Yeah, that’s uh I really didn’t see that coming. It looked like that he looked like he hit a good putt, but he just dived at the end full-on horseshoe straight back at him and he just staring in disbelief that it didn’t go in. So, not ideal here. And it just gives it just gives the the the American crowd something to cling on to. gives them something to to yell and get momentum going and a sense of feeling. So that was a significant moment I think. Yeah. And of course around the course as we keep saying there are big screens everywhere. So that pot will be it doesn’t matter whether you’re at the 17th waiting for anybody to come down there or whether you’re up ahead on the sixth. You will see that and the galleries will cheer that and all of a sudden it will increase the atmosphere and increase the passion of this New York crowd around those holes when the Americans are coming their way. Such as on the fourth uh cat. Yeah, listen to the cheers for the arrival of Cameron Young’s ball. Both he and Justin Thomas inside 10 ft now, but they were their third shots because both the Americans offline off the tea. Cameron Young down in the rough down that left hand side and Justin Thomas with a big miscalculation off the tea. He went straight through into the long rough. There are big tufts of thigh high grass um on the wide edges of these big fairways here at Beth Page Black amongst which we’re told the ticks reside. And Justin Thomas’ ball bounced down scattering ticks as it went and nestled onto the roots of a big sprawling oak tree. and he’s had to play out not sideways but just for position short of the green and then flicked one on to inside 10 ft. So both Young and Justin Thomas will have birdie putts here but the two European players on the green on the par five and two Andrew McGee advantage Europe I don’t think they’re going to make these bombs for Eagles but you never know but they should have an easy tap in for birdie which put the pressure right back on the Americans if they’re 10footers two long putts these aren’t they? Yeah, this is good. You can kind of feel some momentum, but we have to have two or three things good happen in a row, not just one and then a few pars. Has to keep stacking. It’s kind of like playing craps in Las Vegas. You have to keep the roll going. And you could hear, couldn’t you, the reaction to that miss from Rory Maroy a little bit further up the course. And you said that’s the turning point, as a friend of mine would say. Is that wishful thinking or do you think that could actually be a turning point? Well, it was this morning with Justin Thomas when he missed a three-footer that lipped out and I don’t think Justin’s in the league that Rory is. Of course, I’m sure Rory’s going to bounce back. That’s about as nice as I’ve ever been to a European player, isn’t it, C? It is. Thank you very much. We appreciate that. You know, and Raasmas Hygar’s birdie part from 40 ft away here on the par 54th just sidles by on the left hand side that comes about to rest about 2 3 feet or so from the flag. He’ll have that for a birdie. And that piles a little bit more pressure on these birdie putts to come for Cameron Young and for Justin Thomas who is standing propped up on the handle of his putter. One hand on his hip, kind of gray baseball cap on the top of his head and his uh his foot propped up on the toe of his stars and stripes golfish. I always love Justin Thomas’ uh footwear at the Ryder Cup. He’s always got those old-fashioned style golf shoes. And wrapped around one heel are the stars of the American flag. And wrapped around the other heel, the red and white stripes. And now it’s over to Ludvig Ober. Another long one. This one also about 40 ft, but from the other side of the green. Well, he does have a tap in birdie already in the hole from Aubberg. So, he has another free run like he did in the last hole. Let’s see if he can give this one a clack and surprise the Americans. This would be a surprise if it goes, is it? No. Ran up by just a smidge. Two tap in birdies though for team Europe. So, what do the Americans got in response? Justin Thomas and Cameron Young. One up. They took the lead on the second green. The Rocky from Long Island and Justin Thomas from Louisiana. the uh RDER Cup veteran on team USA sent out to put his arm around Cam Young. Just help him temper the nerves as he tackles Beth Paige Black, a course on which he won the New York State Open, the first amateur to win the title in its history back when uh he was in his amateur playing days. Since then, runner up at the Open, you may remember behind Cam Smith at uh St. Andrews. tie for third that year as well at the PGA Championship and fourth at the US Open this year. He’s knocking on the door of a first major win. But here he is first of all playing in his first RDER Cup for Team USA. 10 ft or so for the New Yorker. White glove poking from the back pocket of his blue trousers as he rehearses the swing. Short black shadow cast behind him as the sun is almost directly overhead. 2:00 in the afternoon it is here in New York as Cameron Young gets ready to send this birdie chance across the green and in the hole. That’s two birdies from Cam Young in the last two holes. Wow. That makes Justin Thomas very happy because the situation the first guy better make it to not put the pressure on the second guy. Well done, New York. Cameron Young scrambling out of the rough team USA and taking the birdie here that keeps them one up as we head towards the fifth man. I bet you’re very good at guessing in your opponent’s head in Vegas. Are you Andrew? Oh, you think I am? I reckon you would be. I’m not sure I’d like to car table with you. I’m used to playing with my friend Gary McCord. Talk about getting in your head over your swing, over your stance, over everything. It’s hilarious. Uh John Murray, you do you know what you’re doing in Vegas? In Vegas? I’ve not been to Vegas, Mark. Oh, right. Never never been. It’s not particularly on the agenda either, but you never know where life takes you. Anyway, it’s taken us to Long Island, New York, to Farming Dale. That’s where we are. And we’re up next to the Fifth Green. And it is all square between Ben Griffin and Bryson Dshambo for the United States against the two Englishmen Fleetwood and Rose. Now par fours have been secured but Tommy Fleetwood and Bryson Dshambo both have chances for birdie threes. And first of all it is the Lancastrian Tommy Fleetwood. This from 18 ft which is just to the whole side but doesn’t drop. So Dambo has a chance and we might see a color on the board if he for the first time in this match if he’s able to hold it. Yeah, that was a that was just a little bit just a little bit of a mishit. A little bit maybe of a misread there. The Bryson’s got a chance to really get this crowd fired up. He sure could use one. Yep. We have seen four halved holes so far. The Bryson Dshambo. Ben Griffin went into the into the trees. Sean off the tea here. So kind of put himself out of the hole. Well, that’s the thing is you don’t want to leave your partner alone. Better in four ball than forums. But uh we’ve seen a few drives out to the right by by Ben. So hopefully he can kind of settle in and not leave everything on on Bryson’s shoulders. We’ve got Keegan Bradley’s boogie just behind us. So he must be around here somewhere. I haven’t seen him. And um and Sha has also had a chat with Jean Franco Zola who is driving the boogie for vice captain Franchesco Molinari for this group. But everyone watching on now Bryson Dshambo is ready and this to win the hole and he’s dropped it in and USA edge ahead in this match at the fifth one up. Well, we sure needed something like that. That’s the first really roar I’ve heard since I’ve been out here covering these great matches. What a great putt by Bryson. He’s settled down. He’s ready to play. He knew it was going in, Sean, didn’t he? He knew and he was winding up for that punch. That’s what’s so fantastic about this course. These greens are in such good shape that once you see that line, you see the ball tracking, you know it’s going in. And there is Keegan Bradley, the US captain, just walking past us, his face absolutely smeared in sun cream. and he’ll feel a lot better about things after watching that. Europe 3-1 up on the scoreboard, but in the afternoon four balls, there is a hint mark of a US fight back. One up in this match there is there is there’s only a hole in it in all the all the games. Europe one up in one, the Americans are one up in two and the final match is all tied. Uh and it got the grand stand here at the 12th going as well. Chance of USA big cheers cuz they could see the pup from their vantage point over the fifth green and then second cheers when Bryson Desamos and Ben Griffin’s little box went red on the big screen opposite also in the 12th Grandstand just behind me. There are two St. George’s flags and they say Drumfield on them and I I Anybody Any member of the team know where Drumfield is? Is that a place? Is that a golf club alley? I know. Oh yeah. Go on. Drumfield I think if I remember rightly is the birthplace of Gary Cahill England international Chelsea central defender is Sheffield. So I’ve just seen top right one of those St. George’s flags there is an owl. So yeah absolutely good call John Murray Alli. I’m glad I’m glad John jumped in there because uh I have to say I didn’t know the answer to that. Now whether John Rah knows the answer to this we’ll have to wait and see. Roman striker one up at the moment on Sheffller and JJ Spawn in the first match out on the golf course. All the putts are coming here for birdies on the par for sixth. Rahm is first to go from about 30 ft. JJ Spawn the closest in maybe 10 12 ft away. Striker just beyond him. Rahm straight up the heart of this six green. Has he given enough? Yes. Just misses on the right hand side though. You can really feel that patriotic sort of fervor ripples buzz spreading around this golf course at the moment. Kanye, Katrina, every little thing. Even a miss part that goes USA’s way. Yeah, maybe they’ve been listening to the coverage and we’ve been saying it’s been quiet, but they’re going they’re certainly coming out noisy this afternoon. Sunshine’s out now. They’re into it. Yeah. And this this par 46th uh Katrina is a sort of um you you you hit from a from an elevated tea sort of towards a landing area. There’s a big sort of sloping well swooping slope that comes down towards the green. Everyone hits the bottom of that and you’ve got a good chance to get it close on this hole. You do if you hit the fairway. Chef just caught the left rough, but had a a decent enough fly and it was a bit unlucky to get so much spin in his ball. Spun back to probably about 20 ft and then Straa had a fantastic T-shot right down the middle. Had a great shot just just over the flag stick. Didn’t get quite just caught in the first cut. Didn’t get the spin back. Just going to move forward a little bit here to try and get a view of the hole because Scottish Shelter is passing on a similar line to that of John Ram. But as Sir Katrina says about 20 ft away compared to Ram’s 30 ft, but he’s had a good read on this puck. Can Sheffler find one then on the six? Get in the hole. They scream. Oh, just misses on the right. Closer than Rams. Goes a wee way by. Yeah, we were just talking to Scotty Sheffller’s dad there and he said he just can’t hold a butt. Yeah, he was intense, wasn’t it? Yeah, exactly. Now you could really feel the tension in Scotty Sheffller’s dad. He’s so used to his son dominating and winning. and today it’s not quite been going his way, but he’s right in this match as well. We’ve also had a lovely chat to Joseph, one of the volunteers here today. This is his home club, telling us Katrina, how easy the golf course is playing for these great golfers. They make it much tougher for the members. Well, actually, I think he was actually talking about when they play the US Open here and the rough is up and how difficult it is. Yeah, he was saying that, I think, but uh I think he would like to have seen the rough a little bit thicker, a bit more like what they were used to. Members always think it plays tougher for them. Of course they do. The right step striker has settled well into his second RDER Cup. Part of that winning team in Rome a couple of years ago 15 footer from the back of the sixth for birdie spawn with a birdie chance to come. He’s not given that enough Striker and I don’t think he had the line either and you can hear the the hollering and the jeers and actually the excitement building that JJ Spawn now from maybe just outside 10 ft at the back of the sixth could get this match level. Spawn won the first with a birdie. Straka made it all square on the second with a birdie. Rams birdie got Europe one up after three. Fourth power five halved in birdies. The fifth halved in ps for spawn to get the USA level Katrina. Yeah and he has been holding putts. He hold a good one on the first for birdie and then a good a good probably 15 20 feet on the fourth for birdie. So if anyone’s going to hold one in this American group it is spawn. A lot of movement uh around the green. The European players have gathered to the right of the green. And again, I’m just looking to see if I can get a view of that hole. Yes, got it now. Got it in my sight now as I move about 6, seven yards to my right so I can see JJ spawn. Short figure in the red, white, and blue. Thousands of patriotic American fans behind him gathered on the slopes to the right of the sixth green. Sends the putt on its way. and it doesn’t have enough like Straka didn’t quite give it enough. Wasn’t quite brave enough. Didn’t get to the hole. Pulled up on the left hand side. That’s hard. Europe remain one up. Yeah, they were ticklish downhillers. They both had both Straa and JJ, but just slight misreads maybe. Just both missed on the left hand side. Right, we will make our way then with Europe one up in this match. We’ll say thank you to Joseph. Thank you, Joseph. Enjoy your afternoon. Thank you. It was a pleasure meeting you. How you enjoying the European fans? I am loving them. I want to meet as many as I can and welcome to it. Okay. And you on the sixth green or or I’m in the ninth uh hole when I uh where I usually work. I’m just here off today and watching. And uh Florida always is over across the pond. Uh yeah, we’re not as bad as they say we are. All of us. Anyways, who’s going to win the RDER Cup? Oh god. You know, it’s I’m hoping it’s close. And you know what? You know who’s going to win? The better team. Yeah, you’re right, Joseph. Have a great week. Thanks for talking to us. There you go. A little bit of New York hospitality live on Five Live during the afternoon fourballs. I thought I thought he was gonna you know when you went do you know who’s going to win and you said who I thought he was going to say golf. Yes we were we were close to that. I have to say as well Alli and Katrina I know you just spoke to somebody who’s marshalling the crowds but everybody who was working here has been great to deal with so far. You know all the all the marshalss and the people that are guiding people around everybody is incredibly cheerful and friend the customer service is second to none. Yeah. No, I’d totally agree with you, Mark. And I think a lot of the the conversations I’ve had with the uh the American fans out on the golf course who are listening to our coverage, of course, as they often do during the American Rider Cups, they’re enjoying it. There’s a good little bit of two and fro. The atmosphere out here has been good. What’s your experience been, Katrina? Yeah, I would say the atmosphere out here has been great, actually. Uh the the crowd have not I’ve not really heard much abuse being shouted or anything like that. I think they’ve been very good and it’s it’s just it’s a great atmosphere. Carnival atmosphere nearly. We we’ve just had one in the stands here where three Americans were escorted out by security at which point a couple of the English lads chanted you know is there a fire drill which I think confused the confused the Americans there’s certain chance they have become kind of customary haven’t there in English British sport they don’t necessarily translate across the Atlantic no but I think I think sometimes they can be explained can’t they as well because I saw actually when I left the uh the grand stand behind the first tea quite a gathering of European fans and American fans together sort of swapping stories having selfies together I think complimenting each other on the fancy dress. So there there is a good you know there is a good atmosphere out here at the moment and I do you know what I would back Joseph completely Katrina we want a close match you know close matches in in the RDER cup in the soul cup the court the world cup is what you want absolutely and the last few RDER cups haven’t been close they’ve been a bit of a blowout for the home side so everyone it doesn’t matter I don’t think what side you’re on you want to be here on Sunday and be be close get that excitement cheering for whatever team you want but prefer it to be close yeah nailbiter on the way it’s on a kn it feels on a knife edge though doesn’t it? You know, just before we go to the news with with a hole in every match in the final match all square and just that, you know, it’s a dominant morning for Europe, but we know from experience how quickly these things can change. I can sort of I myself as I’m listening to commentaries on different pots from around the course, you take that intake of breath and we’re only on the Friday afternoon. I’m sure people listening their cars up and down the country are doing exactly the same. Ian, you’ve got an eagle opportunity. So everybody listening, sharpen, take a breath for who? Rory Mroy and he’s sending this putt on its way from the back of the green on the par five fourth and it’s creeping towards the hole. It’s a lovely putt. It’s to the environments of Patrick Catlay’s ball and Camplay was asked to mark his ball. So the players are going to have a look here and I think they’re going to say let’s have a game of who dares wins. Well, Mroyy’s putt has been conceded. So that’s a birdie four for the Europeans and we’ve got short range putts for Sam Burns and Patrick Canle for their birdies and it looks very much as though Ollie Wilson this is going to remain at all square. Yeah, I’m surprised actually. Um I thought Patrick Canley would just knock it in. It’s only can only be two to three feet at the most. I would have thought closer to two but Sam Burns here. He’s got four five ft. He’s going to go first and try and match Rory. Yeah, I’m amazed Kentley’s putt wasn’t conceded. That’s missed by Burns who has the reputation of being the best putter in the world and there was absolutely no reason why you would give that putt. But now all of a sudden Camplay and this is this is only two feet and you know the crowd got were were booing the fact that Mroy and Lowry didn’t concede this to Camplay. I’m surprised. Yeah, I mean um it really doesn’t look very far at all, but it’s certainly making him take take every uh second of tension with it. It’s uh he’s backing off now, walking back into it, going through his full routine, and he’s over it now with one practice putt. Now he’s ready putting from the shadow of his left leg. Just a couple of feet here for birdie to keep this match at all square. Camplay over it now. Eyes burning down on the ball. sends it forward into the cup and it was it was a very short one. I’m surprised it wasn’t conceded and that gives a little ammunition to the American crowds I would suggest but nonetheless Klay has knocked it in the whole halved in birdie fours and this match remains all square. It is a glorious afternoon in New York. Europe are up in one. The Americans are up in two. All square in one as a woman dressed as the Statue of Liberty. I kid you not, walks across the 12th fairway in the sunshine at quart 7. We’ll pause for the latest news with Al Tan. And our coverage continues here with uh continuous Rder Cup uh commentary here from the BBC team on Rydercup.com or if you are out on the golf course on the sun-kissed links of Beth Paige Black, well, lucky you. You’re in for a scintillating afternoon that lies ahead. If you’re an American out there and you’re looking for a silver lining, well, I have good news. In the shape of a stat, the USA has won or tied each of the last five RDER Cups in four ball. And in fact, there’s a 7oint differential in that span in the format. I hope you’re enjoying your afternoon wherever you are. A scintillating morning for Europe. It was, but the momentum at the moment very much in the favor of the American pairings as we see a lengthy birdie try from Cameron Young at the fifth hole just pull the brakes on a couple of feet shy. That one’s going to be tossed back to him by Raasmus Hoygar who trails on his RDER Cup debut playing alongside the Scandinavian Ludvig Ober. Now we’re going to bring you some live action from the back of the sixth green. Justin Rose has the putter. Well, he doesn’t have the putter in hand. He’s got the 3-wood in hand. It’s going to be a little belly nudge down there. The flag is out. This is a birdie chance. He doesn’t like it. He’s up and out of it straight away. He and Tommy Fleetwood are down. Uh down to uh Ben Griffin and Bryson D. Shambo in that second match out. So, um we will obviously be back out on the golf course with the rest of the team. Let’s just talk you through how the matches all stand at the moment. Scottish Sheffler, the world number one alongside the US Open champion JJ Spawn um up against John Rahm who had that brilliant win in that top match earlier alongside Sir Turl Hatton. He’s partnering Sep Striker. That’s the only blue on the board at the moment in the afternoon full balls. They’re one up like we mentioned. Griffin and Dshambo are one up over Fleetwood and Rose. Younen Thomas are one up over Ludigberg and Raasmus Hyer and Sam Burns and Patrick Canle all square at the moment. And just like Ian Carter was talking about a few moments ago, there could well be a little bit of spice in that particular match after well refusing to give them that putt that I have to say was perhaps a little closer than Maroy and Shane Lowry would have ordinarily made a play a put from. So that’s the state of affairs here on uh uh BBC Radio 5 Live Riderup.com and of course wherever you are out on that golf course. We’ll be back with all of the team bringing you up to speed as to what’s happening during this little lull in play as soon as we go through. And Europe at the moment officially leading this match 3-1 after a brilliant foresome session. the first time that Europe have won the first forsome session on US soil since 2004. So we’ll bring you more updates as we go. I’m actually just looking at the young Dne Rasmus Hoyar who has a putt that was a good chance but it slides by. Let’s get back out onto the golf course with our commentary team starting with Katherine D. 10 ft slippery 10footers down the slope and Justin Thomas is just a couple of foot away. He should be able to pop this one in and the US side here could move two up on the fifth green. John, where are you? I’m just up ahead of you cat with the second match where Griffin and Dshambo for the United States are one up on Fleetwood and Rose. But I think Sean McKil it might be about to go two up Dshambo from 5T for Bergen. Oh, Tommy had a great opportunity there. His speed’s actually been a little bit off this afternoon. I don’t know if just the greens are starting to pick up pace or what Dan Ba put shortly. But cat two feet for Justin Thomas. He had to quiet the crowd as Raasmas Huygar was standing over his birdie opportunity. But now everybody is completely silent. All eyes trained, thousands of them around this fifth green as Justin Thomas sends it on its way. And it’s in. And the US moved two up in this third group out. Cameron Young and Justin Thomas. Two up on Ludvig Ober and Arasmus Huygar. And listen to this crowd. John Murray. And up ahead, gasps from the American galleries because Dambo has missed his putt from 5 ft. Always missing on the right hand side. Yeah, it did break. I mean, from our vantage point, it certainly looked like it was straight. And that’s a bit unusual. He had it red. He’s he’s looking at it now, wondering how he missed that putt. But pretty straight. just fall a fell a little bit to the right. He can’t believe it, can he? He stands there. He stands there and stares after it as if to say, “How could you do that?” So, what a what a contrast there. The rose for Justin Thomas back down the course. And then the gasps here and then European cheers as well. That was that was an escape for Fleetwood and Rose. But in this match, USA remained one up. I just want to go back to Andrew McGee then who’s been watching Young and Thomas against Oberg and Hoyard. And Andrew, if you’re there, and I know when you move from hole to hole, it’s an absolute bun fight. So, uh, if if you can’t answer, I kind of understand, but as you move from the fifth green to the 6T, if from the European point of view, you’re both within 10 ft and both miss your birdie putt, then that really does open the door for your opponent. Yeah, surprising. They both miss. Of course, you want the first guy to make it, take the pressure off the second guy, but that didn’t happen. And just a sublime shot from 200 yards, Justin Thomas to stuff it in there two, three feet away and to tap it in. That’s the momentum we’re talking about, Chappers. And then right there, let’s see if I’m right. Yeah. Well, let’s see if you’re right. And and a sort of two-part question to you as well, cuz obviously you were out here this morning, too, when the course was was soft. There has been rain in previous days. Now, the sun came out midway through the morning. There’s a little bit of a breeze as well. So, how different is the course playing this afternoon to this morning? And and is there any advantage in having played this morning and playing this afternoon or sitting out this morning and playing this afternoon? Oh, I think there’s always an advantage of playing this morning and playing a lot of golf and learning this chorus. Obviously, they don’t play Beth Paige Black on the rotation on the PGA Tour. They don’t see this very often. So, the more you can play it, the more you can see it. the pins on the right, you know, not to miss it to the right, you know, where the uphill putts are. So, that takes a little while to learn all that stuff. And feels like today they’re getting a little more better at it. Is that English? I don’t know when I said that right. Here you go. They It’s getting a little bit more what? A little bit more better. I think that’s how they say it in the in the US. Yeah, American flag alley. You can hear the chance of USA ringing around the back of the seventh green here. I’m here with Curtis Cup captain, former Soulheim cap captain Katrina Matthew. The European captain this week, Luke Donald approaches. The eyes are hidden behind the shades. USA are up in two matches in the afternoon. Four balls. The last match out on the golf course is all square after four. The one match Europe are up in here, Katrina Matthew, is the one we’re watching. John Ramen set striker against Scotty Sheffller and JJ Spawn. Ram at times he hit that wonderful approach shot isn’t he to set up the evil chance on the par five fourth which he couldn’t quite convert. He’s been a little bit ragged. Straker is on it. He’s fairways and greens at the moment for Europe. He has. Striker has been fairways and greens. Um he’s just another good shot in here. Ram from the middle of the fairways just missed it kind of back left. We’ve got Keegan Bradley now walking up getting the crowd going. Hi. Yeah, Keegan Bradley has just gone marching very purposefully to the back of this seventh green and he’s pointed at some of the fans who are behind the white picket fence, these huge sort of raised grandstands behind the mounds of the seventh green and every time they respond with the chant, he gives them further encouragement. So in terms of the way it’s going to play out on this hole, John Ram has gone long and left. He has a chip to come from the sort of juicy thick stuff that gathers around his ankles when he settles over that ball. JJ Spawn and Sept Striker are both on the green and Scotty Sheffller. What’s Scotty Sheffller up to? Scotty Sheffller’s just missed the green kind of pin high left and and Blake Ram he’s hit a few I’d say slack iron shots for him. Missed a couple of fairways. Missed some greens. Yeah, Scotty Sheffer’s dad again has appeared just away to our left hand side. Little Bennett is there. His wife Meredith is there as well. They were our neighbors of course during our coverage for the Open Championship at Royal Port Rush. Not that they were really aware I think that the BBC team were next door though Ian Carter did mention it uh in his interview with Scotty Sheffer after he had lifted the clar jug right John Ram chip to come then we’re going to go and check in on what’s going on in cat downs man John Ram you never know right at these sort of things happen sometimes these sort of shots end up at the bottom of the hole ram feet close together blue trousers waggles that iron club sparkles in the sunshine bumps it forward forward now wants this to roll and run and keep going and keep going. It looks great judgment for pace from John Ram. It’s just going to pull up to the right of the hole. Fabulous short game skills. Fantastic shot there just out a nice line in the back left hand side. And as you say, just a lovely little chip and run just stoned dead and it’s just been picked up by Scotty Sheoffller and thrown to him. So that’s conceded for four. Spawn with a birdie putt to come. Sheffller with a birdie chip to come. Straer with a birdie putt to come. Cat downs, what’s happening with you? Monster drives from all four in our match. Cameron Young, Justin Thomas Ludviggo, and Raasmas Huygar for the European side. That’s downwind playing this sixth hole. And there’s this huge waterfall, a grass tumbling slope that bowls down towards the green. And all of them have been blown over that slope by the wind and tumbled down to the little gathering spot at the bottom of the hill. It’s not exactly throwing a tablecloth over the four balls, but maybe a large tarpolin. So, it’s going to be a shootout from about 50 yards shy of the green with the wedges with the wind blowing in as the flag on the top of the six pin begins to flutter. This match two up Justin Tops and Cam Young as they’re playing into the sixth grid. We nearly had we nearly had some very special Scotty Sheffller magic there. Bunker shot from a good 25 yds away. Threw it out high. Golden Sand following the ball. Landed short of the hole. He nearly dropped in Katrina. That was a fantastic shot from the world number one just skimmed past the edge. It looked we were watching it looked like it had a chance for a moment but again conceded and that’s a parkour in the bag for the Americans. You know little Bennett is here on our left hand side. He’s decked out in a dark blue polo shirt and Meredith his mom is just getting him to concentrate on the golf. She had to point there to say look there’s dad’s playing the bunch. He’s doing it now. There’s so much though to distract and attract and see what is going on around here. So now birdie chances to come. Birdie chances to come at the back of the seventh. Green for sep striker and JJ Spawn. John Ram is in for four. Scotty Sheffler is also in for four. Striker will be first to put. JJ Spawn will follow. Greens here are pretty flat, aren’t they? They are. They’re quite small and they’re very flat. There’s really not much undulation in them which sometimes can make them trickier to read because it’s very subtle little breaks rather than big breaks that you can see on other greens. hit his putt. Yeah, Europe one up. Looking for a birdie from Striker. It’s got the pace. It misses. Well, he had he had the right to have a go for it cuz John Ram’s already in for four. So, it’s rolled 56 feet by. That doesn’t matter. But JJ Spawn now knowing that Sheffller’s got the four can do exactly the same thing. And as as I said earlier on, Katrina, I’ve just got a feeling this week JJ Scorn is going to make some putts because that is what he does. That’s what he does. As we said earlier, we saw him do that. We’ve seen him do that all year at the players and then at the US Open which he won and and he’s giving himself chances. The more chances you give yourself, the more chance more chance you’re going to hold some. Yeah, it’s an important match. That’s why Luke Donald are here. He’s here. Keegan Bradley is here. The Europeans are gathered about 10 yards in front of us at the back of the seventh green. Scottish is standing just to the left hand side with his caddy Ted Scott and he’s going to watch and see if JJ Spawn can strike back for the USA. Spawn won the first with a birdie. The USA are currently one down. Spawn’s caddy has the flag stretched out across his back, bending it. It’s almost as if he’s going to do some weightlifting with a huge bar, a big weight at either end, bending it over his back there, standing in the red bib, denoting the USA European team watch. A spawner gets ready to pump for birdie to get the match all square. Will this drop for the USA? No, it won’t. speeds by on the right hand side. That hole is halved as well in pars again and Europe remain one up in this match. First match out on course and we have played seven holes. We’re off to the eighth. Do you know what strikes me in Carter at the moment is with all four games out on the course. The USA have won five holes amongst those four games and the Europeans have won three holes. But you’ve got to go back to Maroy and Lowry winning the second and Ram and Striker winning the third for the last the Europeans won a hole and that means we haven’t heard European cheers for quite a long time. The Americans have been dominant since and it’s a bit of a reverse this morning where the Europeans didn’t allow the Americans to win holes. Yes, I think that’s right. And and you know, we’ve heard loud cheers across the course this afternoon that we weren’t hearing this morning. Here’s Patrick Camplay from the greenside bunker at the fifth and not controlling that. Went through the back of the green into the bunker at the back and that one has run on and run on and is a good 20 ft away in three. Now Rory Maroy missed the green on the fifth back right and he’s got a a nasty lie in the rough where the rough is actually at its thickest and he will be next to play. But his partner Shane Lowry nicely onto the green maybe 22 ft away and Sam Burns with the best approach in this match into this fifth green with uh probably a look at 12 ft 13 ft something like that for his birdie. So Europeans are up against it here at the moment. Ramen Straker one up in the top match against Sheffer and Spawn. Griffin and Dash Shambo are ahead by a hole against Fleetwood and Rose. Young and Thomas two up after five against Ober and Huard. All square in this match. Maroy having won missed a really good chance to win the third and put Europe one up here. Here he is chipping. Oh, and that one just caught up in the rough. It was very nearly very good. is still not bad and it trundles down towards five, six feet, something like that. But six inches more, it wouldn’t have hit the thick stuff and it would have been very very close. Yeah, he actually had an awful lie. You can see as a ball came in, it just rolled back into a hole. He’s played a really good shot. It was literally a couple of inches from being perfect, but just took a bit of a side bounce and took the space, took the speed out of it. But pretty good. And gives Larry a good chance to go for a birdie. Yeah. And uh Lowry is next to play. And uh wind just starting to kick up. Eduardo Molinari, the stats guru, is the vice captain with this match. Lowry just stalking this putt. He needs some magic. We saw it on the second when he leveled up the match after the first hole had gone the way of the United States. And now we have Shane Lowry ready to put 24 feet something like that. What do you think? Little left to right. Pretty flat. Good opportunity to give it a go with Rory getting it in close from his chip. Yeah, he’s thinking birdie here. He must be thinking that Burns is going to make birdie. So from 24 ft, Lowry has to be aggressive. Left to right break on this. And now the ball is turning to the right. turning towards the hole, but he hasn’t hit it hard enough. It’s come up short and that’s only going to be a par four for the Europeans here. Yeah, be disappointed with that. He had a pretty good chance. Nothing to really worry about there. So, not the best approach there for Shane. It’s been conceded. So, par four for the Europeans. And now Sam Burns. He’ll be licking his chops for this one. Yeah, this is a good opportunity for him. As as said, we definitely feel like there’s a bit of momentum going for the Americans right now. We’ve not had a lot to cheer about the last few holes and this would continue that and really get this crowd going around the fifth green. From uh Shreport, Louisiana, world number 23, Sam Burns, who likes to use the aim point method of reading greens and that’s what he’s been doing, straddling the line and then holding his hand up just with two, three fingers. That’s the amount of break that he thinks his feet have told them there is on this. And he’s aiming just to the left of the hole. This putt from 13 ft on its way is this to win the hole to take the lead. Oh, and he’s misread it. And it has just missed on the right edge. So, this match remains all square as it goes to the 6T. And we take you up ahead to the six green and Catherine DS. And you may have heard the uh the groans of disappointment from the US fans gathered around the green here, Ian, because Cam Young, who’s been putting like an absolute dream, had another birdie chance. He’s the furthest away of the four ball here from inside 20 ft only just and it crept up the hill and it horseshoeed around the hole and it could have been another birdie for Cam Young to save his partner Justin Thomas from having to take on a birdie pup because he has been well he has been such a crutch hasn’t he for Justin Thomas. He’s been putting them in close, but he hasn’t had to make the birdies cuz Cam Young’s been finding them from downtown. It’s been a good team effort here. They’ve really helped each other out and just a great putt that even though he missed it, he’s sniffing the hole on almost every putt, which is a good feeling early in the day cuz you know, you may have something today, not every day. And it puts the pressure on. They know that you’re putting well. They know that you’re playing well. And they have to do the same thing. And they in this case is Raasmus Hygar whose birdie chance from 10 ft away sidles by on the low side of the hole. So it’s a missed opportunity for Huygar. And now it’s over to a putt out between Justin Thomas and Ludvig Ober for the honors on this sixth hole. And standing just a few feet away from me to the left hand side is Chicago Bulls legend and golf fanatic Michael Jordan. and uh he’s a good friend of Andrew McGee. So, I’ve been introduced I’ve shaken the hand of Michael Jordan and you may be unsurprised to hear that the man has massive hands and he is looking on now between his minders. He’s got dark glasses and a bright white baseball cap of Team USA pulled down low over his face. Can’t take pictures with Michael Jordan. They’re very strict around him here. He is the big draw watching this group here and eyes trained on Justin Thomas who has 10 ft from below the hole uphill putt here for Justin Thomas and this for a birdie. Ludvig goar also with a birdie chance to come. Thomas and young for America two up against the European pairing of Ludvig and Raasmas Huygar. Both of the Europeans in their early 20s. Can the elder statesman Justin Thomas find a birdie here? No he can’t. A 32-year-old from Louisiana leaves that one short and he snatches the ball up from the surface of the green and now it’s over to Lud Go makeable this one. Yeah, this is uh not where the Americans want to be. Lousy putt from Justin Thomas leaving it short after his partner has a par. That’s just the cardinal sin. You can’t do that. But let’s see if he’s going to get bailed out by Rasmus. Well, Alex Norin, vice captain for team Europe, has just looked me in the eye and taken a deep breath through his nose. He can feel the pressure here. This is this is short. This is 5 ft, but it’s downhill and it’s going to move from right to left for Ludvig Ober. And the Europeans haven’t really seen these putts drop so far. It’s been the Americans who found the big putts in the big moments. But this, well, this will be very useful for team Europe. Two down at the moment on the six screen as Ober places his left hand on his left thigh just to steady himself and he’s missed. He’s missed it. He’s missed another one as Ludvig Ober and the putts that were dropping this morning in the foroms. Well, they’re refusing to go in this afternoon in the four balls and Justin Thomas and Cameron Young remain two up. John Murray. And the biggest moment so far in a Ryder Cup for Ben Griffin, the rookie holds from 45 ft. And what a reaction from him. What a reaction we have around the seventh green. The Europeans still have birdie chances here, but also from distance. But what what a great moment in the golfing life that was to witness here for Ben Griffin. And this is the pairing that we thought we’d see this morning. And this is why these two get on so well. What a putt by Ben Griffin. What a way to step up in his rookie time as a Rder Cup player. I would be willing to bet that he has never reacted like that on a golf course in his life. Don’t every sports psychologist tells you just to kind of even kill, right? Boring golf, vanilla. That was anything but vanilla. Ben Griffin lost it there. He went berserk and and I don’t blame him honestly. What a moment that was. They left the flag in and it hit the flag and disappeared. And Keegan Bradley, I’m just watching Ke the captain was here. He’s just arrived. Keegan Bradley walks across, puts his arm around Griffin’s shoulder and pats him on the bottom. What a reward. So, so all is quiet now because there are still two chances for Europe. But balls from long range. So Justin Rose trying to follow in follow. He has he has Oh my goodness. That absolute classic rider cup golf. That that that is that is one of the shots of the day followed by one of the shots of the day. What a half. when the American team kind of walked off with a smirky little grin like how in the world did he do this? But that’s what these guys are made to do and uh it really is good to see the excitement from both teams. Not only Keegan Bradley, Luke Donald was here as well who walks past us now and both captains were here to witness the great event. Well, this match has come to life but the USA are still one up. Sean, they still are. So we we are we are seeing some really spectacular golf today. These this this this foresome is probably the most evenly matched that I’ve seen so far today and we’re seeing some outstanding golf. So that wasn’t bad for starters. Fantastic. A USA one up after seven. Fantastic. And Justin Rose when that put drop beat his chest with his right fist. And then you compare it to Ben Griffin who chest bumped Bryson Dashambo as well. Right, let’s go up ahead. Birdie Opportunities on Eight Alley. Yeah, that’s what the RDER Cup sounds like on Five Live. I’ll tell you what it smells like in the New York Sunshine this afternoon. It’s sun cream. It’s cigar smoke. It’s the smell of grilled meat on the barbecue as well all wafting into your nostrils. And we could have some classic Ronic Cup jeweling on the way here on the par 3 eighth green. Ramen and Sheffller in this group going headtohead. We’re on putting up the hill first of all. This is the T-shot hit from the raised green over the water which doesn’t really feature pin cut right at the back. A steep slope from back to front on this green. Rahm is putting up that slope and settles this for birdie from about 14 ft. Sheffers in closer. Rahm at the hole and in the hole. Fabulous put from John Rom and he barely reacts. Just a determined look on his face. a little clench of the fist and he almost caught eyes with Scotty Sheffler and said right match that was a fantastic put from John Ram and this I think this is a huge part now for Scotty Sheffler hasn’t hold anything for the first kind of 27 holes and this one to keep it just at one day well you heard the drama on the last with John Murray Justin Rose following in for a massive moment in the Ryder Cup this is going to be another one this is going to be another one because Europe a one up in this top match ramen striker and Rama just rammed that in from 15 ft away. Shepherd’s T-shot followed Rams and it was absolutely perfect for distance as it so often is. He has found the flatter area at the top of this green. He’s away to the right of the hole. He’s probably he’s probably inside 10 ft here. But now this is pressure because if he misses this, the two down. Yeah, you’d have to think if Ram had missed his putt, you’d be you’d be kind of odds on Sheffller is going to hold this. This has just got probably double the distance after that one of Ram going in. Yeah, this is really firing up on five live this evening back home. What is it? 20 to 8 in the evening, 20 to 3 in the afternoon in New York and the rider cup bubbling away very nicely. Europe leading 3-1 after the morning forms. I’ll tell you what, you’ll note if this goes in from the putter blade of Scotty Sheffller on its way. No, no. It slides by on the right and John Ram has won it with the birdie. And Rahm very purposefully marches off the back of the eighth green. And Scotty Shepherd’s dad said it a couple of holes ago. He can’t hold a darn p. No, he just can’t hold a p. And you saw him there. He’s just standing looking at the line as if they misread it. Hit it. I don’t know. But it just wasn’t actually even that close from that distance. Mark, we mentioned it before. I heard you mentioning it about the form of the world number one occasionally in the Ryder Cup. Tiger Woods. I’ve forgotten this. Tiger Wood’s record in the RDER Cup was one win in eight appearances, which is absolutely remarkable given his ability as an individual golfer. Now listen, Scottish Sheffer’s been on a winning team. He was on a winning team at Whistling Straits. He’s not quite got it this afternoon. Europe are two up in this top match out on the golf course. Just to clarify, you mean one overall win for Tiger? Yes, sorry. On a winning team once in eight attempts, which is which is just I couldn’t I’d forgotten that and I couldn’t believe it. I mean you are focusing on the game that you are on at the moment Katrina but but it does feel feels like a a a really big 10 minutes that for for Europe because it started with Ludvik Ludvig Oair horseshoeing out on six that would have brought their lead or their deficit down. They’d have been one down to the Americans but the Americans kept Young and Thomas stayed two up. We then went immediately to the seventh where Ben Griffin hold from 45 feet to put the pressure on the Europeans there. That could have put them to up but Justin Rose rescued it and then John Ram has done what John Ram’s done. So the Europeans have rescued themselves there in three in in two of the three matches. Yeah, it’s just amazing. You can be sitting watching and and as you say in the space of 10 minutes you thought you were going to lose a couple of holes. Suddenly you’ve won a couple of holes. It’s amazing how quickly it can chop and change. And I think with the matches all being closer this afternoon, we’re going to have some really exciting finishes. What do you make of Sheffler at the moment? I don’t know. I mean, I think world number one is he does they do they just try too hard? They want to lead their team. You know, they’re the best player. They want to not impress their 11 other teammates, but they want to to lead that team out and play well. I mean, Rory said the odd off Rider Cup as well. I think when he’s expected to go and play well, it must be a completely different kind of pressure. I think if you’re world number one expected to win your games and the people you’re playing against, if you get beaten, well, it’s world number one. Everyone expects me to get beaten. Yeah. Uh 3-1 in the forsomes in Europe this morning. This afternoon, Ram and Straker are two up on Sheffller and Spawn. And they’re about to play the ninth. Having played the seventh, Griffin and Dambo, the Americans are one up on Fleetwood and Rose. Young and Thomas are two up on Ober and Hoygard. and Burns and Canley are all square with Mroy and Lowry. And Ben Griffin having performed beautifully on that previous hole with that putt from 45 ft for a birdie has now just gone way right on the eighth. John Murray. Well, we we’re just talking here because we’re at the uh the the eighth now, the par three, which fantastic hole to watch. tea right up in the trees and there is a pond in front of the green and and down in the valley in the distance there is the there is the uh the eighth green but Ben Griffin who just I mean performed wonders on the previous green has gone way right into this top of the grassy mound on the right hand side that’s the wrong part of metal that he hit right there and uh that’s I’m not calling that a shank but it was it was pretty close so Dshambo’s on the green the Europeans are are playing now. Justin Rose has managed to land it on the putting surface, but it’s actually hit it’s actually hit Dambo’s ball. It landed on the top portion where the flag is, but just caught the slope roll down and it bumped into Dshambo’s ball. It was it was a what do they call it in Billiards. What do they call it again? A cannon. A cannon. Oh, I’ll call that a Steiny. That was that was a really hit a good shot. I can just show you you if these soft greens you really have to fly the ball all the way to the hole and there’s just this little slope that causes the ball to kind of come back about 20 30 ft. So we’ve got Tommy Fleetwood as well who was the last of the four to hit here on the eighth on its way holds his pose. So that means he quite likes this. He likes it. waiting for it to drop and it does and it drops or 10 feet to the right of the flag on the right port and just hops into the the very first cut but that’s an excellent shot from Fleetwood. He did the absolute right thing. You watch the other two players come up just a little bit short. So he either took an extra club, maybe played it a little bit more firm and and got it up on top where he’s got a nice birdie putt. So there we are with the United States one up in this match. Griffin and Dambo on Fleetwood and Rose. But it’s I mean it was it was bubbling along nicely but it’s really come to life. It’s gone up a level and Fleetwood and Rose just looking a little bit happier with things. How Mroy and Larry looking Ian? Well they’re in the ascendancy on this sixth hole all square against Sam Burns and Patrick Kentlay. But it’s the two Europeans who found the putting surface. Lowry’s furthest away of all four players but the two Americans have gone through the back will have delicate chips. And here’s Lowry putting for his birdie on its way. Oh, that was heavy-handed. Poor read. Poor strike. Gone way, way by. I mean, at the very least, he should have got himself a cast iron par four. He Something just seems to have bothered him there, but that was that was really, really awkward, wasn’t it? Well, I think he’s just giving it a go. I think Ror is in there at what, like 12, 13 ft. So, he knows Roy is going to two put, so he had a good chance to go at it. Um, I don’t think he was too worried about line it up, laying it up and having a tap in. Well, now it’s the chip shot of Patrick Kelay from the thick stuff. Just through the back of the green, leaving the flag out, looking to chip in here. Third shot on the par four. Bumps it onto the putting surface, but decelerated on it and he’s left himself probably 8 ft for par. Well, that was about as clumsy as the shot into the green. He was coming in from the middle of the fairway, maybe 80 y. I think the wind’s just picking up. He might not have felt it behind him and hit it through the back. So, two clumsy shots. Sam Burns come out of the rough. He’s gone through the back and now he’s got a tricky downhill chip back into the window. Yeah. And he bumps it up onto the putting surface and lets it release towards the hole. And that’s three 3 ft away. So, Mroy, who bumped his chip from the rough for the second shot up to 15 ft, has a putt here for the lead. Yeah, this is a pretty good opportunity. Not a lot of break on it. Slightly up the hill. Not a lot to worry about. Can be pretty free on this. Down on his horn is behind the hole. Checking out the line from there. And Mroy stalking this putt. Now has walked back behind the hole. the ball. Yeah, just going through in his routine, gathering himself. There’s a bit of movement behind the back of the green, so he’s just taking his time. The crowd’s amassing around here. It’s pretty big right now, but I don’t think it’ll be uh too noisy if this goes in. Michael Jordan has stayed put to watch. A huge figure behind the green, arms folded. Rory Maroy for birdie. Rory Maroy for the lead to put Europe one up in the bottom match. Sends the ball towards the hole and in. And he roars and he punches the air once, twice and then bends and takes the ball from the cup and then he bounces chest bumping with his partner Shane Lowry and the first sign of real emotion from Rory Mroy in this match. It’s a birdie for the Europeans and they go ahead for the first time. They were one down after one, now after six, now one up. I go back to what a change in the last half hour or so. Ramen Stroker going two up. Rose prevented Griffin and Desambo going uh two up and Mroy and Lowry now put blue on the board at the bottom and they have gone one up. So, as it stands, Europe are up in two and the Americans are up in two. Should we go back to John Murray to to find out where Ben Griffin is on this par 38? Well, he was up on he was up on the top of I mean, it’s a grassy mound like something out of the open championship to the right of the eighth green. and he was up there and seemingly I thought probably out of the hole, but he played a fantastic little pitch shot from from somewhere up there in amongst all of the spectators and uh and put it to within 7 ft. It’s hard when you have to get a yardage for your second on a par three. But just to show you how soft the greens were, he must have had one of those kind of sandy kind of lynxy style eyes. I mean, he actually backed that ball up. It was really a fantastic shot. But Tommy’s really got the advantage here. He’s getting the ball right up on top. He doesn’t have a whole lot really to look at. He’s about 15 ft. Yeah. So, Fleetwood still to play. His ball just off the green, but now it’s it’s birdie opportunities for Rose, Dambo, and then Fleetwood. And it’s Rose from down there on the on the lower level up the slope and it pulls up short and right by maybe 4 and 1/2 ft. So, uh, conceded. That won’t that won’t be conceded by any means. What a great scene this is, isn’t it, Sean? It’s like a valley here that we’re looking back down across the eighth green. The water down in the bottom. There’s a little fountain there as well creating ripples and then a a green an emerald green pathway that leads up to the the eighth tea on the top of the hill. It’s a it’s an extremely picturesque part of Best Page State Park, which is where we are. Yeah. And it just shows you how much the the fans here love the golf. off and we’re as far from the clubhouse as you could possibly get and it’s 10 deep. People are excited. They’re wanting to pull this USA team back to get them get them back in this in this match and in this RDER Cup. Yes, they’ll they’ll sleep tonight. Those who’ve come out here twice today. I can I can assure you of that. Down on the green, Bryson D. Champo. So this for birdie and as we suggested earlier if you were listening Rose’s t-shot actually rolled down the slope and hit Bryson Dshambo. So very very similar. So he’ll have watched very carefully what happened to Justin Rose’s putt which ended up short and right. So Dambo again that this ever so rigid stiff armed putting stance of his. He’s ready now to send the ball up the slope. Off it goes. Huge cheer from somewhere else on the course. We’ll hear about that shortly. And still Dambo’s ball rolls, but that also pulls up short. Yeah, but it’s it’s you know, if you get it up on top, it really works away from you there. I I can see the Well, it’s just been consisted. Yeah. So, it was really a good putt, but really leaves it to Tommy to to win the hole. Yep. So, Fleetwood with his birdie attempt to come. Yeah. Big roars. We’re around the back of the ninth green. There’s a huge spectator pavilion here. People sitting on benches right at the front of that. standing at bars behind it as well. The big raw for JJ Spawn’s second shot from about 170 yd or so he’s in to within about 8 9 ft. Birdie chance coming USA two down in the first match out on the golf course. Cat, looks like it’s going to be pars for both Justin Thomas and Cameron Young here on the seventh. In fact, the the ball of Cameron Young has been lifted off the surface of the green by Ludvig Our and his putt has been conceded. So they’ve already in for a par as Ober paces back towards his ball. Long birdie putt for the Swede. This is about 30 40 ft and if this drops well it would be a win for the Europeans here on the seventh hole and the first hole that they would have won today. Two down at the moment against Cameron Young and Justin Thomas. The ball now on its way tracking down to the left hand side. This looks good from Ober. Oh it’s not going to go in. Just a tap in for par then for Ober and the hole will be harved in pars and Ober and Hygar will remain two down as we move off under the tunnel under the big grand stand with the white picket fence to the eighth T. John Murray back at the eighth where Tommy Fleetwood remember had that put from out of the collar of roof and and left that left that four ft short. Yeah, that’s that’s the third putt that we’ve seen today that really he just misplayed the speed. I don’t know if he was thinking it was downhill, but as we look it it it’s a dead flat putt. So now Rose has got to hold this for the half. He’s missed it. He’s missed it, but Tommy Fleetwood still has a put here. He still has a put for his his par three, but that’s a that’s a miss, you know, and that’ll all add to the tension and the nerves back from rolls from four feet. These guys are so good. That shouldn’t hang with him, but he’ll be disappointed. really poor effort really for the first puck, but coming up 35 ft. Now he’s put the pressure on Tommy who just hit really a really poor putt from 15 ft. And this is where match player Sean, as you well know, can play with the mind. Could have easily given him this putt. I mean I mean Bryson wasn’t in at 3 ft when they gave it to him. I guess assuming that that Tommy was going to hit a good putt. So this is this is this is 4T and a little bit. This has got to go in this to have this hole in par threes. If Fleetwood would misses this and he does not right in the middle. Yeah, dead center. That’s a great That’s a great stroke. We could tell from where we’re watching he just hit it smashed in the back. Yeah, that was the that was very much the put of the FedEx Cup winner. So uh the hole is halved in par threes and after eight holes of this match Griffin and Dshambo remain one up on Fleetwood and Rose. Justin Rose missed that put. Tommy Fleetwood saved it. He said Justin Rose ahead of the Rder Cup getting underway. He said, “Ultimately, what you’re looking for in a partnership is having the comfort level where if things go wrong, there’s not that moment where heads go down and you feel like you’re letting one another down. That’s the line you can’t cross.” And he went on to say, Katrina, who is alongside our spruce bull at the moment, you can’t say sorry. And I wonder I wonder there probably lots of absent golfers listened to this. I include myself. I feel like I spent half my time saying sorry on a golf course. When when was the last time you said sorry on a golf course? cuz I think Justin Rose sums up this professional mentality brilliantly there. Yeah, you you can’t say sorry in a golf course. I mean, I think your partner knows you’re trying your hardest. Um, everyone’s out there trying to hit good shots. No one wants to hit a bad shot. And the last thing you want to hear is your partner saying sorry for a bad shot because what can you do about it? You just got to get on to the next one. So, where do you do you know when you last said sorry? when you last said sorry Katrina or when I last Oh, well, I nearly said sorry to Katrina for pushing in the water at the eighth mark as we’re making our way around the the little pond in front of the eighth green. It’s a bit slippy around there. Katrina, last time you said sorry on a golf course. Uh, you know, I don’t know probably actually. Uh, not something I would say desperately after. Right. Let’s let’s Ollie Wilson, when did you last say sorry on a golf course? Probably 2008 in Valhalla. Andrew McGee. Oh, I say it all the time because I get really lucky and I have to apologize. Good answer. Sean McKill, when did you last say sorry on a golf course to anyone? Sean’s got the look of a man who’s probably never said so. Nobody wants to play golf with me. I’m always playing by myself. Oh, there’s some very different answers there. Katrina doesn’t say sorry. Ollie when he was in the RDER Cup in 2008. Andrew cuz he’s always lucky and and Sean does it because nobody wants to play golf with him. I mean they’re four varied answers. What are you watching John? We’re watching uh the uh Fleetwood Rose Griffin Dshambo match. They’re climbing up onto the ninth T. So preparing to play their T-shots here at the par four. Okay. Ian Maroy Larry. Yeah. Al one up now for Mroy and Larry. We’re on the seventh. Second shots uh coming in very shortly on this long par four from these two. All right. But you’ve said sorry recently, haven’t you? I tell you what, I used to play I used to play and I I’ve been sacked. Um I’ve I used to play in sort of family and mixed competitions with my wife Sarah. And and very in early in those days I said, “Now listen, you know, if something goes wrong, don’t say sorry. I’m not going to say sorry. You don’t say sorry. We just we’re all trying our best. And sure enough, I uh didn’t say sorry when I put the ball in the bunker and she said, “What did you do that for?” And JJ Spawn maybe his partner is going, “What have you just done there, Alan?” It’s bouncy, boisterous bedum. It’s the noisiest I’ve heard it, you know, around the back of this ninth green. It is entirely horseshoe by thousands of fans. Really interesting strategy here, Katrina Matthew, because it’s birdie putts a go- go for all of the players here. Striker went from about 30 ft and missed for Europe. Spawn was about 8 9 ft away. Sheffller 15 ft away. Spawn went first and missed. Yeah. And Ram’s in there about 14 ft and getting a great read from Sheffller. So I think they let Spawn go first, hoping that he was going to hold. So Sheffller wouldn’t give Ram the the line of the P, but it’s slightly backfired on them now. Love the strategy, the thinking behind a Ryder Cup fourball. Europe in this match. Ron striker two up on the world number one Scotty Sheffller and the US Open champion JJ Spawn. Red, white, and blue flags gently fluttering above the grand stands beyond Sheffller. 15footer heading for the hole. He stands, he looks, he stares. It’s another one that doesn’t disappear below ground. John Ron’s seen the line. If he makes another birdie here, Europe 73 up at the turn. Yeah, that’s getting starting to get to a big lead, isn’t it? and Ram was in there and is caddy pretty quickly looking at that to try and get the line and this is a golden opportunity now to the three up. Well, John Ram made for these moments. Loved these moments. US Open champion, Mast’s champion, Rder Cup winner with Europe before. Such a force he was in Rome two years ago. Getting a fair bit of stick from the New York fans here. A lot of noise about as he gets ready to pub and eventually that noise is going to drop to a whisper. The odd cat call, the odd shout still coming. Rahm is not flustered. He’s focused. The European message this year, our time, half our place at B Page. 3-1 up from the Force. Rom about a 14-footer. Birdie chance to go back to back birdies to put Europe three up. And he’s seen the line from Sheffller as well. Ram just settles the putter head. Small cuts ahead behind the ball again. That familiar widening of the start. Shakes the shoulders. Looks at the hole. Strokes it towards the hole. Heading for the hole. No, he bends the knees. It doesn’t quite drop. And the chance goes a begging for Europe. A good chance as well because John Ramad seen the line of Scottish Sheffller’s pup. Criy. It is loud in there. I tell you what, that that is some atmosphere around that ninth green. It is still Katrina. It’s still good naturatured. It’s It’s on the right side and it is This is just a classic Ryder Cup Friday afternoon, isn’t it? It is. Absolutely. I mean, we’re just having a ball out here, aren’t we? I mean, yeah, you’re right. The crowd is It’s still very good naturatured, you know. Obviously, they’re cheering the Americans. You’d expect that. Cheering them louder, wanting them to win, trying to get them up, trying to get them going. Four balls at the Ryder Cap on five live. Ramen Straker, they’ve hit the turn. They’re two up, nine to play against Scotty Sheffller and JJ Spawn. It’s exactly what what you want sport to be at the moment. It is tense. It is tight. It’s being played in glorious weather and the atmosphere is crackling and it is building with the leading group in the four balls at the turn. They’re about to play the 10th. Uh we are with you every step of the way tonight here on Five Live and we will be with you till the final putt on Sunday evening UK time, Sunday afternoon US. And that is the case all the way through here on rydercup.com or indeed if you’re out there. Respplendant sunshine beating down onto your back. James Greg with you and our brilliant team of BBC commentators guiding you round this day one afternoon full ball session. Europe up into USA up into. Let’s run you through it in case you’ve just lost track over the course of the last half an hour or so. The world number one Scottish effler partnering JJ Spawn. Three major championships they’ve won between them this year, but that’s no good at the moment. They’re two down to John Ram the Spaniard and the Austrian Sep Striker. So, blue in the board there. Then follows what has been so far an excellent Rder Cup debut match for Ben Griffin. He’s playing alongside Bryson Dashambo who had a humbling defeat in that forome session alongside Justin Thomas this morning. They’re at the moment one up over Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose. That’s a real humdinger of a match. Looking forward to getting our teeth stuck back into that one. Whilst Cameron Young on his Ryder Cup debut as well, no less the New Yorker born in the Bronx partnering Justin Thomas. They’re on the eighth hole at the moment. They’re two up over Ludig Goldberg and Raasmus Hoygar. The Dane on debut of course in that particular match while Sam Burns, Patrick Canle, they trail Rory Mroy and Shane Lowry by one hole. They’re playing the seventh. Let’s get back down to the action with our brilliant team on the golf course. Always let me know about it. Weekend mornings on BBC Radio 5 Live. The RDER Cup 2025 with Matt Chapman on BBC Radio 5 Live. Europe up in two and down in two in the afternoon. Four balls. One of the ones they are down in is the Cam Young Justin Thomas against Ludva and Raasmas Hoygard. Katherine DS. Yeah, Justin Thomas just looking a little bit ragged at the moment. His T-shot on the par 38 210 yds finding that big bunker that’s cut into the bank to the left hand side of the green that’s shaped like a an upturned pair of sunglasses. And Justin Thomas, he had plenty of green to work with. Nice downward uh little bunker shot, but just put it too far to the left of the hole. So, he’s about 10 11 ft or so from the hole for a par. But here’s Raasmus Huygar just chipping from the rough to the right hand edge of the green. Oh, he’s left that short. Had to be so delicate with it though, didn’t he? Yeah, right in the jaws, too. But a beautiful little chip to secure the part. Give us give his partner a free run. That’s what you want is a free run with no bad things can happen. Well, they haven’t conceded the putt, but we have Ludvig Ober with a birdie chance to come. Ian, where are you? We’re at the seventh, and Rory Maroy has a putt to win the hole from 25 to 30 ft from just off the right edge of the green. Both the Americans missed the green with their approaches on this long par four, but both have played good third shots. One, Sam Burns from deep off the back of the green and then from the bunker guarding the front right, Patrick Can. And both should be able to make their pass from there. But Mackoy has this for birdie. Hit his approach to pin high downhill to start with and then turning a little from left to right potentially on its way. I tell you what, this looks pretty good. Yes, it’s in. Oh, and he’s fist pumping again as the world number two and Mast’s champion. Arms are lofted in celebration. European cheers. And suddenly the European pair in the bottom match have gone two up having been one down. Oliver Wilson that was brilliant. One of the hardest holes on the golf course. Showed his absolute strength there flying a long iron all the way back to the flag. Fantastic put cat. Birdie chance is missed for Ludvig Ober. Looking for backto- back European birdies there after that stunning score from Rory Maroy. Here on the eight, the ball refuses to drop below the surface of the green. And Ludvig go perplexed once again from 25 ft away. He’s got his hand on his hip, but these parts are just not dropping for the big sweep. Um, not not dropping yet. They need to dodge this bullet here by Cameron Young. Another just a dart into this long downhill par three about playing about 220 with the pin way back like that. Great shot here by Cameron Young. He’s the hot putter in this Thomas Young Tusome. Can he make one? Can he make this one? Do you feel it? Looking at his past track record in the early stages of this four ball contest, Andrew McGee, I would say yes. And this one is about 25 ft down the slope on this helter skelter of a green really, isn’t it? Two-tier green. The pin cut high on that back tier. And he’s got to come down the slope from the back edge of the green down towards the pin. Wipes the blade of the putter on the palm of his hand. The trees behind him. Big bank of trees, thick woodland, the trees and the leaves just beginning to turn into a golden tri-state autumn as Cameron Young prepares to send this birdie putt on his way. This to win the hole here on the eighth for the US side to send them three up. The crowd encouraging the ball every inch of the way, but it won’t go in for Cam Young. So, I think the hole is going to be halved in par threes and uh the advantage still to the US side. Two up for Young and Justin Thomas on Ludvig Ober and Raasmus Huygar. And I think Ober and Hygar have not conceded this par putt. So the booze ring out around the eighth. How about that? How about that? Cameron Young hit it a little too far past the hole. Justin Thomas out of the bunker about 10 ft for par. So this is a little bit of sevy a loza ball back in the old days. The one closest to the hole, which is young, is going to putt first. You’d do the same thing though, wouldn’t you, McGee? Oh, yeah. Just clean it up. Show them how good you are. Just tap it in from 3 ft or so. Then Cam Young and this to ensure the par which halves the hole and keeps their lead at two up here in this third match in the Friday afternoon. Four balls. Yeah. No mistake from the Long Islander on his home turf. And with the applause of the crowd ringing in his ears, he hands his putter to his caddy. And off we go to the ninth. And let’s go to the eighth where I think there may be a pumped up Rory Mroy on that tea Ian Carter. Yeah, he is pumped up. 223 yd par three. And after what Cat’s just been describing, the green clears and they will be going with their second well rather their T-shots on the par three. 223 yds as I say downhill. I mean it’s a glorious afternoon to play golf, isn’t it Ollie? It’s very toasty out here. It’s fantastic. Great atmosphere. Certainly the crowd have come alive after this morning and uh a little bit of uh well Aory is come alive too. So Shane needs to try and match him. Trey, see if he can support him a little bit. Here he is then over this T-shot. Always a nice languid rhythmic swing from Shane Larry. The flag located right in the back corner and that’s where the ball has landed. Super shot from Shane Lowry’s put it to 12 ft. Just like that. That’s the kind of stuff that we need to be seeing. Fantastic long iron shot fighting in there. Spin high 10 ft. Lovely. Mroyy’s on fire. He’s birded three of the last four holes. He should have birded the third as well where he horseshoed out with a short range birdie putt. That was the par three where his t-shot covered the flag all the way. So he is he’s playing like the mast’s champion. He’s playing like the world number two. He’s playing like the rock that he has become for Europe’s Rder Cup effort. And here he is now looking to get inside Shane Lowry’s T-shot. And this is on a towering trajectory, but it’s swinging away to the right of the green, bounces into the rough and then kicks left down towards the putting surface and then settles down in the rough, very close to the putting surface, the green. Yeah, just you can just see the wind hit that in the air, just push it right to the green, but it’s had a lovely bounce and actually probably only 15 ft away from the flag. So, a really good opportunity to chip in for Birdie. Yeah, he’ll fancy that. No doubt about it. and we can see the top of the ball and we’re we’re a good 100 yards away. So, it’s not sitting down in the rough at the moment. Now, let’s see what happens here with Sam Burns as he gets ready with his uh T-shot here for the United States who suddenly find themselves two down in this bottom match. Mroy turning on the afterburners at the moment. So, here we go. And there’s the swing. And there’s the shot. And the ball is on its way. And right into the middle of the green. And just catching the slope which takes it back down away from the flag and into the middle of the green. So the final of this four ball is Patrick Kentlay and he gets ready with his T-shot. Yeah, he’s uh just getting over it now. Just looking at probably around a six iron. Just trying to carry that ridge that you just talked about. Try and get it pin high to give himself an opportunity. Otherwise, it just feeds away from the hole leaving like a 30ft pot up the hill. And he knows Lowry is in pretty close 12 ft away. That’s the best of the T-shots so far. There is a pond in front of the green. Big expanse of water. Very, very calm. But there is uh no danger of that being a factor on this hole, especially with the flag located in the back right. So Kentley sends his T-shot away. It’s going to land in the back left of the green. Just beyond it, just through the back of the green as we take you to John Murray, Bryson Dshambo for Birdie at the ninth. But no, it does not drop. They the in the in the stands here and the and the the hospitality stands here are right next to the green. They’ve got a great view from up there and Bryson Dambo I think has that been conceivable Sean I think it probably has well I mean he was only a couple of feet and we’ve seen that today this the this forum has been apt to give putts. They have you know I’m probably surprised they didn’t give Tommy his putt. So, Fleetwood uh Justin Rose, it’s effectively become dshambo against Rose on this hole. And uh you can hear someone shushing the spectators in the stands. There’s a very posh stand just next to me where they’re sitting on bar stools and they’re they’re very well behaved and they’re watching just in Rose. Now, this 15 16 ft this to win the hole for Europe. But no, that does not drop either. Bryson Dambo walks forward. A little nod. Yeah, that is conceded. And actually uh Yep, that’s it. The hole the hole is halved sha in par four. So USA remain one up at the turn in this match. Yeah, I mean that this really is not really a birdie hole as long as it’s playing. The guys didn’t hit great iron shots in there, but Justin just Justin had a great opportunity. Yeah, chance gone there for Justin Rose. And uh listen to this. Bryson Dampo walks through there fixed expression on his face, teeth clenched. You can tell and there are a few very powerful high fives. Not surprised that maybe fingers haven’t been dislocated there by that. And off they go through to the uh to the 10th T. Justin Rose impassive as he walks through them. I did worry, John, when Ben Griffin chest bumped Bryson Dashambo that that a Bryson from a couple of years ago and he’s a bit bulky. could have broken a couple of ribs there on Ben Griffin. Ben Griffin could have he could have bounced into the next county. So, Roman Straer two up on Sheffller Spawn. Griffin and Dash B one up on Rose Young and Thomas two up on her B and Hoyard. Mroy and Lowry two up on Burns and Kantlay to the Hawthorns. Nathan Alburn early goal. Early goal for West Brom against Leicester. 10 minutes gone. It’s Samuel Illing Jr. on his first start for West Brom. He wriggled his way onto the green of the penalty area and just putts it into the bottom corner with his left foot against the run of play, but it’s West Brom won less nil. Let’s go back to the par 38 after the T-OT. And now you’ve got to the green Ian and Ollie. Is that advantage Europe? It is because certainly uh Shane Larry is closest. We’ve got a chip to come for Patrick Kentlay who’s just taking his first practice swing for that lengthy birdie putt for Sam Burns. An an eminently makeable chip for Rory Maroy from just off the green. But the big advantage is that the Europeans are two up in this match already as Kentlay sends this chip across the green. Looks good and just shaves the hole and it runs on and it runs on by a good six ft. Yeah. Again, slightly clumsy from around the green, but h giving it a chance. I think uh Sam Burns put up the hill. It’s 30 ft, but it should be relatively straightforward. These greens are they look to me relatively easy to read. It doesn’t seem to you I mean, you’ve played majors here. Give us an idea. Yeah, I you know, coming back here, I didn’t remember them being so flat. Um they’re obviously in perfect condition, but the front nine for sure there’s not a lot of break going on. So you you feeling like if you’re hitting good putts, you can hold a lot. But on the back n there tends to be a few more ridges, a little bit more break around the holes. Well, here he goes. Sam Burns is next to put leaving the flag in the hole and he sends the ball up the hill and then swinging from left to right towards the hole. Oh, it’s a lovely putt, but not quite strong enough and it comes up just short. Don’t think that will be conceded. They’ve been quite well when we say they’ve been generous. The Northern Irishman and the Irishman so far, even though Sam Burns has such a great reputation with the putter. No, it’s uh I mean, what can it be? Two feet certainly making them put everything at the moment. Just maybe trying to get into their heads. Yeah, the the the WS of match play. Yeah, that’s why match play so much fun. There’s just a few little intricacies that you can do. switch tactics up a little bit, but main thing is just keeping pressure on the players at all time and make them earn those victories on each hole. Downhill lie here for Maroy. Yeah, Green going slightly away from him, slightly downhill, but a good lie. Really good chance to get this in. Sends it onto the putting surface towards the hole and shaves the left edge. Beautiful chip and I think Countly has just looked at Mroy and said, “You can pick that up.” Lovely. Maroy going for the pocket. Oh no, he is he is picking it up. I thought he was getting the marker out, but no. So a par in the bank and that means that Larry can go for this. Yep. Uh 10 ft again straight up the hill. Not a lot going on. Really good opportunity and these are the ones that you’ve got to take advantage of. You just can’t miss the opportunities at this stage heading into the back n shortly. Three up would be a lot better than two. And and let’s be clear, it doesn’t really alter the dynamic for Lowry, does it? in the way that you know us amateurs play where we say you you you get the four and I can go for the three or more like you get the six and I can go for the seven and then of course you get you get very aggressive and overhit it that that’s not the dynamic here it’s not no I get that in prime sometimes when you’re playing with a team and it’s like that doesn’t really apply anymore you’re good I’m I think I can handle this one Shane can certainly handle this yeah and this would be this would be great for Larry not just because it would put the Europeans three up, but he would. He’s already made a significant contribution on the second. Can he do it here on the eighth? It’s been the Rory Maroy show so far, but that one doesn’t drop. And so, two short range pucks coming up for the Americans. Well, of course, Camp is about 6 ft, but a short one to come for Burn. So, you would think this hole will be half and the Europeans will remain too up. Yeah. Yeah, I mean that’s a shame for Shane cuz as soon as he hit it he was out of it and ran away and Roor has just ran over to the back of the green to make sure he doesn’t get too down on himself as he walked off berating himself I think as he missed it. Okay well uh here is Sam Burns. I’m hearing cheers from elsewhere on the course and Alistister Bruce B will be able to tell us about those in just a moment but here’s Klay’s putt and it’s in. So this hole has been harved all he’s not going to be missing putts all day. chance to win a hole, make an impact for the USA on the par 410th. Everything falls silent. 12T for Sheffler. Will this one drop for him? No, it’s another one. It’s another one. And he stands there a gas and he looks down at the floor and his feet and the put ahead and Scotty Sheffer is unable to convert the birdie putt on the 10th Katrina Matthew. So Europe remain two up in the match. They’re just not dropping. No, I mean he’s had great chances on the last three holes for birdie and just can’t quite get any of them in. I mean, they’re not even touching the sides. It’s not as if they’re nipping out. They’re just well they’re not going in. A real kind of escape I would say for Europe in that hole. Yeah, it was Seb struck out had a bloody attempt from about 30 ft away mark. He couldn’t make that. I mean Sheffller’s iron play there wonderful from distance into about 12 ft but we’ve seen three or four of those this afternoon either to win holes or make and he’s not quite been able to find it. He will hang in there. We know that. But they’re two down. If he was in a major he would he would have he would have made 75% of those, wouldn’t he? at the very least. Katrina. Yeah, I think he would. I mean, we’ve seen him playing over the over this year, the last couple of years, and he does have rounds where he just doesn’t quite hold some, but you just never know when they do come when he drops one. We were just saying that, Ellie, when he if he gets one in, you wouldn’t you would wouldn’t be surprised to be hold a few in a row after that. So, Europe two up in two of the matches. Let’s go to the match where the Americans are two up. This is Young and Thomas against Berg and Hoygard. Ken Andrew. Yeah, one of those giant shouts that Ian heard from further on down the course was was for Cameron Young and his approach shot into this ninth. Absolutely stunning. You can barely see the top of his head down in the dip as the fairway makes the turn round from right to left and then up towards this elevated green and he struck it absolutely perfectly. The crowd thought it was heading to the hole. It looked like it was heading in the hole, but it’s landed just past the pin by a couple of feet. He’s going to be able to kick it in for a birdie. Ludvig Ober for the European side has followed him into within six feet. This is quality gold. This is a quality match. Andrew McGee. Yeah, Cameron Young’s really come to play. He’s really showing the New York fans who he is. This is his come out party. I know he hasn’t won a major yet, but maybe this will spurn him on. His shots are That shot there hooked 20 yards or more. He hit it to get to this left front pin. Perfect position. And we noticed, didn’t we, Andrew, a group of people who look the spitting image of Cameron Young. One of them, a woman. There’s two two boys and a woman. And I managed to sneak a look at her um accreditation on the way past. Kelsey Young. So, I’m assuming that that is Cameron Young’s sister. She went wild when that ball uh landed a couple of feet away from the pin, waving the stars and stripes in the air and whooping. And Justin Thomas’s wife is standing just in front of us here as well. Justin Thomas, his ball coming up slightly shy of the green here. But it’s Ober really against Cameron Young for the honors here on the ninth. Justin Thomas in the bunker to the front edge of the green on the left hand side. Last couple of holes he’s found the sand as he’s been flying for these flags and the wind just beginning to pick up which is adding a bit of spice here at Beth Page Black. Yeah, just what they want. They want the greens to be firmer. They want the fairways to start rolling a little bit. We haven’t seen that yet. Justin Thomas with a nice splash out of the bunker with about 5 foot left for par which is going to help Cameron Young a little bit with this par fight this birdie fight he has coming up. Pops up like a mircat, doesn’t he? Justin Thomas to see over the lip of the bunker and see where that one landed. Really good effort from the American. That’s 3 4 feet or so from the hole. Should be able to pop that in for his part. But it’s Cameron Young just a couple of feet away here who has the best chance of claiming this hole for Team USA. They’re two up against Ludig Ober and Raasmus Huygar. And this crowd are sensing that that lead could grow here on the ninth green. Big plume of barbecue spoke rising up into the sky from down the right hand side where the beer tent is and the market and the food. The food and drink here is free for spectators. Not the alcohol, but you can get free water, free food. Just walk into any of the concession tents and help yourself. It’s all to stop cues. It means you can be out on the course and you can enjoy the drama, but there are a few beers being consumed even though you do have to pay quite a premium for it. Uh for $700 for a ticket, free food is lovely idea. Yeah, it softens the blow slightly, doesn’t it? And they’re getting their money’s worth here on the opening day of the 45th RDER Cup. That is for sure. What drama we’ve seen over these opening hours of this contest here at Beth Page Black as the crowd is shushed and uh Arasmus Hoygar sends his birdie putt across the green here on the ninth. It’s not going to go. It’s not going to go. So that means the big question is asked once again of Ludvig O. Once again he’s about 10 ft away. These haven’t been going in for him so far, have they Andrew McGee? Once again. Once again, you keep having these enough one will go in and that’ll change everything for him. So, lining it up from the other side of the hole. Cameron Young, Leberg Eber. This is a shootout at the OK Corral. That’s a corral near Tucson for you folks in England, Arizona. That is part of the country. Gunslingers. Got some birdie putts here. Yeah, the young guns. 28-year-old Cameron Young and 25year-old Ludvig Ober. It’s going to be Ober to fire first here on the ninth green. This for a birdie from just inside 10 ft. He’s down on his haunches behind the ball now. And he wastes no time. Ludvig Ober. So once he’s read this line, he’ll take one, two little swipes of the putter as he stands perpendicular to the line. And now he slides the putter behind the ball and the ball will be on its way any minute now. He bends forward. He can’t believe it. It’s another p missed. Is another short birdie. P missed for Ludvig Ober inside 10 ft. And he couldn’t take the opportunity there. And now it’s over to Cameron Young after that stunner of an approach shot. Kelsey Young, his sister, comes gapping over to Justin Thomas and Justin Thomas’s wife and uh Cameron Young’s wife. She she can’t bear to watch. And the two boys who look very much like Cameron Young as well with that black cascade of curls coming out the back of their caps. They come to stand close to us as well. I wonder if they I wonder how many brothers and sisters he has cuz they look just like him. We’re going to have to do some digging here. Yeah. and how much shaving cream they use because you can tell they have a heavy beard as a young family all probably does. Yeah. Cameron Young, the bearded figure in the center of the green and this another big moment for the rookie, the Ryder Cup rookie in his home state. This to extend the lead for Team USA in this third match out on the course to three holes. Just a little one. But how big could this be? It’s in. It’s in. Now the arms are in the air for the USA wives, the girlfriends, the sister of Cameron Young highfiving all around us. And Cameron Young and Justin Thomas bumpfist and Justin Thomas waves his hands towards the crowd as if to say louder, louder. We need to hear those cheers, low fives all around. And Justin Thomas is nodding at the crowd as he and Cameron Young walk through the tunnel towards the 10th T. Three up now as we make the turn against Ludvig Ober and Arasmus Hoygar. They’ve got a strangle hold on this third match out on the course. Three up as we go down to the 10th team. Andrew McGee, he’s been brilliant so far, Cam Young, hasn’t he? Oh, he’s he is the star of this this team with Justin Thomas’s help just a little bit, but Cameron Young’s in on every hole. He is the secure player. I feel like a star is born. You know, someone comes out of the woodwork, a rookie Cameron Young, as this has come out tournament. Now, he’s just going to go crazy on the tour and win lots of tournaments. That can happen from a Ryder Cup experience. And Opair and Hoyar keep giving themselves chances, but they’re going to have to take one of them soon. They’re three down. Well, yeah, they This is Aubber has got the best chances. I mean, straight in. Less than 10footers. I think he’s missed three of them now, which is why they’re three down. The Fleetwood Rose Griffin de Shambo match could be could be the one at the moment. There’s a little gap in all the others, but the one that you are watching, John, that’s the one that’s tight with the Americans one up. Yeah, I’ve been saying to to Sean maybe for a few holes now Sean McKil that just has the feel of a match that might go long this one. Yeah, I I can very well see this going to 18, you know, outside of a few misplayed shots. I mean, Ben Ben’s kind of fallen off just a little bit with his game ever since he made that P. Long put. He really is. You know, you brought that up. You said you told me that what the excitement and not sure that’s such a good thing. And and you know, he hit the one right on what the par 3 hit in the bunker off the tee here on the widest fairway on the golf course. Now he’s really out of position here. He’s got 40 yards over a bunker to a tight pin. So he’s he’s in amongst the spectators, which I have to say are the thinnest that I have seen them on the course at this RDER Cup here at the 10th. Maybe a little bit of fatigue creeping in, but Ben Griffin chopping it out of there and he’s landed it over the bunker on the front of the green. That is a great touch from there and he’s put it to four or five ft. That is a great shot. I mean, as soon as you ride him off, he pulls off a shot. But unfortunately, Pars aren’t going to win this match. You know, they they’re going to have to make some buries and he’s he can’t leave everything up to Bryson. So, he’s got that was this that was the side shot, wasn’t it? He’s got he’s got a few holes left to kind of ride the ship, but he needs to do it quickly. Yeah. The other three are all on the green. Both Fleetwood and Rose excellent shots in and Bryson Dambo similar sort of range. You know, the sort of 10 15. He’s the only one that’s really been out of play all day. So, uh, he’s certainly not tired since he didn’t play this morning, but you know, maybe still a little bit of nerves. He might be fighting his golf swing just a little bit. It’s hard to say, but but um, yeah, he’s played a beautiful pitch, but again, pars aren’t going to do much to win this match. Birdie chances to come for both Fleetwood and Rose and Dshambo. And remember, in this match, the United States are one up. In fact, you know, we’re on the 10th, Sean, and only one hole has been won. Yeah, I mean, the play really has been good. We just haven’t seen a whole lot of birdies. And so hopefully we’re going to start to see some fireworks here before too long. I think we’re going to see some real accessible pins. We’re starting to turn down wind a little bit. We got a par five coming up. So, this hole is 502 yards into the wind. So, a birdie would definitely win it. Well, I can see on the scoreboard here, Europe up in two, the Americans up in two in these afternoon four balls after Europe won the forome series this morning by three points to one. It was 3-0 before the United States won the last match out this morning. Bryson Dsham now is just placing his ball on the green. He’s we’re we’re standing probably about 50 yards short of the green and he is putting right in our direction. So we have to stay as still as can be down below in front of the bunker. The long grass just gently gently waving from one side to the other. Dambo is ready now for this birdie putt down the 10th towards us from 15 18 ft. Still he waits. Still he waits and then eventually sends it on its way. sends it on her way down towards the hole and he puts his palms apart as if to say why did that not do as I wanted it to do and it stays up. I don’t know if that’s just high expectations or or or what he’s trying to to show there. That was 30 ft. I mean, he hit a good putt there, but do you really expect to make that from 30 ft? Uh maybe he does. Been conceded though, Sean. And uh yeah, somewhat longer than I thought. And he turns away. He looks to the He looks to the blue skies, the puffy white clouds above here. And uh now the two Europeans. So two chances here. You know, not gimmies by any means, but chances for Fleetwood and Rose who So they’re coming up. But Ian Yep. We’re here at the ninth and we’ve got two balls on the green. Sam Burns for the United States. Rory Maroy after an extraordinary shot curling it round a tree and his partner Shane Lowry is splashing from the greenside bunker. only would hope that that would have spun back more. Slightly clumsy flying it past the flag and he’s put it to 15 ft. Yeah, just got that groove low. Came out and flew just past the hole and just a slight miscue but uh no no damage done. Patrick Kentley also in the bunker on the left as we take you to John. So this Tommy Fleetwood the first of the two Europeans to go for birdie here at the 10th and uh actually just steps away now. There was a little bit of noise in the crowd and uh he’s just settled himself again. So Tommy Fleetwood now the Europeans and this navy blue light blue outfit and Fleetwood for Birdie. It does not drop. He puts his fingers to the bridge of his nose. I mean he’s going to put a mark on that ball. His speed control. Could he be getting a little tired? It’s hard to say. I mean he had a long PJ tour schedule. A lot of energy exhibited today with with with his partner Rory Mroy, but he is not he’s hit a few long and he left that one really short on number eight. So he’s not he’s not fighting particularly well today. You watched him this morning the big win that he had with Rory Maroy 5 and four against Morawa and English. And Justin Rose sat it out this morning just like two years ago when he in the afternoon partnered Robert McIntyre so memorably. But here he is with Tommy Fleetwood standing to one side and Justin Rose now from the front of the green. This from 15 feet. This for the birdie to bring the match level. But no, he does not like it. It does not drop for Rose and USA remain one up after 10. Ian Roy Mroy. This for a birdie on its way now here on the ninth. It looks good. It looks good but not quite. Not quite. It was a really good effort from Mroy and it means that Sam Burns is going to have a birdie putt to win this hole and have the Aas. Remember the Europeans in this bottom match. Lowry and Mroy are two up. Overall score 3-1 from this morning. Is a great put there or he stayed in his posture after the ball had left the face for a long time just waiting for it to drop and it just slid past. You can see how disappointed he was. He’s definitely definitely teased him on the way there. It’s lively around here, isn’t it? It feels very Americancentric around this ninth green. It’s uh grandstands all around the entire green. And uh this will erupt if this pot goes in from San Burns. Yeah, Sam Burns with this putt to win the hole for the Americans. And he’s over it now and ready to go. And all the lining up taking place with an absolute den. And now silence. But it’ll erupt if this goes in for Sam Burns on its way. No. No, it doesn’t drop. Ali Bruce ball. Scotty Sheffler again. Scotty Sheffield with putter in hand from shortest range on the 11th. Two down in his first four ball out on the course. It doesn’t drop again and Sheffield turns, looks at his caddy. Ted Scott, thumps his right thigh in frustration. John Ram now from closer range as a birdie putt to put Europe three up. Ted Scott Katrina Matthew was heavily involved in the reading of that putt. Scotty Sheffler is struggling on the greens. He is whether he thinks he’s reading them badly, but he definitely called Ted Scott in on that one, which is unusual. We’ve not seen him look at putts before, but I noticed there he’s up and out of them very quickly. That ball was probably only a 10-ft putt and he was up and out of his putt while it was only probably halfway to the hole. Knew he’d missed it. John Ron Birdie putter come to win the hole. Ian Rory Maroy with a little short one to make sure of a half and to go to the turn. Two up now and real battle going on to just get a some order. Still some voices being heard, but Maroy is impervious and he knocks it in. Alli, we’ve got the Europeans two up here after that half. Scotty Shepler. Scotty Sheffller has opened the door for John Rahm. Can he walk through it on the 11th if he holds this Europe three up in the top match with seven to play? Rahm playing with the Austrian striker against Sheffller and Spawn. And Scotty Sheffller looks downcast to the right of the green. John Rahm has a chance to make him pay. Short range up the hill on the 11th from Rahm. Yes, he gets it. He clenches his fist again. He looks at his playing partner set striker. They exchange a low five. And what you’ve got to do Katrina Matthew, when your opponents offer you an opportunity like that, Scotty Sheffler is off with the putter, you’ve got to punish them. John Rom did exactly that. Absolutely. Against these top players, you’ve got to take your chances and that’s exactly what Ram’s done here. Go three up now and you’re coming to the are starting to run out now for the Americans. Three up, seven to play for Ram and Straka. Mark, I tell you what I’ve I’ve noticed and I’ve noticed about a lot of the Europeans in the press conferences on the golf course this week. It is a quiet, steely, assured determination. You know, they’re not going over the top. John Rams, hold the birdie putt. It’s just it’s just that. Right, got another one. We’re moving on to the next hole. It is not over the top, but they are a team on a mission here. 3-1 up from the Forsons. And I think these two ramen striker realize just how important this top match is given that America up uh in the middle too. There there were two there are two things Katrina that I was going to say. Firstly, we were praising Cam Young for what he’s done this afternoon for the Americas. John Ram both this morning and this afternoon has led out Europe brilliantly. He has. That was his fourth birdie of the game. I mean, Straa birdie the first and then John Rams had four four birdies on the next um 11 holes. So, I mean Straa’s playing okay, but Ram’s definitely the one holding the putts and making the birdies. And the other thing is on on that 11th hole, Scottish Eler nearly hold his second, didn’t he? Yes, he’s shot into his shot into the green. So, I mean, he’s just having no on the one hand he’s having no luck, but on the other hand, as you say, he’s just struggling to read anything. Yeah. Yeah. And you can see him, I think, starting to get frustrated. I mean, calling the caddy in and then he misses it. Looks over to the caddy as if, “Oh, was that the wrong line you gave me?” Just the frustration. I mean, I think sometimes the harder you try and hold a putt that the more you seem to miss them. Mark, you’re right. The closest Scotty Sheffler has come to sort of pulling something off in this match was the bunker shot on the seventh nearly hold it. And that pit shot there from, you know, a wedge from 100 yards or so nearly spun it back into the hole with the putter from close range. Just just not there today. Is Cam Young continuing to dominate and Hoyard cap? Well Mark, there are three balls on the tenth green here. Two of them I believe are American. One of them is European. I think it was Ludig Ober who found the bunker down the right hand side of this par four off the tea. I’m not sure he’s been able to advance it um up to the green. So three balls on the green. Cam Young still going along brilliantly. Rather embarrassingly, I did do some digging into um his family and made some inquiries about the girl who I said was his sister. She’s actually his wife. Now, that is quite an embarrassing mistake to make, but she does look very much like him. Dark eyes fringed with thick dark lashes, long dark cascade of tumbling curls. She’s got that strong nose. She’d look good with a beard. Agreed. God, I wasn’t ready for that. But she does look like a sister. It’s crazy. or maybe the mother this whole ed is that edifice complex. You marry someone that looks like let’s not let’s not get into that. No. And the two um the two young men I was speaking to as well. They are actually his brothersin-law and they look just like him as well. They’re not related to him. They’re his brothersin-law, but they all look very similar in the young uh household. Maybe they’re all from Long Island. Maybe the Long Island look is these dark eyes, dark curls, and uh a strong nose as I’ I’d leave it there. Just you know, you know, we’re a we’re a team and we’re here for each other, but at the moment, you’re very much on your own and I know. Sorry. Well, it was I know in amongst all the wives and girlfriends asking, “Is this his sister?” No, no, it’s it’s his wife, right? Anyway, at least the facts are straight now. And it is Cameron Young and Justin Thomas who have made the green. And it is Raasmus Hoygar also on the green. And as I said, it was Ludvig Ober whose T-shot found the bunker down the right hand side. And he hasn’t been able to reach the green in two here on the par 410th. So he’s going to have to play up. And he’s got an enormous kind of ridge, hasn’t he, to play out of this big lumpy bunker down the right hand side. Well, it’s important because he has to make that part. We’ve been talking about this over and over in this best ball format. Making a par here. This is a very difficult up and down. He’s He’s probably at least 50 yards away from the flag stick. But to get this close. Oh, he’s hit it over the green. That’s That’s not going to help Mr. Hogard at all. But we’re right on line with him. What do you think? Left edge right behind his ball. You think it’s left edge? Well, it’s definitely going to move down the slope, isn’t it? From left to right. But it’s a long way from the pit. I want you in best baseball format. I’ll take you. Um Ian, you can take chappers. I don’t think he can golf. Well, Ian, I think am I is my name being taken in vain here? I think both of our names have been taken in vain to sounded like it to me to be honest with you. Let me just remind everybody Ramas Tracker are three up and we’re about to see them come down 12 here. Griffin and Dashambo are one up as they play 11. Young and Thomas three up on the 10th and Maroy and Laria two up as well in front of Ian Carter. Should we go to John Murray watching Fleetwood Rose and Griffin Dambo? Yes, as you say the uh the Americans one up in this match playing the 11th of Par 11th straight as can be and we are watching Tommy Fleetwood playing from the right side of the fairway. The hall is cut front right and that is bang on. It just bounces off actually the uh the hole to the front right of the green. The white flag with number 11 on it fluttering away and the ball has just hopped off the green there. So he’s about 10 ft away. Sean Sean Sean’s listening. All right. You know how we were talking about Tommy Fleetwood this afternoon? Graham McDow in some of the stuff that he’s been saying ahead of the the RDER Cup told this really good story about how it can be really fun to play with Rory in the foroms and he said I’ve played alternate a few times with Rory at the Ryder Cups which is what Tommy did this morning. It’s pretty fun to play off his T-shots. The problem is it’s always weird then playing in the four balls in the afternoon and thinking to yourself pretty sure I hit a nine iron in here this morning. Now I’m hitting a five. Yeah. Well, so far in the last four or five T- shots, he’s played first. So, you know, some of that’s just the wetness of the ground, but yeah, I mean, Rory, who who wouldn’t be inspired by playing with Rory? As good as he hits his iron shots when we saw that we saw how great he played this morning. Oh, that’s a great shot in by Justin Rose from the roof down the left side, but he had a great angle and he has hit it in there to six feet. It is so funny. You know, we stand back there watching way left. He’s yelling four and all this, that, and the other. and and he’s hit a great shot 5 feet birdie put for Justin Thomas we saw a beautiful lag effort from Raasmus Hygar just caressing the ball down the slope to come just a couple of inches from the pin that was conceded by the Americans and so the Europeans are in for a par 44 here on the 10th. They are now standing side by side. Alex Norin is going over with some refreshments just to keep them cool. A slap on the back for Hoyar. Remember this is his first appearance at a rider cup. Three down at the moment to Justin Thomas and Cameron Young. And is that going to get even worse for team appear on the 10th green as Justin Thomas sends the ball towards the hole. Birdie effort from the two-time major champion dip at the knees suggests it’s not going to drop. Just drives by on the left hand side. But it’s this man again. Yeah, he is positioning himself every hole to be kind of the last putter and he’s making him. So, he’s feeling it. He’s confident. He has the fans behind him. Cameron Young is showing me a lot of game today. I didn’t know he was this good. Well, he’s the world number 20 Cam Young. And this is a course he knows very well in his home state and where he won the New York State Open back in his amateur days. Now here as a professional in his first rider cup and he’s really showing the way to team USA out here on this hot and sticky Friday afternoon. Birdie putt from 15 ft for Cam Young. This to win the hole. This to go four up. Ball on its way. No, he’s already gesturing with his hand that it’s missed to the right hand side. So, the hole will be halved in par fours, but as we head to the 10th T, it is uh Justin Thomas and Cameron Young who lead three up. It’s the 11th T. Sorry, I’ve forgotten where we were on the course. It’s getting really rather hot and uh we’re getting a little bit uh a little bit parched here. We’re going to go and find some cooling water. We’re off to the 11th, Mark. Okay, you’re off to the 11th. We’re waiting for the approach shots here at 12. Alice Bruce and Katrina Matthew have joined us here with John Ramen’s Striker three up and we’re also keeping an eye back on. You’re on the 11th, are you John Murray? Yes, we are. And all four players have now arrived up towards the the green here, which is just in front of us. And Ben Griffin will be first to play. He he made the middle of the green, but he again hit a shot that spun right back down the slope off the front. wind the wind which should have was downwind off the teas now straight out of the right which is out of the west really high spin player you watch his ball come in I mean this is a disadvantage I think for the American team I think the American team it’s not not a fault of their own I think they prefer a firmer faster golf course but they just didn’t get it and they’re not they’re not taking advantage of you know some of the space that they’ve been given behind the hole to use to use some of these back stops now a whole army of people we had Brilliant view. And now a whole army of people have actually moved into our path. So I think Sean, we’re going to have to try and find a a better place to stand here and uh see what we can do. Let me see. We’ll just have to move along here to a point where we can actually see past all of these people. How about how about that? Yeah. And we don’t want to block anyone’s view, Sean. So I think we are where we are here is ideal. I think we’re okay. Yes, we’re we’re good here, Rob. We haven’t gotten yelled at so far today, but it’s getting late in the day. I think people are starting to get oiled up pretty good out here. I think if you get yelled at at Beth Paige, you know about it. Uh, right, let’s see what we’ve got. So, both Dshambo and Fleetwood are just off the green and Justin Rose has got the best birdie chance from round about 6 ft. So, it is going to be Bryson Dshambo and it looks as though he’s just going to try and chop this out. I think he I think he’s up against the the the higher cut. So, I don’t think he can putt it because he can’t get a putter back on. So, he needs some he really needs to to elevate his back swing to get just chopped down on the back of the ball. As you can see, he’s doing it. Yeah. This is a this is a shot that needs the artist’s touch. And he bumps it out down towards the hole, but a little short and Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Just just too much grass there. I didn’t really He just didn’t have anything really. So, that is that conceded? Yes, it is. It is conceded. So, uh, that is the par four for the the Americans here, I think. No, no, it wasn’t conceded. No, it wasn’t conceded. So, it wasn’t as close as I thought. We didn’t get a call Ben’s putt cuz we couldn’t see. But, but yeah, they didn’t concede that. So, maybe we’re we’re at the point in the match now they’re going to start making these guys putt everything from 3 ft. Well, we’re on the 11th. We’re heading towards the sharp end of this match. And as you can hear the people behind us, there’s a there’s a comment up there, I think, about one of the wives that didn’t go down terribly well among some of the people in the stands. That’s the first thing of that nature that I’ve heard on the course. So, um, it will be Ben Griffin who will put for the part four for the United States, but that doesn’t go in. And this is this is match play. What a what a disappointing bogey there. I mean, he couldn’t have had any more than pitch and wedge into the screen and for it to hit hit pinh high and spin back 30. What a just just a just a bad mistake really. And just to explain that, you know, that’s match play golf, isn’t it? Even though Griffin had that put, the Americans decided for him to Yeah, if if the American team is is away, they have the option of of allowing the the player to play in front of him. So, uh just a little bit of strategy, right, Tommy Fleetwood then. So the Europeans have got two chances again. They had two chances to win the the previous hole, the 10th. Weren’t able to take them. There is a good opportunity coming up for Justin Rose, but Tommy Fleetwood might just hold this. He has European cheers at the 11th and finally this match is back all square. They’ve had chances Fleetwood and Rose and they’ve finally taken one. And they are all square. Sean McGee. Yeah. Well, that’s a putt. If we finally, as he as he’s got his arm around him right now, you can see how much it means to him to make this putt. He finally got the right speed, got the right line, and just knocked it right in the middle and just ripped the hearts out of the American team. So, some of that red comes off the board mark that we’re looking at across the 11th. So, all square Griffin and Dshambo against Fleetwood and Rose. And I have to say it did feel that it was coming that this match would go back all square sooner or later. Well, as the uh as the chance of USA rang round the 12th green as the players approached the big scoreboard away to our left just went to gray for that Griffin Dambo Fleetwood Rose game and they are all square and the Europeans behind us here are going through their song book for John Ram and Seps tracker uh which provoked from the man behind me just a one-word response. If you heard that, many apologies. Nathan Alburn Halime of the football and it’s West Brom one Leicester nil. Samuel Illing Jr. on full debut. A dazzling run into the box and then the short range precision of Sam Burns to roll the ball in. Leicester with plenty of attacking intent, but it’s as if they’ve brought the wrong golf clubs today. Seven shots, none on target. Mind the winner goes second. It’s Halime West on one lesser nil. Alli and Katrina the other side of the 12th green away from the fans behind me which is making a little bit difficult to hear over here. Yeah, similar here Mark. We’re very close by. We’re probably 5 yards away from where they’re three four deep behind us and they want the uh the American players to show some fight and get back into this match. Ramen Striker three up seven to play. Playing here the par 412 long range second shots Katrina have all found the putting surface. No one’s closer than 20 ft. The balls are almost like sort of candles on a birthday cake surrounding the centerpiece sort of dotted around uh the birthday cake. But but I would say all of them sort of outside chances of birdie here. But you’re obviously in the driving seat three up. Yeah, I would say outside chances. That pin was just tucked over on the right hand side and no one no one really took it on and spawns to go first just from the left hand side. The green is kind of downhill left to right. Potter has got Scottish soul tire displayed proudly hanging over the ropes behind us. We are looking through the long grasses which are swaying gently in the breeze here to the left hand side of the 12th green. Quite close to JJ Spawn. I drop my voice then I can raise it again. This is turning left to right. It’s on its way towards the hole. Spawn likes it. He really likes it. Oh, it just misses on the left. That looks so good from here. Spawn looked interested for a while. It’s rolled on a few feet by. Yeah, that won’t be given. But that was a really good try from JJ Span. You could see him. He moved to the side. He was watching it. He was praying. He was hoping it went in. Do you think outside chances are actually I’ll ask you that in a second, Katrina. We’re going to take it to Ian Carter. And we’re on the 10th here. And Rory Maroy very close to chipping in. So that’s a par for the Europeans. Here’s Sam Burns now chipping from a similar position. If this goes in, the Americans win the hole. But it doesn’t. And it’s a good three and a half ft away. But Patrick Kentlay, I think he got a bit lucky with his approach. It bounced onto the green. And he’s got a real look at birdie here from about 10 ft. Yeah. When we were watching the shot from about 200 yds in the fairway, it took off in a very uh very low window. Not really where we’re expecting, but it’s trundled up there 10 ft about little left to right. Really good opportunity to bring some momentum to the US team here. Yeah, the Europeans are ahead three up in the top match with Ram and Striker against Scotty Sheffller and JJ Spourne. It’s all square in the second match. Griffin Desambo against Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose. And we’ve got uh an attempt at the half first for Sam Barnes here as we take you to Ali Bruce B. Scottish Sheffler I think next to go for the USA here. 12 green splashed in sunshine. Sunshine really sort of sizzling the skin late in the afternoon here. I was just going to ask you Katrina, outside chances of birdie. I wonder whether outside chances are better for Sheffler than the closer ones, you know, and here here he’s passing before Ram as well. Maybe that just takes a little bit of the pressure off. Yeah, that’s a really really good thing there. I think, you know, he’s probably not expecting to hold this. Might just get a slightly freer, but we’re just hearing the American crowd are beginning to they’re shouting, “Come on, Scotty. Show up. They’re beginning to maybe not turn in them, but expect them to do something.” Yeah, we heard another one a couple of holes ago. Come on, Scotty. You’re the world number one. Show us what you can do. Can he do it here? Birdie putt on the way. He’s given that a good firm hit up the hill. This one will nearly get to the hole. Not quite. Ram with a birdie chance to come to win the hole. So go four up with six to play. Ian Patrick Cande with this putt from 10 ft to win the hole at the 10th and half the Aras two down at the moment. Just a 10-footer. They’ve already got the half. He can be aggressive. sends the putt on its way towards the hole and in. Big moment for America right there. Patrick Kentlay with the birdie and the halves near the rears. It means we go to the 11th with Maroy and Lowry now just one up in their match here against Klay and Burns Alli. So John Ram four birdies on the card already been deadly with the putter when he’s been given a chance. We’re standing very close to him. Couple of the American fans just shouting something across the green. But again, we’ve seen this with John Ram. The focus will not be disturbed. Just spins the putter casually in his right hand. Heavily bearded figure, the tall Spaniard, stands over the green. Just falls into shade. Settles over the for birdie. This for four up with six to play. Ram just wriggles into position again. Last look at the ball. Sends it on its way. Turning from left to right and pulls the putter between his legs. Didn’t quite give it enough and John Ram couldn’t quite do it that time. Now, a good try there, but and again, all it kind of has to do. They don’t want to race anything past Straer’s putt hadn’t been given. They’re in the ascend and say they’re three up. Three up, six to play. JJ Spawn just hanging around. He’s going to have one more putt, but Scotty Sheffller’s putt conceded. So, he made his path. Ram made his path. Three up. Ramen Straker six to play. We’re off to the 13th. And again, they’re a little bit oblivious around here. They’re so busy shouting and chanting. I don’t think they noticed that that European lead in the final match has just dropped by one as Ian was telling us. Ian and Ollie. So Mroy and Lowry a one up. Ram and Straker are three up. Fleetwood Rose all square now with Griffin and Dashambo and Young and Thomas continue to have the big lead over Ober and Hoyard. They are three up and that’s the one that Cat is watching. I am. And you can hear the chance here behind me in the grand stand as Justin Thomas and Cameron Young make the walk up onto the green here at the 11th. The the marshals have been conducting the crowd getting them to shout louder. And then the huge entourage following this US duo have been waving their little stars and strike flags that they’re walking around the the course with here. Alex Norin is walking towards us, the the vice captain for the European uh pairing here out keeping an eye on Ludigar and Rasmos Hygar because you have to remember this is Raasmas Huygar’s first appearance at a Ryder Cup. Only Ludiggo’s second Ryder Cup, his first taste of an away Rder Cup. There’s a huge amount of pressure on the shoulders of these young players of 24 and 25 years old. And more pressure as well here in terms of this match on this 11th green. Both of the Americans in closer. It’ll be the Europeans to pop first once again. I’m scanning the crowd to try and find Andrew McGee. There he is. I’m going to scamper over. There you are, Andrew. So many people following this match. It’s because the Americans are doing so well today. Um yeah, look at that board there. There’s that one little strap of red. Cameron Young, Tustin Thomas, three up. Let’s see if they can get four up here. They have two good looks at birdie. That’s what you want in a thing like match play best ball. Let’s make some more birdies and take it into tomorrow with some confidence. So the Europeans three up in the top match. They’re one up in the bottom match. That’s Rory Maroy playing alongside his good friend Shane Lowry. The other match is all square. Ben Griffin and Bryson Desambo against Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose. They’re playing the 12th. But here that bright splash of red just visible above the heads of thousands and thousands of spectators who are horseshoeing around this 11th green. And as I say, it’s the Europeans who are both furthest away from the hole. The Europeans who will putt for birdie first. It’s Ludvig Ober putting for birdie again and missing. So even more pressure on the rookie Raasmas Huygar here now. Oh, thank you, Cat. I wasn’t aware that was me as I was just looking uh packed down the 12th uh to wait for the second shot into this 12th green. And this is the one that a lot of eyes are on at the moment with Europe up in two and America up in one. This is the one that is all square and John Murray, you are with this one and Shawn McKil. Are you back where the the approach shots are being played or have you come up towards this green? We’re about we’re about 50 yards short of the green. And that approach shot from Tommy Fleetwood that needed that needed maybe three more yards. It landed just short right. There’s a little hump there, isn’t there? A grassy a grassy hump. And uh it pulled up in the first cut, but the the flag is cut towards the back right. So it’s very tight there. And he’s just off the green, but he did chip in at the last remember from just off the green. Cut Rasmas Hoyer. Then if he can get a birdie here from about 15 ft or so, well, that will really turn the screws on Justin Thomas and on Cam Young and maybe give them a little bit of hope in this third match out on the course. But no, the booze ring out again and the cheers and the cheers because Raasmus Hoygar and Lud Big Obear both fail in their birdie quest here on the 11th and that leaves the door open for an extension to the lead for Cameron Young and Justin Thomas. Both of the Americans in close here. Good chances to come here. Andrew McGee. I mean, the Euro team has made nothing. I mean, they’ve had opportunity. They have just not found the the feel of these greens. And this one gentleman right here, Cameron Young, has. Look at him taking a good look. What have you found, Cameron? They’re looking at them. Maybe they’ll figure it out on the next hole. Yeah. Well, this to go four up with seven holes to play. That’s an awful long way back for Hoygar and for Ober and Cameron Young has been sinking these all day long on his maiden appearance at the Ryder Cup from 15 ft. Then the New Yorker with that tumble of dark curls resting on the navy blue collar of his team USA shirt. Swing of the shoulders all on its way. He stands up straight away. He knows that’s not gone. And he glances off to the left as if to say, “Well, how did I get that one wrong?” Pretty obvious, wasn’t it, when he stood up that fast and he put his hands on his hips. But he has his buddy Dustin Thomas here for Birdie from a little closer. Let’s see if he can help out this team at all here because this game is not over. The way Lberg and Rasmus are getting the ball, they are bound to make some putts sooner or later. They haven’t won a hole all day today. Huygar and Ober need to start winning some holes now. But this for Justin Thomas is from about six feet away. This to win the hole. This to extend the lead of Young and Thomas and to make that splash of red on the board. Stand out just that little bit stronger. Two stripes of blue. One match all square but dominant so far from Cameron Young and Justin Thomas who hasn’t had to hold many putts. Cameron Young’s been doing all the heavy lifting on that front for him. So, how’s the putter feeling for Justin Thomas here? 6 ft or so from the hole, a sublime approach shot from the two-time major champion. And eyeing this one up, the dimminionative figure, slim shoulders, closely cropped hair, gray baseball cap, and those stars and stripes golf shoes widened as he prepares to send the ball on its way to the hole. And this for a commanding lead for the USA team. Punch of the air for Justin Thomas. And a big bow of come on. And he cups his ear to the crowd and all the caps are in the air. There are fists in the air. The chants of USA are ringing out. Here comes Justin Thomas. And listen to this as he makes his way to the 11th T. One thumb in the air for Justin Thomas. They’re four up as we head to the 12th. They are. They are four up here at the 12. The Europeans are singing again as Tommy Flewood and Justin Rose approach the green. Keegan Bradley the American captain watching this group. Tier Hatton and Matt Fitzpatrick who are rested this afternoon have just been dropped off by a European buggy. We had a quick word with Ram and Straer as they went up 13 and they are now here to watch Rose and Fleetwood. John Murray. Yes, I see Luke Donald there as well. I think that underlines the importance of this match. The captains know it, Sean. Well, yeah, we we saw I saw Keegan in the match ahead of us, you know, just trying to get his guys riled up a little bit, but this is going to be an important match. It’s really been pretty steady all day. Tommy again is in the driver’s seat here. He’s got a putt very similar to what he had on the last hole. Just maybe a foot off the off the green, but all three of the other players got really difficult two putts. All from distance, the other three players, Griffin and Dambo and Justin Rose. But uh but yes, very similar for Tommy Fleetwood to the way that he that he puted in from just off the green at the previous hole, the 11th. But yes, that scoreboard shown to our right, Europe up in two, the Americans well up in one match as we’ve just heard from Cat. But this one, the color on the scoreboards here for all square is a rather neutral gray. Now, the pro the problem with what the American team has done here is is they’ve left themselves like really difficult two putts. I mean, Bryson couldn’t had more than a 9 iron and he’s 50 ft. Griffin’s 30 40 ft. He doesn’t have an easy putt either. Straight down the hill. So, Americans are going to have to be very careful here. It’s going to be Justin Rose to play first from the uh the far extremes of the 12th green from where the flag is fluttering. He’s right at the back left and he is playing right across the back portion of the green now which is pacily rolling on and by by probably 8 to 10 ft. So he certainly gave it a go. Well, that’s that’s not really a problem. I mean I mean Fleetwood’s 15 ft straight to fantastic shot from Shane Lowry John just to tell you here at the 11th where he flew it over the flag, spun it back 20 yards right up 20 ft right up close to the hole. So really good birdie chance for the Irishman to come. Okay, so um that will be coming shortly. But first of all now next these these two long American puts as you’ve said Sean McKielle you know they they are they are real testers. Well it’s interesting you know Bryson Bryson has has hit some great T- balls but he’s not backed it up with any strong iron play and again he’s on the left side of the fairway just in the rough pins front right and he hits it left. I I I can’t quite figure out if he I see him on the range and he just seems to spend a lot of time just working on length and driver and distance and you know and really it’s the iron play that really determines how well you’re going to play. It is going to be Dshambo. So Justin Ro was very much back left. Dshambo is very much front left. So this is another putt right across. Yeah, the slopes that Yeah. I mean, this is not this is not an easy putt. Again, you have to be really disappointed because now this is a defensive type putt. You go from having a ner into a green expecting to have a chance for birdie and now you’re sitting here 50 ft trying not to three putt. So he has taken a good long look at this this match all square. The second match out on the course this afternoon in warm sunshine here in Long Island out to the east of New York City. Around about an hour an hour and a half’s drive into the heart of one of the most vibrant cities in the world. Dshambo then trying to negotiate the slopes of this 12th green sending it along and up towards the hole and short by probably seven or 8 ft. It’s well done but again I just keep harping on the point that you’re not going to make birdies from from putts of that distance. So what news have you got Ian now? Well on the 11th Sam Burns making a real mess of it. His approach came up short. Horrible lie. Very close to the bunker and he couldn’t advance it far enough to the green. Patrick Campe has missed the green as well. He’s going to be chipping from just off the right edge. Rory Maroyy’s got a look at birdie from inside 20 ft and Shane Lowry with a look at birdie from inside 5T. So advantage Europe here, John. So the 12th green was us. Next it is Bryson Dshambo’s playing partner Ben Griffin the the rookie who is from a good deal closer but this is still 30 ft probably more than 30 ft. So this for birdie it’ll be Tommy Fleetwood who has the best chance unless Ben Griffin can hold another long one but no that uh that stays up stays above ground again just you know it’s just a just really just a poorly played iron shot. Um you know you’re just not going to make birdies. There’s enough slope in these screens that just you you you got to keep the ball within 10 15 ft. And we haven’t seen the Americans hit a good iron shot in in several holes. See Luke Donald in conversations with I think that’s Franchesco Molinari who’s been the vice captain following this match. They’re just about 10 yards short of the green. Uh I noticed Nyall Hin was following this match as well. the uh the singer, former One Direction star who’s a massive golf fan. And next it’ll be uh it’s actually going to be Justin Rose is he’s going to let him putt and and give him a bit of a line. Rory Mroy from 18 ft looking for the birdie that would double the lead. No, no. But there’s still a chance for Europe here because Shane Lowry’s got a short one, John. Okay, we’ll be back with you for that. So, but I think it is Fleetwood who’s who is going to play the two of them working together here and they’ve done that increasingly, haven’t they? This this is a new partnership. Remember, Frozen Fleetwood rather surprisingly perhaps. It is. I mean, if you got two sets of eyes as good as Justin Putts, why not bring him in for a look? He did. So, Fleetwood now, he’s already rolled one in in the last 10 minutes from just off the green at the previous hole, the 11th. So trying to do it again at the 12th. He’s not messing about. Along it goes towards the hole and does not drop. So uh the hole is halved here in par fours and it remains all square after 12. Ian on the 11th Shane Lowry from four 5 ft after a brilliant approach shot spun it back 20 ft down the slope to the whole side. This for the win for Europe in it goes. Oh it was in on the right edge but it disappeared and well Europe needed that. That’s a brilliant response to losing the 10th. Back to two up as they go to the 12th. Lowry and Mroy. But for Shane Lowry after the Rory Mackaroy show of the front nine, for him to contribute there, that’s fantastic. Yeah, that was big for Europe. It was a huge moment to bounce back. But for Shane as well, he’s been a little bit ropey over the last couple of holes missing the fairways and that’ll do a world of good heading into this back night. Yeah, birdie at the 11th for Shane Lowry. And it means the European pair of Lowry and Mroy go back two up against Sam Burns and Patrick Canle of the United States. Tell you what happened on the 12th green. Justin Rose was going to take his put, but it would have given Tommy Fleetwood a line. So the Americans conceded it. It’s why there’s a little bit of booing and shenanigans going on there, but they have that hole on the 12th and we’re going to walk up the 13th and go with Fleetwood and Rose here on Five Live. But up ahead on the green, I’m told there’s an eagle opportunity for who? for John Rom. Stunning golf on the par 513. Katrina Matthew, he’s reduced the par five at 608 yds. It stretches out for miles. There are bunkers, enormous bunkers draped all the way down the left hand side. Monster drive to the middle and he’s knocked his iron shot and it it came it dropped like from the height of a skyscraper. Landed like the butterfly with sore feet. He’s knocked it into about 10 ft. Fabulous shot. Just two fantastic shots right there. really good second shot as you say, towering shot over the bunker, landed super softly. And that was after seeing Sheffler hit a really good second shot as well, clearing the bunker and coming up just short of the green, but in a really good position. Right, so JJ Spawn is waiting to play for the USA. So we’ve got John Ram here. John Ram and Seb Striker are three up with six to play. We’re on the par 53. Striker is on the green in three. He’s got a downhill left to right from about 12 or 14 ft. John L’s got the 10-ft eagle putt to come. Scotty Sheffler is yet to make a birdie today in the four balls this afternoon. Try and get your head around that fact. Could make one here. He’s got about a 30ft chip from the front of this 13th green. But JJ Spawn has laid up. So we are looking back across the green. White flag stick shining in the sunshine. Flag hanging limp. Golf ball on the way from Sprawn. Right at it from SP. Oh, he’s nearly hold it. It bounces just short. It spins back and pulls away from the flag. It leaves it uphiller. It very nearly dropped in. In fact, Katrina, I think that hit the flag stick. That was a really good shot, wasn’t it? Right on line. You can see him eyeing it up the whole way down. Landed and then just unfortunately that spin taken it away probably to a good kind of 10 15 ft. Right. So, Spawn hits the flag stick. He is on the green in three. So is striker. Now we get down. It keeps coming down to Ram against Sheffller, doesn’t it? It does. And Ram’s had the the upper hand so far. Here we’ve got Sheffler, though. He’s just going to have a very simple little chip and run for him. Nothing, no trouble in front of him up the hill. He’s maybe what, two yards short of the green. Just a 30 footer. I’d expect him this to scare the hole. Yeah, scare the hole. This is the kind of chip Scotty Sheffller playing for himself. PGA Tour event, major championship. You just expected to drop in. Today is the kind of day that hasn’t happened. But he never gives up. Scotty Sheffller. Three down with six to play. Playing alongside JJ Sport. We’re standing on a little slope in the tufty rough at the back of the 13th green. Stubbly chin of Sheffler switching from right to left looking at the hole. Bumps it forward. Skids onto the green. Towards the flag it goes and it misses to the right hand side. Absolutely perfect for distance. Not quite right for line. That has been conceded for the birdie four. Rahm has a chance to win the hole which will put Europe four up with five to play. Be quite irrit’s first birdie of the day. Ram knocks it into eagle to win the hole. Let’s see. So John Ram I’ve got four birdies on the card so far. Couldn’t quite convert on the last hole. That was from about 20 ft. This will be a stunning eagle if he completes it. But he pops this in. I mean obviously it puts Europe in a really really commanding position but just in the way that he’s played the golf hole between Absolutely. And as you say, 608 y. I mean, these fairies are still wet. They haven’t dried out yet. But he had a just a cracking drive right down the middle. I think being able to lift clean and place, he can just get it in a perfect nice line, but just a an amazing second shot. See if he can finish it off with his putt. John Ron for Eagle. He senses the importance of the moment, trying to close the door on the Americans. Thousands of American fans gathered around this green willing it not to drop the minority that European fans desperately hoping it will for an eagle 10 ft ram on the 13th. Same old routine just puts that small putter head behind the ball widens the stride. Rocks into balance grips the putter lightly on its way. Doesn’t like it was bending down as soon as he hit that. He knew it was going to miss on the right hand side. It’s gone past and it’s not been conceded as yet. Straer still has a birdie chance to come as well. American fans telling John Ramy still got a little bit of chicken left on the bone as they say over here. Quite rightly had a go at the birdie putt. Sensed a chance really to close the door on the Americans and actually Straer is further away but Ram confident enough here to step up mark the ball and have a chance of popping this in for birdie. Again, you can just see the composure and the focus here. Trying to shut everything out. He sort of stands back in the middle of the green. Just takes a deep breath. Almost closed his eyes for a second there. Now he’s into business. Big white golf shoes on his feet. Strides forward to the ball. JJ Spawn sharing a joke with Kevin Kizner at the front of the green here. But all eyes on Ra. US Captain Keegan Bradley watching as well. Short one for the birdie and he gets it. He halves the hole with Scotty Sheper. in 34s on the par five. He couldn’t make the Eagles quite very very close to that but Europe still in command. Three up here Mark five to play. Yeah, still in command very much so. Three up in that game and two up in the bottom match which is Maroy and Lowry against Burns and Canley. The Americans very much in control of the third match out on the course. Cameron Young who has had a sensational afternoon alongside Justin Thomas. They are four up on and Hoygard. And then the match that is uh coming down 13 at the moment is tight. It is all square. Griffin and Dambo against Fleetwood and Rose. We’re getting towards the end of the first day of the 45th Rder Cup. The conclusion of the four balls with Europe leading 3-1 from the Forsomes this morning. and at uh 4:16 here in and we are live with you uninterrupted all the way through here on riderup.com and you will not miss a single shot of the action wherever you are. Even if you’re out there on the golf course with the earpieces that you picked up, I hope you’re enjoying the coverage. A sun-kissed afternoon here on Long Island. Just keeping an eye on Justin Thomas standing over a birdie putt here. Remember he and Cameron Young four up over the US the European pairing of OD and Hoyard. It’s been a baptism of fire for the young day. But the twotime major winner Thomas standing over a birdie put from around 30 ft or so in which will move a little from left to right. The ball on its way now. It looks good for speed. It looks good for line two. A fraction high just missing on that left hand side. That would have been a nice bonus birdie for Justin Thomas to have knocked in having birdied the previous hole to give his side that nice healthy four up cushion and he purses his lips as if to go that was close. So they’re four up. That’s the only red on the board at the moment. The top match of course sees John Ramen set striker three up over the world number one Scotty Shepler and the US Open champion JJ Spawn will all square in that second match between Ben Green on his rider cup debut and rose their European moment trailing a very quiet we’re on the 40th team with that lead European carrying from this the new football matches. The crowd getting more and more boisterous. And this is Seper. Standing over here. 150 y. It is the high into the sky. Turning over. And this is going to just land 15 ft. We’ll do that in just a second. We’ll stay here for just a moment. This is the BBC Radio 5 Live one match uh looking close to a conclusion really given the dominance of the Americans. Uh Cam Young and Justin Thomas four up. Katherine D. Yeah. And Ludvig Goar and Arasmus Hyer on the ropes here again on the 12th. It’s another of those situations we’ve seen time and time again in this Friday four balls afternoon where the Europeans simply have to make a very long birdie putt because Cameron Young who’s been playing lights out golf in his home state in his first Ryder Cup has put his approach shot here in the par 412 into about 45 ft and he’ll have that for a birdie and that means that Ludvig goar must sink this and it’s well over 30 ft. Yeah, again he’s just outside that comfort circle. I mean this is 30 ft. Really difficult to read. Cameron Young once again he just showed us he can fade it in and he can hook it in. Beautiful marksmanship today on the way. The rookie for the US is having a stunner of a debut as Ober’s ball misses again. So, it’s another big moment for Cameron Young and this to put him and Justin Thomas five up with six holes to play. Could this be the moment where the final punches landed from Team USA? And the crowd are feeling the sense of occasion here as well. Big grand stand rising up 50 rows into the air behind us here. The flags of the RDER Cup of Europe, of USA, just dancing gently in the breeze as we head into the evening here at 20 4 in the afternoon. Still warm sunshine, planes flying in overhead, heading to New York’s JFK airport. And here on ground level, Cameron Young plucking the marker from behind his ball as he prepares to tackle this birdie putt. Another birdie putt from short range. He’s been knocking them in all afternoon long. And that is why we are where we are with Young and Thomas four up and looking to go five up here. Distant were of a helicopter behind us. Trees just twitching gently in the breeze around the green here on the 12th. And the ball heading towards the hole. And another big yell. It’s another big yell. It’s another hole one for Justin Thomas and Cameron Young. An explosion of sound and they move five up with six holes to play. And could that be the knockout punch dealt for Lud Big Ober and for Raasmus Hygar Ali match here we are beside the par three 14th green JJ spawn in the first match out with the Americans three down with five to players in an absolutely stunning T-shot across the valley to this green that slopes from back to front. The pin naughtily parked in the back left corner. John Rams T-shot has found the bunker striker is 30 ft away. Scotty Sheffller shot is on the way and it goes the way of John Rams and it just disappears off the left hand side of the green. So he’s going to have to try and conjure up some short game magic from there. But the the T-shot from JJ Spawn, Katrina Matthew, I can still see the pitch mark here. And um Cat has described it so beautifully. It’s that thud of the ball on on these soft greens like the thud of a a dart into a dart board. You can still see that little bit of turf, the spike where the pitch mark has landed. It spun back a couple of feet again. I mean, we we we saw him hit the stick, didn’t we? Hit the flag with a with a pitch on the last and he’s he’s gone pretty close there. Yeah, that was a fantastic shot to that tricky back pin just over on the on the top ledge there. And as you see, that’s a lovely It’s just that thud. It just hit the ground and just popped back and leaving himself a really good opportunity from 5T for Birdie. 5T for Birdie. John Ram in the bunker on the left hand side. Seth Straer was pretty close actually to hitting a very, very good T-shot here. But the danger with this pin is it’s parked right at the top of that slope. He came up slightly short. It rolls all the way back down. Yeah, he was a little unlucky. Got it up onto that top level, but just had a little bit too much spin. It just ran back down the hill. But as you say, you just can’t go long in this hole. All slopes away off the back into the rough. So, it just shows a great distance control from Spawn. players making their way then here to the par three 14th green giant screen away to our left tells the story of the Ryder Cup as you’re listening to it on five live and BBC sounds and rydercup.com across the world in fact Katrina we had a fan didn’t we and I don’t think a fan of ours but a fan of the BBC coverage which they’re listening to on the course this afternoon because one woman just pointed to you and me and went great job I really apologize by the way everyone listening for the accent as well but it’s um but it’s but it was nice to hear Alli Ally. Yes. You know that regular listeners to our golf commentary will talk about well we talk about the differing heights that we all are on this coverage. Yeah. That’s that’s a historical thing that we’ve done for many years. Yes. Well, you know you are the tallest member of the five team when a member of NBC’s golf team asks you to move out of the way so that their camera on a crane can get a good view of the 13th. It wouldn’t come to me. John Murray. Of course, I was happy to oblige, which we will do in a moment when we’ve seen Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood hit their their third shots, their approach shots to the green. And that that’s a terrific shot from Justin Rose, Sean. And he set himself up with a birdie chance from 10 ft or so. He He’s so good with that just kind of that soft arm shot. And that’s the shot that Rory has really improved in his game. Tommy spins the ball a lot more. And here is Fleetwood beyond the hole. And it spins back down to Oh, that is to within four or 5 ft. Yeah. Well, I mean, you can just see the difference in the way that they play. I mean, Justin’s was a little bit softer, a nice flat, you know, basically a no spin wedge. He had to took a full swing at it. Took it past the pin and used the back slope to his advantage. That is Sean McKiel, a winner of the USPGA Championship. We’ve got another fine winner of the USPGA Championship, haven’t we? Sitting just in front of us. The great Larry Nelson is just sitting right at our feet here as we wait to watch Bryson Dambo and Ben Griffin play their third shots from short at the green. Larry Nelson told the story. No, first of all, Larry Nelson was 90 and0 in the 79 and 81 RDER Cups. That is not bad. More on that in a moment. Ali well roars but sort of quiet roars around the par three 14th green I can see the European fans in their t-shirts actually over the other side of the green to me and they are roaring a seps track of birdie and criy katrina Matthew he is pumped up he’s hold it from 30 ft up the hill thumps his heart his chest with his right hand a massive high five with John Ra that’s a real blow struck by step straer oh that’s a huge blow I mean the Americans must have thought they had a really good chance to try and get a hold back here with spawn in so close and now makes his putt trick here. Sheffller now out the bunker having to try and hold it for the par for the half. Sorry. Sheffller then settled in the bunker. European fans behind him splashes the ball out onto the putting surface. Criy that was close as well. Brilliant bunker skills from Scotty Sheffller must remember you’re quite right Katrina. JJ Spawn has a 5-footer for birdie for the half in which case if he makes it Europe remain three up with four to play. If he misses it’s dormy four. Yeah, this is a must make mate really for JJ Spun. They can’t afford to go four down with four to go. Well, Seb Striker stepped up when the moment came. John Ram has really been doing the business and making the birdies. But it’s times like that when Rahm had missed the green had found the bunker and a tricky shot to come and Seb Striker steps out of the shadows and into the linelight and made a fabulous P. Actually, he could tell three or four feet away. He was celebrating before it went in. He knew. He knew. And it really struck me actually, Katrina. I was expecting a massive roar and then I remembered we’re in New York. I was still surprised at how big a was. Well, those European fans the other side of the green have got themselves in order because uh the t-shirts have one big blue letter on the front of each. E U R O P E spells Europe. It’s also spelled out on the caddy’s beer. John Ron’s caddy standing just in front of us here. We’re watching JJ Spawn with a really, really important putt for the USA. Three down, 14th green. Needs this to keep it three down with four to play. Probably thought this might be for the win, but that’s the way the match play works. The cut and thrust of the rider cup and spawn is down on his hunches. Tanned arms resting on the knees, gripping the putter lightly in his hands. Shades parked on the back of the baseball cap. Puts the putter head behind the ball. [Music] Looks at the hole and needs this. Needs this for the half from Spawn. Yes, he gets it. Nerves of steel from JJ Spawn. He makes the birdie. He matches Straer’s part. Europe remain three up with four to play. Ian, we’re here on the 12th. Europe are up against it because Patrick Can has hit a wonderful second shot into this par four and he’s got a look at birdie of around four and a half five feet. Shane Lowry’s just put it up from the front of the green missed with that birdie attempt from long range and now it’s between Sam Burns and Rory Mackoy as to who is next to putt and they’re just I think having a look. I think it’s going to be Sam Burns. But a word for Patrick Can because he’s been pretty errant, Ollie, with his approach play over the last few holes, but that was an absolute beauty. Yeah, this 12th hole, the pins tucked on the right hand side and uh coming in with pretty much mid to long iron, managed to just cut one into the wind. It was a beautiful shot, but as you said, he’s not been on form at all with his swing. So, um that might give him a bit of momentum and certainly don’t want to see too much of that from a European perspective heading in to this last six holes. This is the last match on the course. The Europeans are leading it two up, but it’s a ding-dong battle. The last hole was won by Europe. The previous one was won by the Americans. Burns putt on its way up the hill heading towards the hole and very very nearly drops. So next up is going to be Rory Maroy for Birdie as we take you to John with Bryson Dshambo from 20 ft or so for Birdie. There are other birdie chances to come here at the par five 13th but D Shambo down through the shadows and missing on the left. So more to come. Ian Rory Maroy is behind the hole at the moment crouching low peering from the peak of his dark cap at the line that he wants to hit this pass on. What do you think he’s thinking? Well, he knows how big this moment is cuz he’s pretty much conceding the He’s not actually, but he knows that count is probably going to make it. So, this is about 25 ft uphill with quite a bit of break left to right. So, it’s not an easy puff, but he needs to give it a go and try and uh hold it hold this hole. Every seat in the grand stand taken. The flags at the top of it are fluttering gently in the most gentlest of breezes as we now see Maroy with the putter head behind this for Birdie on the 12th up the hill. Gives it a firm wrap. Watches, knows it’s not going to drop. Trudges up to mark his ball. So can’t John very shortly will have a putt to cut the Aars to just the single hole. Justin Rose going for Birdie. This looks good. It is good. That’s the birdie that Europe needed here. But still, Ben Griffin has a very good chance of a birdie to to have the hole and to remain all square in this match. And in fact, he’s wasting no time. Ben Griffin. This is 4T. And we’re now reaching the time of the day where the shadows are dappled right across the green, but he’s actually in a patch of bright sunshine there. It’s a sort of clover leaf shaped splash of sunshine between his white shoes and the ball. So Griffin from 4T. It’s a nervy one. There’s tension here, but Ben Griffin holes out and that means the hole is halved in par threes and it remains all square this match after 13 holes. On the 12th here, Rory Mackoy was very aggressive with his birdie attempt. Put it 6 feet by, but he’s made the putt coming back. So, a park in the bank for the Europeans, but I I suspect that’s not going to be enough. This is a very inviting put for Clyde. It’s a huge moment. There’s been obviously a few wobbles and we’re just getting into a very important stretch and uh you just got to take every opportunity. So, Cadley here for Birdie. Really big putt for them. one swish of the putter as a practice putt and the whole of America will be willing him to hold this for birdie and to get it back to just one down heading to the 13th taking every care missed a couple of short ones this morning in the foroms but did win sends it in yes very good nerveless stuff from Patrick Canler and he shows his putter to the pack grandstand which is all a frenzy in celebration at that birdie And it means that the Europeans now just one up in this bottom match. Oie, it’s real nip and tuck stuff. It is going backwards and forwards a little bit. It kind of got the feeling of this is going to go all the way. Everybody kind of coming alively finding some form there. Shane making a birdie back there. So the whole for ball is contributing now. And par five to come. Yeah, par five 13th to come. Will Rory Maroyy’s distance pay dividends there? We wait to see. But Maroy and Larry now just one up in this match against Patrick Kentlay and Sam Burns. And what it does is it just cranks the atmosphere up even more on the other holes. So the big screen here showed Patrick Kentlay reduce that deficit to just one in that final match. And it means here on the par 314th where we have walked quickly from the 13th, the atmosphere has just cranked up as we wait for these T-shots which will be coming very shortly. So in the game that looks as as though it’s almost over quickly. C Cameron Young has done it again here. Mark, he’s put it in close to inside 20 ft. He’ll have a look there for birdie and to close this one out on the 13th green. John. Yeah. T- shots. T- shots to come. lively lively uh spectators just over the rope behind us. Uh we I’m getting a lot of I’m getting a lot of go Tigers. My my daughter is a LSU freshman this year and and Brian Manzella actually is a world class teacher probably in the uh ranked in the top 50 in the United States of teachers. I was wondering about that. I’ve been hearing that all the way around and I was wondering what that was about. Anyway, first t-shot on the par three 14th and lands right at the back. of the 14’s green then spins back. This is a really kind of a sucker pin. It’s going to challenge you to go up the flag, but if you miss it just left, you’re into a deep deep bunker, but if you don’t carry it up on the green, up on the flag, it’s going to spin all the way back. So, so Justin Rose, I’m not hitting more than a more than an eight iron. So Justin Rose is in the in the middle of the green really and he’s left himself between 25 and 30 ft for a birdie. Now it’s Tommy Fleetwood to play next for a minute amongst the shadows up there. The red backdrop already. The ball is on its way towards the green and it is right at it. Right at it. And he’s hit it to 8 ft. We were just talking about Tommy. I I was just talking about Tommy being a little bit tired back about on uh number 11. And look, he’s he’s risen to the occasion. He’s got made a birdie putt. Now he’s had an iron shot in there about 6 ft. A real birdie chance. This match all square after sharing birdies at the previous hole the 13th. It has been a tight match between these two Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose and Ben Griffin and Bryson Dshambo. And uh now it is the Americans and it is Griffin the rookie. He’ll have never had a day like this in his golfing life. and it lands in the middle of the green just next to R Justin Rose’s ball and then it spins back right down towards the front of the green with the flag back left. This is the exact time when you need to be hitting those kind of soft arm shots that I talked about with Justin in the last hole. Bryson to me doesn’t seem like he’s able to flight the ball like he really needs to and I think he struggles on on really soft greens. Yeah, you’re absolutely right. Dshambo there and you say that I mean if there was any if there was ever a stiff armed golfer as opposed to soft armed then it’s it’s Bryson Dshambo. So Griffin then from away in the shadows plays now and he sends it high towards the back left. This looks online. Oh, he’s gone big and into the sand back left. He was he was forced to try to get get one in there because of Tommy. And what a great shot that he hit in there. But that’s that’s just the pressure of match play. When your partner kind of leaves you hanging a little bit, you feel like you got to play a little bit more aggressively. You end up in that bunker. Well, as they walk all the way up here to the 14th green, there is plenty of thinking time here. And what they must be thinking, what Tommy Fleetwood must be thinking is what a glorious opportunity this is to edge Europe in front for the first time in this match. Shawn McKill, they absolutely piled the pressure on with those two T- shots. Well, that that that’s exactly right. I mean, you know, Bryson doesn’t hit a very good shot with Tommy in there close. It forced Ben’s hand, so he was forced to take on some risk there and and he’s put himself in a real spot of bother. And the other thing that strikes me about this game is that each pair has only won one hole. Everything else has been hard. You know, look at the bottom game and that has swung back and forth with team either pair winning the holes, but this one has been so tight. Yeah, but you know, you look at look at the Euros. The Euros, you had a really nice putt on 11 by Tommy. You had a great 10 12 footer by Justin last hole and the Americans haven’t made a putt count. on the 13th. I’m afraid it’s uh bad news from a European perspective because Ludvig Ober looking to follow Cameron Young in close here on the 13th. Cameron Young with another absolute stunner of an approach shot from way back on this par five. Remember it’s well over 600 yds and he’s put it into 15 ft. He’ll have that for a look at Eagle. Ober was pushing to try and follow him in but miscued and he has found himself in amongst this knot of little pine trees short and right of the green. He’s found a little hole that he’s threaded the ball through and he’s made a pretty good fist of finding the tiny gap between the trees but he’s not been able to get enough on it and get it up onto the green. And Rasmus Hoygar as well has missed the green to the left. So the Europeans under the pressure here and just getting to the point where this feels very much done and dusted. That shot was amazing. Cameron Young just closed this match out right here from 280 yards with some kind of hybrid or a three yard. He hit a high hook in there and it landed one foot from the hole and it’s 15t and they just went you can see them just sink. Their shoulders sank and they just fan two of their shots way off in the right trees. So you can you can feel they’re just ready to come back tomorrow. European team. Cam Young’s father, David, is standing just a couple of yards away from us, looking at his watch, just thinking, “Oh, well done, son. You’ve got this wrapped up in in record time. We can head home and have a bit of a break.” I tapped him on the shoulder and I said, “You know, is this is this are you the father of Cam Young?” He said, “Yes, I am.” And I said, “You must be incredibly proud.” And he was like, “Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.” And the ovation he got when he was walking up to this 13th green was something else, wasn’t it? welcoming one of their own who’s going to land a point for the US side. Well, you’re about to get invited to dinner as much if you you know the whole family and the grandkids are coming soon and yes, way to go cat. So, David is looking on as we’re watching Raasmus Hoyar. Was that Raasmas Hygar or Justin Thomas? Justin Thomas with a bit of a do in the rough. Well, Justin Thomas I think he’s just picked up. He’s just going to watch cuz he’s got his superstar here putting for eagle and I think we’ve seen a few duffs in the rough. They got to get up and down for par the European both of them and all we need is a little lag putt from 15 ft and this is over. But has it been a good day for the Americans? Has it? Not really. Don’t you think? No. I would say not as well. But this would be such a huge boost, wouldn’t it? This would be a vital point on the board. Looking at Ludvig Ober then with a little chip here. If this goes in, it’ll be for birdie here on the par five. Up it comes. Tip of the knees from Oair. It’s not going to trouble the hole. Drifts off to the left hand side and that surely means that the race is run for Ober and for Huygar. John, they may concede. On the par 314th, Ben Griffin has already splashed out onto the green, but this is all about building towards Tommy Fleetwood’s birdie putt from six or seven ft. Unless, of course, Bryson Dshambo rolls in this one from 50 or 60 ft. Well, he he needs to give himself a good putt, but he can’t be too aggressive here. I mean, Tommy’s not in for certain and and and Ben doesn’t have a guaranteed par, so he can’t be too aggressive here. So, Dambo, the sun just disappears for a moment or two. Most unusually, Disho, one final stare towards the white flag stick and then sends it towards the hole. Still going. Still going. No. Oh, they all thought that was going to drop. both caddies, Dan Bow, Ben Griffin, and it stayed up, stayed out. We’ve seen a lot of knee bending, but that one of all the ps that we’ve seen so far, probably deserve to go in. Yeah. Okay, so Tommy Fleetwood and Rose to come. Cat, this is the moment then, John. This is the moment for Cameron Young on his RDER Cup debut in his home state. dappled shadows, as you so brilliantly described a little bit earlier, cast by enormous towering pine trees to the right of the green. And his ball, his little white ball, sitting pretty in some golden sunshine, a little patch of golden sunshine. And it’s been a golden debut so far for Cameron Young. 15 ft for an eagle. This massive part 513th and he got it on the green in two, well over 600 yards. And he got it past the hole as well. He’s got 15 ft down the slope to clinch the first point of this RDER Cup for team USA and a much needed point as well with Europe winning the uh opening session three points to one. First point of this afternoon session is on the putter of Cameron Young. 15 ft swing of the putt ahead. On it goes towards the hole and he can’t believe it hasn’t dropped but it’s only trickled by by a couple of feet and the caps come off here on the 13th green. Lud go and Raasmus Hoyar say no that’s plenty. That’ll be a birdie to beat us. And it’s a fairy tale debut in New York for the boy from the Bronx. It’s a six and five victory for Cameron Young and Justin Thomas here on the 13th screen. Another point on the board for the USA. And the scoreboard at the moment over to my right hand side says three points to Europe, two points to the USA with lots of golf to come. Alli John Ramen set striker on the 15th. Korean trying to make that 42 to Europe as soon as they can. They are three up with four to play. All the players with their second shots to this green that is way way above the players. They hit from down below on the fairway. Climb Mount Olympus up to this flat circular green. Bit of a hill at the front. Strucker is putting up that hill. He’s going for birdie. He’s not given it enough. He’s given himself about 4t or so to go. It could turn out into a Rom Sheffller shootout again for the birdies. John ball on the way and it’s in. He knew it. He knew it. He already had his arm outstretched with clenched fist before the ball even disappeared. Europe win the hole with a birdie too. And for the first time in this match, blue is on the board. Europe one up. What an absolute beauty of a birdie to that pin location. I mean Tommy is inspired. That putt that he made, he was a little bit down on himself it looked like with his putting early on. That putt that he made on 11 certainly revived him and now he’s walking with a pep in his step that I’ve not seen all day. There we are then. Europe in front in this match for the first time. One up and crouched 14 and he clenched his fist and he put it towards the crowd and Europe a one up. Fleetwood and Rose Alli. Well, I’ve got to say struggling to hear yourself think around this 15th green now. One of the highest points on the golf course and Katrina Matthews. It’s coming down to some really, really crucial putts. A striker 4 ft short. He’s got one to come for par. Probably 35 ft or so here for JJ Spawn. Shep and Rom. Again, it keeps happening. They’re about both 20 ft away, aren’t they? It is, isn’t it? Could well come down to the battle of them. See which one holds a putt. But in a way, the Americans have got to try and make these. They’re not easy putts. They cross the green, left to right, slope. So, the Europeans can probably afford to just lag something up. Yeah, we’re trying to be as delicate as we can with our voices. We’re incredibly close to the left hand side of the 15th green, but the atmosphere is febrial and lively and noisy. And the European fans are just giving JJ Spawn a little bit of stick as he backs off a put and has another look at the line. So, Striker’s at his birdie attempt. He’s 4t away. Palm and Chef with birdie putts to come just inside of 20 ft spawns putt on the way. The Americans calling for it to drop. He’s going to miss to the right. It was superb for pace. Guides it gently to the right hand side of the hole. So that will be conceded for a four. So that means Scotty Sheffler can definitely have a good old charge of the birdie, which he was going to do anyway. But if Europe win this hole, they win the match. And if Europe have this hole, that is a half point guaranteed. And they would only then need another half over the last three holes to make sure that they clinch the match. And um it’s been a good partnership Ram and Striker, hasn’t he? And Striker really stood up on the on the on the 40 when he was needed. He has indeed. Yeah. I mean, Striker’s hit a couple of birdies. Ram’s had the five birdies, but but Striker’s always been in the hole. He’s made the pars which makes the putts were easier. Ram Ram birdie putts that little bit easier. 3-2 overall score. Scotty Sheffller next up hasn’t hold a thing all day. Would be just like the world number one, wouldn’t it? to find a birdie when he needed it. And I wonder if it would bring him out of himself a little bit as well. I wonder whether we’d see some emotion from Scotty Sheffller. The American fans desperate for this to drop. The ball is going to run towards Sheffller’s shadow turning left to right. This looks good to me. It looks very good. He loves it. He holds the putter in the air. Scotty Sheffller has found one on the 15th for the Americans. Finally, a putt drops and he just turns. He clenches his fist and he nods at the American fans. It had to happen sometime. It did. It was inevitable. He was He hit a lot of good shots in close. He had to hold one soon. They’re just a clenched twitch to the crowd that are cheering USA, USA. Right. Three up four to play. John Rams now got to hold this from a similar distance from a completely different line up the hill. This one is going to come and it’s going to take an a while for everything to quieten down here. Ryder Cup five live and BBC sounds the Americans with a point on the board in the afternoon for balls. The overall map score is 3-2. Incredible sight again as we turn our heads away to our right. These enormous two-tiered hospitality pavilions with the wide grooves absolutely jam-packed all the way down the 15th fairway. The noise is coming from all around us as well. Rowdy grandstand away to the left. And if John Romans pub misses here, well then it is two up with three to play. And you’re going to get some noise. Scottish shuffler for the moment’s not looking. Now he turns his head. John R’s white glove dangling out of his back pocket just inside of 20 ft. If he holds it, it’s Dormy three for Europe. Here it comes on its way. It’s got the pace from Rahm. He’s found it. Bottom of the cup, heart of the hole. And John Ram roars with delight. What a fabulous birdie. What a response from John Ram. And Europe make it dormy three. It’s a guaranteed half point and one more half over the last three holes and they will have a win. And Scotty Sheper found the birdie. He found the brilliant put Katrina Matthew. But John Ram has had the answer again. Yeah, John Ram stepped up to it. He had that he up the hill. It was it was never an easy putt but what a putt he hold. John Ram absolute man of steel. Fourth Ryder Cup has been out in the first match every single time. went out first again this afternoon. Called upon by Europe then because you know two up with three to play could have got a little bit nervy. Now it is dormy three and that was quite a moment. Mark would you say Ally in a in a technical term that’s linguistically correct. Kahones. Say that again Mark. Coahjones. Yes I think we’re allowed to say Exactly that. Exactly that. Now he he has been fabulous. 630 birdie I think at the afternoon and that was the moment when he had to deliver and Striker did it for him on the previous hole found a 30-footer and that mark is where match play can be so cruel as well because on both of those holes I’m sure the Americans have thought you know what we could nick one here and then we could make it nervy and get the home fans on our side and both times Europe have found massive parts and it’s made a massive difference I agree kahones yes and you’ll need them here on the 13th because this is very very tense in this match the Europeans Mroy and Lowry are just one up in this match and they are in the box seat at the moment in as much as Mroy is in closest but Sam Burns has yet to chip onto this par five with his third shot. None of the players finding the green in two and here comes Burns with his chip and the ball scampering up towards the whole side and just running on a little bit as well and probably about equidistant with Mroy. It’s going to be very nip and tuck as to who’s going to be putting when here, but all four players with looks at birdies to come. Yeah, Rory hit a phenomenally aggressive layup shot to give himself a really good look around this bunker. Played a lovely shot. So now they’re both about 3 ft. Little bit of break. Not the easiest to three-footers, but h they’re definitely in the closest. Shane’s got maybe 15 20 ft coming out of the rough. Phil been disappointed laying up into that rough and not going a chance to control the spin, but four good looks. In the overall context, this feels massive. It does. I I just feel like they’re going to be um pretty tight here. I don’t think anyone’s running away with it over the next few holes. Maybe backwards and forwards and it feels like it’s going all the way. It really does. It looks like uh it’s going to be the Americans who will be putting first in the shape of Patrick Can. Mark, it’s one of those where they’re all just sort of circling around their putts. Rory Maroy knows he’s not putting yet. He looks standing there as if he’s not got a care in the world with his left hand on his left hip and he just sort of strolls away and it’ll be Shane Lowry who will be first to play here with his attempts at a birding. This is tricky cuz it’s down this slope. Yeah, this has got a little bit more brake on it than most of the greens. Downhill slightly left to right. It’s not one that you can be overly aggressive with, but with Rory in tight, he doesn’t have to worry about the pace. Shadows all across the screen with little shafts of sunlight on a very, very pleasant late afternoon here in New York. Shane Lowry one up with Rory Moy in this match looking for a birdie. Sends the ball into sunlight then into shade. Will it drop into the hole? It finds sunlight and shade, but not the hole. Good effort. Very close conceded by Sam Burns and that’s a five for the European. Just not really getting his drop at the moment, Shane. It was good put. He was holding his uh finish as well, thinking it was going to creep into the hole, but just never came back, but he looks a little dejected. Shane does. Every every hole is walking around. He’s just not bouncing like we would normally see. I definitely think he’s fighting his swing a little bit today. I felt that throughout the week to be honest. Yeah, I know. I heard some rumors early on that he wasn’t maybe playing great, but the fact that he came out with Rory, he must have been playing well enough for Luke to feel like he could take that risk and maybe was looking for him to find a bit of form with Rory, but that hasn’t really happened. But he has backed Rory up. You know, on that early front nine, Rory made with birdies, but Shane was in play giving him given the the license to be a bit more aggressive. So, it’ be nice for Shane to find something on these last few holes. And more and more frequently, Sam Burns is doing the lining up for his playing partner Patrick Camplay. It’s Camplay now to putt for his birdie up the hill. He can be aggressive, but it was Burns who did the feeling, the aim point with his feet and gave him the line. He stands to one side. And now Kelay just with that little soft shuffle of his feet before he’s ready to hit this. And now he’s solid, rock solid. and then swings the arms. The ball goes forward and in the left edge of the hole grabs the ball and it disappears and he waves his right hand in celebration. It’s a birdie for the Americans and it now means that Rory Mroy has to hold his short butt to keep Europe ahead in this bottom match. He’s just shouting over there to the crowd getting to keep keep cheering for a little bit but it was a lovely putt. He had a good chance at it. Could give it a good run. Stroked it lovely. We have a perfect line to watch it. It does look like it was never anywhere else. It’s crackling with tension here. It’s fantastic. This feels a bit longer now for Rory. He’s going to have to take his time. A little bit of left to right. Four 3 to 4 ft, but it’s not straight forward. No, it’s down the slope. Just a little bit of movement on it as well. Yeah, a little bit of movement left to right. He’s uh he obviously missed one earlier on on third. They’d be looking to knock this in and the Americans. Vital this this to keep Maroy and Lowry ahead in this match. They’re one up at the moment. Sends it forward. Oh, and it’s horseshoe out. It’s horseshoe out. Wow. I mean, the margins. The margins. It was the very edge of the hole that grabbed Kentlay’s ball, but that looked a good putt from Mroy, but it wasn’t quite good enough. The pace wasn’t quite accurate enough, and it spun around the hole 360°, stayed above ground, and we’re all square. commentators curse. Very almost identical to the third hole. Again, looked like he a good putt, but just slightly dived at the end of the hole and and caught the full lip. Really devastating uh moment there. That’s going to be uh maybe proved to be quite crucial. Yeah, big big moment here, Mark. We’re going into the throng of so many people inside the ropes going down the staircase to head to the 314. We’re heading into the stretch in this match all square. Huge moment. They’ve won three of the last four of Burns and Canley and they’ve gone from two down to all square quickly full time at the football. Nathan Alburn. It’s full time West Brom one, Leicester one. Leicester snatching an unlikely draw in the 93rd minute. Bobby Decord over Reed with a volley at the back post into a crowd in the penalty area. Went in off the West Brom defender Nat Phillips. So Leicester up to third. West Brom goes sick. They’ll bruise several guilt chances they missed in the second half. Fulltime West Brom won, Leicester won. So, America have put the first point on the board this afternoon with Young and Thomas’ six and five win over Her Berg and Hoyard elsewhere. Ramen Striker three up. The bottom match is now all square. Burns and Kentley against Maroy and Lowry. And here on 15, John Murray, Fleetwood and Rose are one up. And how are the approaches into Mount Olympus going? And they are both on the green. And that cheer that you heard was for Justin Rose’s approach shot which was over the top of the flag and has uh has ended up 10 ft away from the hole. And the groans there are American groans because Bryson Dshambo Shawn McKiel from the roof down the left hand side has missed the green and it’s down the slope and that is very steep down there. again par our pars aren’t going to do anything. I mean once again the Euros are living up to their reputation of finding something some sort of strength when at the end of these matches you know the American team we we’ve just we’ve not made a putt just haven’t hit any good iron shots and the European team has once again found a way to get a lead. So on the 15th with Europe one up in this match now. Fleetwood and Rose one up and they will have an opportunity here very very likely to go two up with three to play. Uh they will but how that bottom match has swung around and I said it earlier Ian Carter winning the holes in this four ball was proving really really difficult. I think we’ve got uh Europe have won two and the Americans have won one here in this four ball, but yours has really ebed and flowed. It really has. It’s been a cracking contest. It It’s been kind of Mroy against Kentlay, but the other players have made their contributions as well. And here is Kentlay now with his T-shot having seen his partner Sam Burns miss the green into the bunker down the left hand side. This downhill par three. Lovely hole. People standing all around the tea here. and Kantlay over it now. Ball climbs into the sky. Looked like good contact. Looks like good line. The ball lands right next to the hole. What a shot from Patrick Cann. The American is on fire and he’s given himself a fantastic look at Birdie. That very nearly went in on the bounce on the full. That’s a phenomenal effort. Way to stand up when he really counts. Just starting to dial his irions in and with pressure on. That was a phenomenal response. Grandstand stuff. Absolutely brilliant from Patrick Canley. Fresh off the birdie at 13 that has leveled this match. And here on the 14th TE, my goodness me. How does Shane Lowry just keep his heart rate calm enough to hit this ball? Well, he’s got to stand up. He certainly knows how to do it. He’s got the pedigree to do it, but he’s not swinging great. He’s fighting it and just leaning here. Just overdone it. Back left maybe 15 ft. Not a bad shot. Trying to be quite aggressive going at it because he’s under pressure now. And now Maroy has to respond. He responded brilliantly to the sort of in a sporting and golfing sense heartbreak of uh very narrowly missing a birdie put at the third. Went on a birdie barrage on the front nine after that. Now he’s got to respond to the setback of seeing a very similar outcome on the 13th. And he knows that Kantlay is in tight and the American fans at fever pitch now. Just a short iron in on this par three downhill. There it goes. Maroy with only a 3/4 back swing. That one’s drifting out to the right. It’s going to land in the green and settle down. Well, ordinarily you’d say that’s a that’s a fine shot. He’s found the heart of the green, but given what Kantlay has done off the tea here, it might not be enough because he’s a good 22 ft away from the flag after the T- shots here on the 14th. Pitching it his ball from down the slope and up onto the green. That That was tricky. Very tricky. And he’s played that very well to within 3 ft. It was definitely doable. I didn’t think he could get it within 3 ft. Man, they’ve conceded that seat. Well, surprising. However, the way is now clear for Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood. Both have birdie chances here to win the hole and to go two up. Well, look, we saw Ben Griffin make a nice long eagle putt on the par five. So, let’s see if maybe he can pull a rabbit out of a hat here and uh and force and force Justin to make this putt. Yes, of course. Griffin has got this put right across the the uh 15th green and and since he produced the spectacular on the seventh really it’s it’s been all about Bryson Dshambo. So, but it would be typical match play if now Griffin were to do something similar again. So, this is all of 50 ft from Griffin across the green towards the hole, but it was never threatening, always short. So now the way is clear for Rose and Fleet and and that’s too bad because they’d already conceded the putt. He look he wasn’t trying to leave it short. He’s trying to make the putt. But look, we’re still not at the stage of the game where where panic has to set in. Now if if this goes in, don’t panic, Sean. If if this putt goes in, it it might be panic time. Okay. So Fleetwood and Rose to come. Alli, some sensational iron play we’re witnessing in the first four ball out on the course this afternoon. in Europe three up with three to play. Seth Striker into 6 ft. If he holds that birdie putt, there is nothing the USA can do. But JJ Spawn is 8 ft away. Scotty Shaffler is 10 ft away. And John Ron Katrina Matthew with his approach has just found a collar of rough away to the right hand side of the green. It ain’t over yet. John Tommy Fleetwood to go first for Birdie. This is from 25 ft towards the hole but missing on the right hand side. So Justin Rose who played that wonderful approach shot has the chance now. As Sean Mckiel said it’s absolutely no gimme certainly. And now we have a little bit of gamesmanship. I I mean Fleetwood can’t have more than 2 ft. So I don’t know what the strategy is behind that. I guess maybe let Justin think about the speed that he hits this puck. But he made a great one a couple holes ago. It wouldn’t surprise me if he didn’t hold this one as well. Well, Justin Rose. Justin Rose. Someone up in the star on the bank here says something about Chelsea, which is Justin Rose’s favorite team. I’m not sure he’s necessarily thinking about Stamford Bridge at the moment, Justin Rose. So, this from 10 ft. It’s all of 10 ft. But this to take a grip on this match. Rose, this familiar routine that we’ve seen during this memorable, memorable year that he’s had. Rose ready now. The ball rolling. Well, I’m not sure that’s been given enough. No, it hasn’t. It stays up. So, it’s still Europe one up in this match with three to play. Ian Rory Mack away from 20 ft missing with his spurie attempt and shoving it a good way past the hole as well. But Shane Lowry has only got well maybe 12 ft something like that. He’s just off the green but we’ve walked around this green and we’ve just seen how close Patrick Canley is and he’s just outside Gimme range. It’s 2 and 1/2 ft. Yeah, 2 and 1/2 3 ft. But Shane Larry did a bit of a disservice on the tea. It’s actually Yeah. 12 ft. But he’s got a wedge out. Just going to chip it over the edge of this fringe and let it trickle down to the hole. But this is a must make. It is because he knows Camplay is not going to miss that birdie putt. And if Camplay’s birdie is enough, then the Americans will go one up in this match having been two down. The ball on its way. Oh, and Lowry’s missed. Lowry’s missed. So the puck coming up for Kantlay to put the Americans ahead here. Alli Ian. Back to you shortly. 16th green. This could be the moment. Very much an outside chance for John Rm for Birdie because he’s missed the green with his approach. We can’t even see the ball. Actually, it’s disappeared into a thick collar of rough to the right of the green. But you know what happens in the RDER Cup? Shots like this get hold. And if John Ram can pop this in and make a 730 of his round, there’s nothing the Americans can do. Bumps it forward. It lands on the putting surface. That won’t go in. It’ll run by. It’ll run by a good way as well. or the SE striker is just 6 ft away. If he can hold that, that’ll be the win for Europe. America have birdie putts to come. Back with you, Ian. Well, Sam Burns is going first to make sure of the par for the Americans. And now it’ll be Patrick Kentlay and the adrenaline must be pumping so hard for Kantlay. Well, he’s flying three birds in the last four holes. Flagged it here and this would be a pretty straightforward, but you know, he’s feeling it. There’s nervous. The green around here is phenomenal. There’s so many people here right now. You can’t not feel the nerves. They were two down after 11 were the Americans. And now looking at a putt to go one up with three holes to play rather four holes to play. So can play meticulous can play is ready to go. Putt ahead behind the ball. No, he’s going to back off. So there is some uncertainty. I guess there’s always uncertainty at this stage of the Ryder Cup. This is a big moment. Turn around from two two down to potentially going one up with uh four to go. This is a big big moment. Mroy standing on the edge of the green chomping at an energy bar. Shane Lowry’s gone off in search of a loo and Patrick Canley has backed off again. Alli, quick word from you. Scotty Sheffler then over a birdie putt. A crucial birdie pod on the 16th for the USA. Seb Striker 6 ft away. Europe three up three to play. This has to drop from Sheffler. It does drop right into the heart of the hole. So Se Striker has to answer the question if he holds it. Europe win the match. Ian Camp now ready to pull the trigger. The ball on his way. He’s missed it. He’s missed it from two and 1/2 ft. Lips out and well he was never settled over that. And Europe get away with one. And the match remains all square. Alli right. First match out in the course 163. John Ryman set striker comes down to this 6 ft on the 16th. Seb Striker with a wonderful second to set up the chance. He found a big p on the 14th. John Ram found one on the 15th. Scotty Shepler has asked the question. But Seb Striker can close the door here. 6 ft to come. Taking every care. He’s just picked the little ball marker up from behind the ball. He wipes the putter face with the palm of his left hand. He’s not going to take too long over this. Keep with the same routine. This for the win to win the match three and two to get Europe’s fourth point on the board. Here it goes. Straer strikes for Europe. Clenches his fist. The ball finds the bottom of the hole. John Ram wraps him up in a huge embrace and Europe win the first match out on the course three and two. Sheffller found a couple of birdies late on. The Americans fought hard but Rahm and Straker get the job done and John Rom again Katrina Matthew. Two matches today, two wins. An absolute rock for Europe. He was indeed. He’s played well all day today. Six birdies this afternoon, three for Straka. They saved some really good golf. I mean the Americans didn’t really put much pressure on them on the front nine but they were holding the putts to see for those last two holes they Europeans stood up to it and hold the putts when they had to players clear the 16th green quickly now who’s that who’s raced over it’s Jose Maria Olaf he’s been in so many of these battles as a player himself he knows the pressure the emotion the tiredness what it takes out of you as well and he runs up to fellow Spaniard John Ram and gives him a massive hug we’ll move in and try and get some post-match interviews but Europe have the fourth point on the born. Rahm and Straka beat Sheffller and Spawn 3 and2. What an amazing five, six, seven minutes. That was first of all an opportunity for Europe to go two up with Fleetwood and Rose. Neither of them could take that opportunity and they stay one up. Then there was the opportunity for Kantlay to put the Americans one up in the final match against Maroy and Lowry. He didn’t take that opportunity. And then Europe closed out against the world number one Scottish Heffler and JJ Spawn. And they have won that by three and two. It takes the score to USA 2, Europe 4 with two matches still out on the course. It certainly does. will be trying to catch a word with set tracker and John Ram with our continuous coverage live here from Beth Paige Black in the next few minutes. So, blue on the board officially another point confirmed for team Europe. That takes the score to USA 2, Europe 4. And we still have two matches out there on the golf course. The first bit of red on the board from the afternoon four balls came courtesy of Debuton. Remember the man from New York City himself Cameron Young partnering Justin Thomas um against Ludvig Oberg and Raasmus Huygar Adane on debut and then in that final match it’s all square tense can play missing a brilliant opportunity at the par 314 playing alongside Sam Burns as Roy Moy and Shane Lowry just try to cling on to the coattails from the Ryder Cup Stalwart. Okay, we’re next to Sam Burns who is on the 15th hole. Remember this match is tied and this one headed left it seems up towards the crowd that snakes his way up the all the way up the left hand side of this 15th hole. The shouts of four came and it’s just going to nestle in some of that trotten down area up there where the spectators do congregate and that’s exactly what they do around the ball that nestles in that rough down the left hand side. his partner Kantlay now has to find the fairway if he wants to give himself a good opportunity of trying to give himself another look at birdie big right shout from Shane Lowry just a couple of yards behind canlay well one left one right from those two American balls up that 15th hole and now the big Irishman the former open champion all the way back in 2019 and maiden major crown which was an absolute beauty now strikes the ball, sends it on its way. It’s just going to peel off from left to right, but he’s straight down for the tea. I think he likes it. Didn’t get all of it, but that’s going to miss on the fairway. Right, let’s get ourselves back to our oncourse commentary team here live from Beth Paige Black. Take advantage of the camp they slip on 14. Yeah, that is the big question. Mount Olympus, the name of this hole, the 15th. And the two Americans have missed the fairway. Shane Lowry has found the fairway with his T-shot and roaring Mroy just as he was addressing the ball there. Heard something said by someone in the crowd. It’s a very tight and intimate tea this and there are people standing 78 deep behind that tee and around it. and he just backed off and he’s composed himself and he’ll be desperate to find the fairway here to have full control of his second shot to that elevated green 470 odd yard away. Mroy holds his pose after the shot bends down, picks up the tea. That’s an encouraging sign and the ball hasn’t found the fairway. It’s just down the left hand side. We can see it. So, it’s lying okay in the rough down the left hand side. a good 50 yards further down the hole than Shane Lowry’s. But the two Americans are in the rough off the tea here as well. And we’re going to embark on the the biggest yump now up the hill 50 ft above the fairway is sits the green and that’s where the players are going to be hitting their second shots to in due course. And we’ve yed up there and we’ve yumped back down and Tommy Fleetwood I think was that Fleetwood John has given himself another birdie opportunity. Marvelous second shot from the the left side of the fairway. Sean McAle from Tommy Fleetwood right on line right at the flag and it actually pulled up maybe 14 ft short. Well, I’m not so worried about about that one, but we the Americans really need to get it in there close. Well, it is it is uh there is chaos going on the to my right with the last match going up 15, but Ben Griffin from the middle of the 16th fairway in front of us here. these two holes side by side that also right out the hole but pitched about 7 ft short and then spun back to a similar distance to Fleetwood. So they’ll both have birdie chances. You know again it was a a great iron shot but just because of the softness of the greens they can’t they’re just not getting it close enough to the hole. So Dambo and Rose still to play now. Justin Rose is down the right hand side just uh on the side of the 16th hole where that massive hospitality chalet is with Long Island written all over it and Rose now from the roof has landed it right side of the green pin high and then it rolls on and rolls on past and down probably 22 ft away. Well, I mean, another great right on line for Justin and he is spot on with his irons today. He’s going to have a good opportunity to make birdie. So, Bryson hitting this ball right here is going to have to get it close. Yep. Two holes to play after this. Fleetwood and Rose one up in this match. And uh Damp lands it again on the putting surface. similar range to both Fleetwood and Rose. Who’s going to make the putt? We It’s the first time in a while we’ve seen four players have legitimate putts at it. So, the Americans are just going to have to find a way to steal one on this hole. Y however, we have seen this story before during the course of this round. It is going to be another put out to see who wins this hole. It is shootout here. Andrew McGee has joined us. I was going to ask Katrina something, but she’s disappeared. I thought she was out to us, but it is, isn’t there? Shoot out here. Yeah. Um, can we get Cam Young to jump in here? He was just fabulous today. But yeah, shoot out here. Looks like we got some uh I like what Sean just said. Looks like you got to get the ball closer to the hole and figure out how to hit a soft hand shot so it releases. It doesn’t spin back every single time. Um, these guys just are not adjusting to the situation here on the greens. It reminds me of playing Pebble Beach. Remember back in the day they put the pins up on the high spots and you either hit it over the green or the ball would spin back. It was just no way to get the ball close and is in 36 holes the the guys haven’t figured out a way to do it. Remember this this match Europe are one up and we’re right in the middle of a throng here where John Ram has stayed behind his bag is just in front of me. couple of minutes ago just went into one of those pockets, took his watch out, took his phone out, and I’m assuming he he didn’t think I was going to nick them out of his bag. Terrell Hatton is alongside him. Various other members of the European team are here. Half are here watching this one. Luke Donald and the Molinaris have come into view. There’s Bedum further up 15, which is Lowry and Maloy against Klay and Burns. that these four John Murray have reached the green. Yes, it’s we’ve reached that part of the course where the the the uh the reception is really breaking up and I think we might be standing too close to one another. So, I think maybe you need to move away from me. I think you’re interfering with my reception. Right. Sorry for personal space. So, here we go then as Mark moves away. Oh, that has improved it. That has improved it. I’m a technical genius. Okay, so Sean, serious business this. Come on. Well, I mean, set the stage. Who’s going first? Is uh Looks like Ben Griffin’s going to go first. I thought it might be Rose to go first. Yeah, it’s hard to Yeah. Well, I’m not sure they’ve made that decision yet. Okay. Well, Ben Griffin is wandering around with intent, but I think it is going to be Rose. Yeah, it is. Yeah. Yeah. So Rose, this is uh this is probably all of 2022 ft. This really is coming to the sharp end this match. It has been very close all the way through. All square after four. Then the Americans were one up for six holes. Then it went back to all square for the 11th, 12th, 13th. Then the Europeans edged in front for the first time at the 14th. And here we are on the 16th with the match just tilted in favor of the Europeans. A huge cloud moves in front of the sun over Long Island. So for one of the few times this afternoon, we are in shade and Justin Rose has given this all due care and attention. The other three players have 30 birdy chances to come but rolls first. The ball rolling towards the hole but uh just rolls by. Just rolls by and that is conceded and and Rose bent right forward in frustration that that didn’t drop. So now Sean three more all from a similar sort of range this 15 16 ft range. Well we got one down and one to go but but we but we need to do something. We can’t expect the Euros to to to make a mistake in this this stage of the match. Bench, it’s time for him to to make a putt. The bottom line, he’s just going to have to put a good stroke on it. Bryson’s got a good opportunity. His is a little bit more up the hill with not as much break. So Bryson’s got a probably a better opportunity of the two of them. away in the distance, the the 17th tower is there quite tantalizing actually and all of the spectators up there probably desperately hoping that uh that they see some of this drama up there. So, Griffin to play first practice strokes. We’re going to head to Ian very shortly, but just let’s see what Griffin does here. Then Griffin for birdie for the United States. And it rolls by on the right. Two birdie chances missed. Going to go to Ian with the last match when we get a chance, but I suspect he’s still on his way up the hill to the to the top of the 15th. That one Sean just rolling by on the right hand side. I mean, just just another fantastic fight. Great speed, pretty good line. It just didn’t fall in for him. He’s got to be a little bit disappointed with that, but it was a it was really a great effort. So Tommy Fleetwood, what a story he’s had this year. with that disappointment after disappointment after disappointment and then it all coming together and the extraordinary scenes when he won the FedEx Championship when of course Justin Rose was there on the balcony to welcome him in and congratulate him. And here they are now together playing in the RDER Cup on the 16th green as the sun just comes out weakly again bursting through the cloud and Tommy Fleetwood from 15 ft for Birdie. Bryson Dshambo still has to put but Fleetwood now he’s given it enough. He’s hauled it. It rattled him with authority. I mean what a confident stroke that was. I mean, that was just a beautiful, beautiful pace to make it. Again, with Rose being close, it was easy for him to kind of give a little extra speed and hold the line. And he gets a kiss. He gets a kiss from Justin Rose. A hug and a kiss on those beardy bristles of his. And uh, wa, look at that. He’s just trying to calm himself now, Sean. I can see that, you know, that that moment, that explosion there. And he’s still, you know, still work to be done. And of course, D Shambo can still hold this from a civil array. You know, there’s there’s a certain half point there if he doesn’t make this putt. So, Bryson will be giving it a giving it a run pretty pretty confidently. He’s taking a little extra time than he normally does, but Dambo places that ball ever so carefully, moves his marker away, steps and looks at it from behind. Dshambo has to hold this otherwise Europe will be two up with two to play and guaranteed at least half a point from this match from probably 18 ft. Dshambo. The ball is headed towards the hole for the United States for Dshambo. and he moved after it but it just moved away on the left and Europe win the hole and are two up and Sha will head straight back down the course to Ian Carter. Yes, we’re on the 15th. Two balls have found the green. Both Rory Maroy and Patrick Can they have got good looks at birdie to come. Awfully difficult pit shot for Shane Lowry after missing the green to the right. Big fall off there and Sam Burns from the left hand bunker now playing an elevated punko shot that just grabs beyond the hole. Overcooked it slightly. We’ve seen a lot of bunker shots that have flown that little bit further and he’s going to be left with 8 ft for park. Yeah, just came in a little low on the face. Flew it a little bit too far, but he was with um where Cantley is in. He could be pretty aggressive with that. Now Shane Lowry, he um I think he’s just walked up onto the green and had a little joke with Rory that he’s got nothing. He’s dead. It’s about 20 ft below the level of surface on mud, walkway mud. Um on a slight downs slope to a pin that’s got about 6 ft onto the fringe. So this is just trying to give himself some kind of chance. Probably trying to just hold it and let Rory take over if he doesn’t go in. Here he goes. and he’s made good contact, but it’s gone way over the hole and it’s running and trundling all the way to the very front edge of the green. Runs off the green and that’s probably the best he could do from there. That was impossible. Yeah, he had nothing. The the only the only thing he could do was fly it into the hole. It was the green all runs away from him. Absolutely no choice. Mind the overall situation. Europe leading by four points to two. They led 3-1 from the morning session. Two matches have gone so far in the afternoon. One of them to Europe, one of them to the United States. And this match is all square. This match absolutely crucial you feel. And poor old Shane Lowry. He’s had to climb up that 20 or so feet up onto the putting surface. And now he is ready to uh take his wedge out. And the wags I think I think the the beer has taken its its effect. We’re we’re getting shouts of, “Come on, Shane, get on with it.” Poor poor bloke. I mean, he does get on with it, but he’s had some long ways to go, but actually Rory Mroy is saying, “You just hold fire. I’ll go. I’m ready. And some of the New Yorkers, they’re giving him their own advice on what the line is. He’s very good at blocking this sort of thing out when he needs to.” Well, at least that’s the New York crowd that’s finally coming alive. It’s It’s not too original, but it’s not going to affect Rory at this stage. I wonder if he’s encountered this with the VR headset on in preparation. And he’s down on his hunches now. And there is a semblance of peace around this green here. And he is a study of concentration. This put is around about 20 ft, 18 ft, something like that. Camp has a marginally shorter birdie putt to come. The match is all square. We’re on the 15th green. And here he is putting through his own elongated shadow. The ball on its way, heading into the sunlight, turning from left to right. Has it got the legs? Has it got the legs? No, not quite to hold its line. And it just dribbles a couple of inches to the right of the hole. Fantastic effort, but it’s only a par four. Yeah, it’s really good put as you can see. Just lost its pace. It needed a couple more revolutions to hold its line and go in, but just fell short. Disappointing. There was a great chance. So now the Americans are going through the same routine as they went before, trying to get the the half first before Cample goes for the the winning putt. And I can’t help feeling that backfired a little bit on the previous screen. Well, given um Camp’s put, it’s not It is quick, but it’s not too much to worry about in terms of pace wise. So, I’m a little bit surprised that they’re going through the hassle of Samburn’s trying to make this, but he he’s missed it anyway. Well, he has missed the power putt. So, it’s going to be Patrick Camplay to win this hole. But we’ll go to John now. Just to tell you, Ian, the Europeans have played their T-shots at 17. Both Rose and Fleetwood are on the green. One back left, one back right with the flag cut towards the front. And the first American T-shot is on the front of the green, 20 ft away. Europe two up in this match with these two holes to play. So guaranteed half there for Europe. And it’s sounding good that they can get the job done and take Luke Donald side 52 ahead. This is the match that’s really in the balance here. All square, but Campe with a 15-footer. Little bit of left to right on it. And this 15-footer would take the Americans one up. Yeah, a little bit easier put than he’s had on some of the others. He’s seen a little bit of what Rory’s does. And uh just waiting for somebody behind the green who’s still walking to kind of distracting him. We saw how distracted he got on the last, but this is a bit more freer chance at hitting this one. This to win the hole. Here’s the practice putt. Now the putt ahead is behind the ball. 15 ft for Patrick Canme to go one up with three to play. 15th green. Study of concentration. His eyes boring down on that little white ball. Willing it as it starts its journey to disappear. It looks good. It’s up to the hole, but it peels away like Maroy did. And both players missing their birdie chances. We remain all square. We go ahead to the 17th and John that Bryson Dshambo has hit the the best ship T-shot of the four at the 17th. It’s not over yet. He’s hit it to probably seven ft. That is a terrific shot from Djambo. So both Europeans actually in saying that Fleetwood just off the back left of the green but rose back right but looking down on Bryson Dshambo’s key shot. I mean, that is a that is a terrific effort under pressure, Sean. But maybe too late. It’s never too late. Is it never too late? It might be in a minute. He’s I mean, look, he’s obviously got to make this put, but it but if he can grind away and scratch at a half point, that could make the difference. So, that’s why you keep playing. You grind away. You keep playing until you run out of holes and then you shake the hand of your playing partner and go on and try to figure it out for the next day. That’s all you can do. Yep. Europe guaranteed a half point from this, but as Sean rightly points out, the Americans could yet squeeze a half out of this. And the crowd here around the back of the 17th are doing all they can, Mark. It’s definitely a lot more subdued than I expected. I mean, I expected a lot more. I don’t know if the if there’s a sense that the that the Europeans are playing better. I mean they are winning of course but we haven’t heard the the the roars. We’ve heard a couple but not throughout the golf course. We just haven’t heard that today. Well look forward Mark to hearing them when they’re when they’re noisy. They’ve been noisy when they’ve had a reason to be noisy. That’s probably the best way to put it. Andrew, isn’t it? Yeah. I think we said this earlier. There’s just been no continuity in noisy. It’s like one good thing happens then then they go and lose a hole or tie a hole and don’t get keep the momentum going. You just got to kind of keep it going somehow. Make some putts. It looks like Fleetwood’s making some nice putts there. Rosie’s making some clutch putts. You got to make some 30footers. I’ve seen I’ve seen most of these shots into these greens about 30 ft 20 ft. You got to make some of those just somehow somehow will it in. Well Katrina, that’s the thing. I know you haven’t seen a lot of the Fleetwood Rose match, but Fleetwood clutch put on 14 to take them one up. Clutch putt that you saw here on 16 to take them two up. Yeah, as Andrew said, that’s what you’ve got to do. You’ve got to hold the putts coming down the stretch when you have to. That’s the the difference between just edging one ahead, two ahead, and winning your match. The camera just picked up Luke Donald having a yawn sitting by the side of the green with the Rose Fleetwood match. Maybe he’s just very relaxed, John. Quite possibly not necessarily a word that you would use in the midst of all this. And Justin Rose I mean hearts must be beaten these four players 20 to the dozen. Justin Rose to play first just from just off the back of the 17th green. If he holds this, it’s all over. And it goes uh on it goes down towards the hole. still olive. Oh, and it’s pulled up uh it’s pulled up a good 4 and 1/2 ft short. I think he’d like to have that quite a bit closer than that. I mean, I that was a makeable chip for Justin. Maybe just just mishit it slightly. Tommy Fleetwood, I think will play next. So, there’s Ben Griffin at the front of the green, but I think it is Fleetwood to play next. But, of course, Bryson Dshambo has got this. I mean it is six or seven feet and there is every chance that this match will continue down the 18th mind you in Rder Cup golf it is extraordinary the things that can happen you know unlike you will ever see in any other golfing event you just you just play until you can’t play anymore I mean Bryson is really given this an extra look but his partner Ben Ben has a good opportunity here too so it may not it may not come down to to Bryson but got to have it got to have So Tommy, Fleetwood, it is with Europe two up in this match. Fleetwood has located it from behind and then steps forward and he’s ready now. But this is this is all of 30 ft maybe 35. Fleetwood. I’m not sure he’s given this enough. No, it’s going to pull up short and I’m not sure actually that’ll be conceded either. No, they’re they’re going to make both those guys putt those putts. But I I’m thinking Bryson’s going to make his putt. So I think that’s going to be a new point. But you know, I wouldn’t have to make a 4-footer to win the match. But it’ll be Griffin to play first. And this could be significant again. You know, the match play situation. He’s been quiet Ben Griffin for well certainly longer than he would want in this match. And when it comes to 18, if they are to take it to 18, if he’s able to hold this, then you know that changes the psyche. Oh, absolutely. I mean, just a good solid finish by the Americans could just give him a little bit of momentum for tomorrow. I’m sure they’re trying to figure out who’s going to be paired with who. It’s a big match right here. We really can’t afford to give up a full point. So, with Dambo much closer, maybe six feet, that’s to come. Then Griffin has a put to win the hole and he never threatened it. Missed by a distance on the left hand side. No, he hit he hit that right out of the heel. That was uh that was left all the way. That wasn’t just a bad read. That was that was just a bad putt. So Ben Griffin with his sunglasses on. He does have an eye condition so that’s why he wears his sunglasses. He steps away into the shadows. And now Bryson Dsham. And you will hear this wherever you’re listening to us. Wherever in the UK, if you’re on the course, wherever around the world you’re listening to this, there is going to be an explosion of noise if stroke when this ball drops into the hole from 6 ft for Bryson Dam to win the hole. And this would mean that Europe will go to the 18th T one up in this match. So half point is guaranteed, but the Americans will still have a fighting chance. This to win the hole and take the match to the 18th for Bryson D Champ. Here we go. In it goes. Yes, for the United States. And a punch in the air. Feet wide apart. That’s the X factor. That’s the gladiator that Bryson Dambo is. And they live on. They live on to the final hole. Sean, what a play after after really not playing well the last few holes to step up there on that par three. What a difficult hold that is. And that pin is not really accessible. But it just shows you what he’s made of to keep grinding it out. He’s going to play until the end. Yeah, that was man of steel play from Bryson Dshambo and Fleetwood and Rose’s lead is cut back to one up as they come up the hill now to the 18th T. Well, watching a replay back down here by the 16th green with a big screen. It thought about it, didn’t it? It falls about it did about a 360 or 270, didn’t it, around that hole, but the sheer, you could see a lot of the American team were there. The vice captains, they were arms raised. They were loving that one. And he’s fired up. And we haven’t seen him fired up that that much following him around over the last few. How many balls you can put in your hand will fit in the top of the hole. Three. Okay. So, there’s lots of space in there for the lipins and the bounces. Look at me. It was a great putt. Okay. Awesome. Now I’m thinking I’m going to I’m going to take I’m going to take that mindset. Thank you, coach. Lots of room. Um the final four ball is back down the 16th fairway. This one is all square. So remember Ramen Stroer Striker won three and two against Sheffield and Spawn. Cam Young on his Ryder Cup debut was sensational alongside Justin Thomas as they thrashed Ludvig Oair and Rasmus Hygard six and five. Fleetwood and Rose one up going down 18 and this final match is all square. Ian, it’s tantalizingly poised, isn’t it? And it’s been a real humdinger of a contest. Maybe not quite out of the top draw. I don’t think any of the players would say they’ve played their absolute best, but just the way it’s ebbed and flowed has been incredible. And the longer it’s gone on as we see a fantastic approach shot come in there. And I think that was from Shane Lowry. Absolutely brilliant. Shane Lowry’s put it to 8 ft. He hit from an area that was just a little obscured from us. The both both Americans are in the fairway. And what I was going to say was that this match has has really become Mroy against Kantlay to a large extent. But Lowry coming up with a superb shot there from the right rough and he’ll have a birdia attempt from around about 8 ft. Now, here is Patrick Canly, excuse me. Very dusty down this part of the course. And here he comes. Holds his pose there. Nice balanced swing. Here it comes out of the clear blue sky. Lands in the green. And another lovely shot right into the heart of the back portion of the green. That’s where the flag’s located. And he’s put it to 15 ft. Yeah. Then into the heart of the green. Not taking any chances. going straight at the flag with this bunker over on the right side. But um Sam Burns here is in a very similar position going with probably a wedge, a big wedge, nine iron. Can be very aggressive at that with Cley in the middle of the green. So here comes Burns. Now Mroy more advanced down this hole and will be hitting from the rough down the right hand side but Burns looking to try and get his closer than Lowry’s just 8 ft away from the shadows of the fairway. Just a half swing and then a full explosion through this one’s coming up a little shy. I think it lands in the green and then hops backwards and that’s going to be a good 30 ft away. So next to come Rory Mroy controlling this to this pin position from the right rough. Well, he’s a good 20 yards further down and whilst he is in the rough again, he’s only going to come in with wedge. So I think he can be pretty aggressive with this with these soft greens. American captain Keegan Bradley on his knees here watching just to the right of the green. He’ll be anxious to know what’s happening on the 18th as well with Dashambo’s match. Here comes Mroy and he’s found the green and the ball is just tracking down. Lovely shot and it’s advantage Europe after those approach shots. Both with really good looks at birdie. Cracking shot that coming out the roof just released down to the hole about 12 ft. So Shane’s completely on the opposite side. Rory on this side. Two great chances and closer than the Americans right now. So that big scoreboard mark showing that Europe lead by four points to two. The bottom match is all square. That’s the one we’re watching. The other match that’s out on that golf course has gone to the 18th with Fleetwood and Rose one up on Ben Griffin and Bryson Dashambo. Raman Straer beating Sheffller and Spawn for Europe earlier on and Cameron Young and Justin Thomas. Real thrashing of Ludvig Ober and Raasmus Hygar. And like the Pi Piper, the two Americans are leading the entourage here up towards the 16th green. Let’s go to 18. said that Bryson Desambo was pumped and it’s his tea shop that is the most weward of the four. John Murray. Yes, Dambo after that absolute outpouring of emotion on the 17th has hit it right right of the fairway into the roof. But the other three men, Fleetwood and Rose for Europe and Ben Griffin, the rookie, are in the fairway. It’s probably the toughest driving hole on the golf course is this one. Just both sides are just flanked with bunkers, you know, and it’s again we’ve got another uphill shot probably playing up 10. So Europe one up playing the 18th here in the evening sunshine on Long Island mark. Okay, we wait for their seconds into the power for 18th and when Mroy and Larry reach this greeny and Carter, they will be very pleased with what they’ve seen. Yes, they will. They will because uh they can see how close their approach shots have been and they can also see that the Americans have longer putts. That one sucked back for Sam Burns. He’s going to be first to putt. Of course, he’s a very, very dangerous putter. Right up there on the putting stats is the tall American from Louisiana. Patrick Kentley is prowling over his putts. Both Americans have the opportunity to go first. They can strike a psych psychological blow. Yeah, this put from Sam Burns is got quite a bit of break on feeding right to left, but uh Patrick Canley is the one I’d be more worried about. That’s a little straighter. Put him slightly up the hill. Great opportunity the way he’s been rolling it. These greens, they they don’t look like they’ve got subtle borrows, but they have foxed the players. They have I’ve been surprised at how many short puts have been missed considering how pure the greens are. I think they’re they’re very very subtle and uh there’s a great the grass has grown throughout the day. They’ve made it be quite tricky. So here he goes then. Samburns from 30 odd feet sends his putt forward towards the hole on the 16th and it stays above ground and Klay walks forward and this will take a while but he had a great chance didn’t he on the 13th or rather the 14th and on the 15th he had a decent chance he’ll want to make this one count. Yeah, this is coming down to the business end of the tournament and he absolutely needs to take any advantage they can. So, he’ll be feeling like he has to do it. With Shane and Rory having two good looks, he’ll feel like a birdie is a must to tie the hole. Two Europeans looking very relaxed. Shane Ral Lowry leaning on his putter with his left arm on his left hip. Lori Maroy staring down at the green almost in exactly the same pose only he’s standing leaning on his right hand and then his teapot with his other arm and he’s actually just swapped it as I literally say that but he’s just looking down at the green just trying to compose himself can play is the man who’s on the move here now gently wipes his hand across the face of the putter and now gets into his address position. Just the one swing of the putter to get the feel of the pace. And now he’ll gently widen his stance. He’ll shuffle those feet. 1 2 3 4. One foot after the other. And now he’s ready to go. This for a birdie for the Americans. Can sends it towards the hole. He likes it. Yes. Straight in. Birdie for Klay. loads the pressure onto Maroy and Lowry with their birdie chances to come as we go to 18 and John Murray. Well, Fleetwood, Griffin and Rose all in the fairway and it’s Fleetwood to play first from almost the middle just slightly left of center and the raised green in front of this massive grandstand behind me. This noisy grandstand that’s where Fleetwood is aiming with his approach shot. He steps away to his left. Oh, wonderful shot over the hole. It spins back and he’s hit it to four feet. What a shot. These guys have really piggybacked off each other really, really well. And what a what a what a way to finish off the last five or six holes. Brilliant play, Fleetwood. Back to Ian and Rory Mroy with his everlengthening shadow here in a green that is bathed in sunshine. This is 10 ft. This for a birdie for the half on its way in. It goes clench fist. Nerveless from Maroy. Now this match is hitting the heights as the 16th is halved in birdie threes. Two holes to go. Nothing to separate them. All square going to the 17th. Goodness. Amazing stuff. Fantastic. He uh about two feet with it with two feet left to go. He was walking that one in and it was great to see how much emotion came out of Shane then. He was feeling it. Yeah. Great stuff there and and I think that Lowry, the quality of his approach freed up Mroy there with his putt as we go back to John. Thrilling stuff here. One hole in it for you and we’re all square with two to go. Well, after that brilliant approach from Tommy Fleetwood, now it’s Justin Rose and that’s right on line as well. That lands over the hole and that spins back as well. And that’s not much further away than Fleetwood. These these two players, it’s just remarkable the way that they’re keeping the ball next to the hole. I mean, that’s how you play the game. Proper distance. Give yourself every opportunity to make a putt. I mean, what a shot. And you’re going to have to pull do something really special here. Well, the Americans, remember, have got to win this hole. And with the Europeans there, well, as Shan McKil says, Ben Griffin or Bryson Dshambo has got to do something quite spectacular. Probably hold this. Griffin to play first. Up it comes into the shadows. That also lands beyond the hole. That spins back, but it spins back wide of the hole. And that is to within 7 ft. That’s what you come to expect when you come to a Rder Cup to see these guys hit shots like that. And with absolute bedum behind us here, Bryson D Shampol after a massive T- shot that missed the fairway on the right hand side, but is way beyond the other three players. Bryson Dshamong. I can only see the top quarter of his body. So I can see the blue, the solid blue of the upper part of his shirt. And he sends the ball up towards the hole but short. That hasn’t made the green. That is on the on the grassy bank down there. And it does look now as though it does look as though victory is almost inevitable on the 18th for Fleetwood and Rose. But not quite, Ian. Not quite. And this one well and truly in the balance. We’re definitely going to the 18th as Canle did this morning with Xander Schalay. Won the last two holes and that was good enough to take the lone point for the United States in the morning session. Here’s Sam Burns to the par three 17th hitting his T-OT. Has it got enough to get to the green? Yes, it has. That’s superb from the American and he’s put it to 5 ft. The match really is hitting the heights. He’s been absolutely dialed on this back n with his iron play. That’s straight at it under the hole. Perfect shot. Absolutely applying all the pressure back on Europeans. Absolutely. The 16th hold was uh shared in birdies to keep it all square. Fever pitch excitement here. Thousands upon thousands. The the 17th hole is a stadium in its own right. And as we look away to the left of the green, we can see all the way down the 18th to the pack grand stand there as well. This is big time sport. Really big time sport. And now Patrick Kante on this par three. Couple of hundred yards. What is it today? 179 yds. And he is ready to go with his T-shot again. Doing that little shuffle of his feet. Just as much to get comfortable as much to get comfortable mentally. You feel not a cloud in the sky now as he flips this one on its way heading up towards the green. The pin in the back left corner. The ball lands in the far right corner. Lengthy birdie chance to come up to 18. John Bryson Dshambo who was in the bunker just to the right of the 18 screen. Splashed it out. I mean an excellent shot but he had to hold it. It’s irrelevant that shot really. And now it’s going to look to me it looks like Justin Rose is going to have the first opportunity to win this match for Europe. Yeah, I thought it might be Griffin to play first actually. Anyway, they’re still deciding Ian. So, here on 17, it’s Shane Lowry next to play. Camp’s T-shot finishing up to the right portion of the green. He’s got about a 30footer for Birdie. Here comes Lowry looking for a good approach. He’s willing the ball to get up to the green and it does. It finds the green just inside Kentlay’s ball just to the right of the flag. That gives Maroy license to go flag hunting. Yeah, that’s pretty safe shot there. Just taking the front miss and that slope out of play. So, they won’t be too happy with it, but it’s in a good position. And so, Mroy, the fourth of the four to hit his T-shot. This match all square. The last match on the course at the end of what’s been an extraordinary first day to the 45th RDER Cup. America beaten heavily in the forsomes and really fighting in the four balls here. Maroy thinks that one’s going a little bit to the right and the ball lands just to the right of the flag and it’s a great shot from Maroy. He’s got a good look at Birdie. So all four players on the green at 17. What’s happening at 18? Up on the 18th green, Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood who are one up. What the Americans need here is for both Rose and Fleetwood to miss their puts and Griffin has to hold it. What an opportunity Justin won in my hometown about 3 four weeks ago at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. I know he’s loving this opportunity and he won with the ultimate class as well as he so often shows. So Rose for Birdie on the 18th right in the middle and he turns as he did two years ago in Italy when he pointed at his teammates. This time he points at just one of them. Tommy Fleetwood Europe win one up on the 18th and there’s a body bump there. Handshakes between the rookie Ben Griffin. He provided some moments but Bryson Dshambo beaten for the second time today despite his efforts. And now it’s hugs all round. Rose and Fleetwood and the Caddies. What a win for this new partnership. Don’t forget. And here they are now together finally. They put their arms out. They walk towards one another and there’s a huge embrace and smiles all over the faces of two of Europe’s most popular golfers, Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood. Winners together. What a victory. Well, who would have thought that after the first 12 or 13 holes that the excitement would build in the last four or five holes? It’s just it’s typical Europe. It grinded all the way to the end. What a finish. I mean, what an absolute finish. And that just shows you at 45 years of age, Jesse Rose is still world class. Yeah. Winning the 18th. So a two-hole win, two up on the 18th. And that makes the match score 52 Europe with Mark. Just one match out on the course now. And I’ll go and see if I can speak to the to the victorious duo. Okay. Thank you. Here on 17. You just wonder Katrina, don’t you? As all four players approach their balls, the big scoreboard right behind the 17 goes blue for Europe alongside Fleetwood and Rose. And you wonder whether that just ramps it up a little bit on Burns and Canley in particular. Yeah, they’re going to be desperate to try and get this full point, not just get a half match and a half point. They want the full point here to tie the session 22 this afternoon. I have to say I think there are a lot more Europeans here than we maybe thought there would be. here in Carter. They are vocal. They are. They’re really making their voice heard. I think the majority of them are here watching this match and they recognize just how important it is. And Patrick Klay has stalked his putt. So, let’s give you the distances. I’m going to say 30 ft here for Patrick Kandlay, 26 ft for Shane Lowry, 12 ft for Rory Mroy, and 6 ft for Sam Burns. All will be hoping for glory. All will be hoping for a birdie to break the deadlock and make will make them get will earn an unassalable lead going to the last. Can they first to go over it now? 30 odd feet putting all the way through the shadows. Lingering glance at the hole. That shuffle once again. I’ve spent all day watching him shuffle before he hits his putt. He’s really come up trumps for his country so far today. And this ball is on its way. It’s missing to the right. It was perfect for length. That will be conceded par three for the American. And Shane was right in behind there watching the entire roll of that. He’s on a very similar line. Maybe three four feet closer. He’s fantastic opportunity here. Yeah, that can only that can only help if you’ve got that opportunity to be able to hit having seen the line and Shane Lowry would love to ignite things for Europe right here. He absolutely would and he’s been quiet but he’s known for big moments and this is perfect for him right here. Don’t really want to have to rely on Rory from 12 ft but two good chances here. Overall score now Europe 5, America 2. Brilliant opening day for Luke Donald’s side. And it could get even better with this match. Just the one defeat this afternoon coming from Ludvig Oberg and Rasmus Hoygard beaten by Cameron Young who is brilliant. Six and five played with Justin Thomas. That’s the only point for the United States. Captain Luke Donald arrives here to watch Shane Lowry looking for his birdie. sends the ball on its way again all the way through shade towards the hole and shaves the right edge. Really great effort from Shane Lowry. He’s absolutely flabbergasted that hasn’t moved. He’s just watched Patrick Kentley hit the same putt and he’s made the same mistake just leaving it up high. But it was a good roll. Unfortunate. Now it’s time for Rory to step up. See if he can put the pressure right back on Sam Burns. Well, he hold a good one at 16. He did. And this has not got a whole lot of break on it. problem he does have is the shadows from the crowd are moving across his line and we’re not a million miles from it. But I think if everyone holds their position then he’s all good. But it hopefully won’t put him off. Candly standing at the back of the green, both hands on his hips. He’s done his bit and he knows that Sam Burns has got a really good look at Birdie. Sam Burns holding his hand up, calling for order here. Lone stray shouts from New Yorkers. Mroy doesn’t seem interested. Sends the ball on its way. This for Birdie and in. Oh, Rory Mroy. Sensational. Backto back birdies. And it means that Europe cannot be behind going into the final hole here. A birdie too. And absolutely no emotion on his face. A little smile, eventually a grin from Shane Lowry and he heaps the pressure onto Sam Burns. Talk about big putts. Cometh the man, cometh the moment. That was amazing. And Shane Lowry jumping off his feet onto the green to come and give him a low five. Roy just stands off as if it’s just nothing. Delighted to be going down. Put the pressure right back on Sam Burns here. Golf of the highest octane. Absolutely sensational stuff. And Sam Burns now has to respond for the United States. The last few holes here have been absolutely spellbinding in this match. One hole to go after this and this six-footer has to drop for Sam Burns otherwise the Americans will be one down with one to play after that brilliant putt from Rory Mroy. So Burns knocks it forward and in and in right on the left edge and this match has got exactly what it deserved. The fact that it’ll go to the 18th with all results possible. It’s all square. Glorious stuff. The last two holes have been halved in birdies. Brilliant stuff. Sam Burns holds his nerve. Rory Mroy with his birdie. Absolutely brilliant. With all your experience of of the Solhine Cups and everything else that you have been involved with Katrina and what you have won, you must still marvel at what we are watching. Oh, it’s fantastic, isn’t it? It’s golf at the highest level under the most extreme pressure and they’re knocking in birdies putt after putt, you know, following each other in. It’s just fantastic. It’s great fun to watch. The sheer Andrew McGee, the sheer consistency of Maroy on the last two holes to drain the birdie putts that he’s had knowing that his opponents are either in the hole in can they or a lot closer in burns. The mental fortitude of Rory Mar is just on display. I mean, he is not going to let his team lose. And you can tell when he’s talking to the press in the media center, he’s going to lead this team and he’s saying he is. And actually Ian Carter, who I think you’re probably a little bit further down this 18th because I’m back at the back of the scrum, you’ve watched Patrick Canle all day and you have to say the same thing about him, don’t you? Gutsy. So so gutsy. You You can only have the utmost admiration for this American in the RDER Cup context. Yeah, I know he divides opinion among an awful lot of golf fans for the pace of his play and for some of his obstinence about certain issues around the game and you know the way that he was perceived to have been involved in a campaign for payment for play. But my goodness me, he’s earning every penny that he’s getting right now. It’s a he’s a fantastic competitor. He really is. And we heard that, didn’t we, when we spoke to them at the end of his win with Xander Schaeoff and they both of them they just said I said what what’s going to be the feeling in the American camp and they both just said fight and that’s what we’ve seen from certainly Camp May and Burns today uh in this uh match this afternoon. It’s been absolute classic golf. And so we come down the 18th into a fairway that is bathed in evening New York sunshine, but to a green that is in the shadows up ahead where I would imagine everybody who has played so far is around that green waiting to welcome these final these final four men home. A lot of the Americans are actually waiting by the 18th T. Up ahead on that 18th green. John Murray. Yes. Uh we have the men who won on the 18th, Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood. I think uh Tommy, a lot of modern Rder Cup watchers will probably feel that their experience wasn’t complete until they watched you two play together and it all came together. Yeah, of course. I just said um you know so close the two of us and um I’ve dreamt of the opportunity to play with Justin Rose in a Radic Cup for a very long time and uh to have got to do that this afternoon. uh very proud to be by his side and on top of that you know I was just you know staring down the 18th fairway there that’s the dream come true for us and uh to get that point contribute to the team uh you know to the total that we know we want to get to uh means a lot but it was great being out there with him and he was amazing. Yeah. To win it on the on the 18th, Justin, in the way that you did, I have to say it put me in mind of two years ago when you pointed out all of your teammates. Today, you just pointed out the the one man and also, you know, to to be there in the way that you were when Tommy won the FedEx title and now to do this together today. Yeah, it was special day. I think um you know, we like Tommy said, we’ve been looking forward to it for a while. You know, it’s been hard to wrestle him off some other great partners and uh but to get the opportunity today um was huge. And you know, Tommy sent me a lovely text yesterday that he was going to be excited for the afternoon no matter what happened in the morning and he’d be ready and, you know, couldn’t wait to stand up and uh celebrate a point together on, you know, late Friday afternoon. And to see our name in blue is um, you know, it’s a it’s a big moment and a great feeling. And um, yeah, listen, Tommy stepped up massively today. He kept me well, we kept each other going, but I mean, head up all the way. We kept saying the right things to one another. We were a pretty relentless team. Yes. You excited a lot of people together today. Well done. Thank you. We loved it. Thank you. There you go. Just absolutely honestly, Mark, the uh you can it’s it’s it’s absolutely bursting out of them their their pleasure and pride at what they’ve done together today. It’s all part and parcel of it, isn’t it? Not only how they’ve performed, but actually the opportunity to be together as a pair in this afternoon’s four balls. It’s now all about the T-shotss that are coming down 18 Ian Carter. We’ve seen three of them. Now we’re watching Rory Mroy as he tries to launch his T-shot. Looks like it’s going to be hitting the fairway and it does. It’s a fine shot. So two balls are on the fairway. Patrick Kentlay and Rory Maroy. Sam Burns is in the right semi- rough and off to the left. We’re down the right hand side. So we can’t see whether it’s gone into rough or one of the bunkers down the left hand side. But Shane Lowry with the most weward of the four T-shots. We’re going to yump up now to get behind the green so that we can see those approach shots come in. Mark. Okay, we’ve got ourselves on the wrong side of the fairway here, haven’t we, Katrine? I think we need to try and yump up as says to get to this green so we can see what’s happening up at the greenway to try and see the shots coming in. All right, we’ll keep we’ll yump up here and see where we can uh we’ll see where we can get it. I suggest we don’t y across the 18th fairway at this precise moment given how dramatic it is. And as we uh come up, I can see several of the American uh assistant coaches and maybe a couple of players there as well. There’s some of the American buggies with the American wives on as well. The Europeans just away to our right. Terrell Hatton right at the front of the green here waiting for Maroy and Lowry to come up. Alistister Bruce Ball, I think you’re at the back of the 18th grand stand, aren’t you? Yes, it’s it’s quite subdued at the back here, Mark. It’s still quite a full grand stand, but as you say, I’m I’m I’m looking from the other angle to you, so I can just see the backs of the European players gathered as a team, the likes of John Rahm and Tier Hatton and Victor Hland waiting for everyone else to come up through the shade into the sunshine towards this 18th green. Quite a sight and quite a day it’s been. It really has. In the midst of yoing, we nearly got hit by Luke Donald’s bgie that just came up behind us. And it sounds an obvious thing here, Ian, but what an important 5 minutes this could be for the whole of the RDER Cup. Remember, it’s 52. It’s all square. We could end today 62 Europe, 53 Europe, 5 1/2, 2 and 1/2. That is the most obvious thing I’ve said. No, but it’s it’s the most pertinent thing you’ve said as well. Actually, an awful lot of what you’ve said has been very pertinent, Mark. obviously all day long, but it’s a very very good point you make because this match with all three possible outcomes and certainly if it was 53 to Europe, that would feel a whole lot better for the United States than trailing 6-2 because 6-2 would mean comprehensive victories for Europe in both of the opening sessions away from home and that would take an awful lot of recovering from and it’s just hard over four sessions to keep that going. So, you want to eek out every point, every half point you can when you have the chance. And uh you know, from a European perspective, if they did end up losing this game, it would be a pretty big loss. Um and and certainly hurt. So, uh you know, they’re going to be needing to do something special down here. I’m not sure. We’re looking down back now. Shane’s I think it might have crept into the bunker. Um so, it’s not in a good position, but Rory’s going to have to stand up and uh do something special. stand up and deliver again as he has done throughout this match. It’s been a brilliant performance from Makoy. Actually, it has. He’s uh delivered all the way. He’s got off to a great start. Carried Shane for a little bit. Shane had a little wobble in the middle, but he’s sort of hung in there, but he’s really followed through in this last couple of holes. Just stood up when it really counted. And Larry walking up now and just joining his caddy. Darren Reynolds bends down, takes the water bottle from his bag. He’s going to take a big swig of water. It’s a sultry evening now. Much of the day’s heat still evident here. Everyone just sort of caked in a layer of perspiration. It feels like they’ve made their way around here. Looks like it’s in the rough down the left hand side rather than in the bunker judging by the way that he’s looking at his yardage, but where he’s standing to do that. And if it it looks like that now, if it is in the rough, he’s actually got the best angle of all four of the players. Um, so he’s he’s just got to get it tight to this right hand side, engage the distance, which is not easy coming up. Green’s probably what 20 feet above the surface of the fairway at least, if not 30, 40 ft. So just you can hear the conversation with his caddy. He is hitting from the rough and the flag is located tight to the right side just four paces off the right edge of the green bunkers to the right and the left. M watches as Lowi composes himself, just shakes his left arm forward before putting that white glove onto the grip of the club where his right hand is. And then into that languid swing, high trajectory, launches it up onto the green, lands on the green, pin high, super shot from Shane Lowry, and he’ll have a look at birdie from around about 22 24 ft. Yeah, just came out a little bit left. He was just giving it the lean. and he was bit trying to be a bit more aggressive from with wedge in his hand, but it’s given him a really good opportunity at Next up for the United States, we have Sam Burns just or is it going to be Patrick Camp? They’re both interested in the ball at the moment. It’s Camplay. Camplay from the left fairway. Burns is just having a couple of rehearsals from the right rough down the right hand side. Oh, and Campley has skewed that one and he has put it in the bunker to the right of the green. Unforced error there. That was a shocker. That’s unbelievable the way he’s been swinging on this back nine. Just feeling the nerves. Just a complete duff with a wedge in his hand from the middle of the fairway. Cardinal sin there. Leaving all the pressure on Sam Burns now coming out this first cut. Rory Maroy beautifully positioned in the middle of the fairway. But before that, from the first cut of rough, the semi- rough down the right hand side, Sam Burns sends his up, responding in a moment of crisis. And that’s a good shot from Burns. Pin high inside Shane Lowry. He’s put it to 12 ft. Yeah, really good shot there coming across the edge of the screen. Quite awkward to get it close on the angle. So, he couldn’t have done a whole lot better there. So, Mroy, Mroy now, who has been brilliant. birdies at 16 and 17. This match all square right at the end of a dramatic first day at the RDER Cup. And he sends it up towards this green, lands on the putting surface, spins back and his is the closest. His is the closest. He’s put it to 10 11 ft. And it’s on the exact same line of Shane Lowry. So he’s going to get a read off of Shane’s first put. So advantage Europe. Wowee. So the players will trudge up. Poor old Cane will be playing his shot from the bunker that is deep deep deep to the right of the of the green, but it’s all about Burns versus Lowry and Mroy here now, isn’t it? Well, you would think so, but match play, you always have to think of the or expect the unexpected. So, it’s um I I remember looking at that bunker on the practice or in before the tournament started, and it is brutal down there. It’s a massive deep bunker with some thick rough around the edges. You would think it is, but you never quite know. You’ve played in a tumultuous atmosphere of an away rider cup. How do you keep your emotions in check? How do you stay in the moment? Well, I mean, that’s what you do as a professional golfer. Every week you have to try and maintain maintain your emotions. But every week isn’t like this. It’s not like this, but it’s the same thing. You stick with your same routines, trying to just stay in the moment, and when you get distracted, you have techniques to try and pull yourself back in, whether it’s breathing or just, you know, looking up in the sky, thinking of something else. And but then the key thing is is when it is your turn to go, you are absolutely focused and you don’t let anything distract you. And everybody’s got their own techniques to try and do that. And these guys are the best of that. The player players have arrived. They’re just uh repairing their pitch marks. They are getting themselves ready to take their putts. But before that, Patrick Klay disappears down into the sand. And he is, we can just see the very top of his cap. and he just climbs up the face of the bunker and peers over the ledge. He’s only got three three and a half paces of green to work with here. He’s got to get it elevated really sharply to get it up and over the lip and then onto the green. And when it lands on the green, it just then trundles down the slope. He’s addressing the ball now. We can see his cap. will see the swish of the club because he’ll take a full back swing here. Wide open face to that sand wedge and now he’s ready to go. Ball emerges, lands on the green and oh it hopped and it danced around the hole and just for a moment just for a moment you thought oh that could disappear. Great shot. He’s put it to three and a half four feet. Just waiting for that second hop to disappear in the hole from our angle. It was perfectly level with the hole, but just missed on the right, but it’s a really good golf shot. And uh, you know, doesn’t really change anything now for Sam Burns. He’s uh going to have to wait for Shane Larry to see where where he lands. Larry next to play. He’s just tapping down a spike mark or a pitch mark, getting things ready. And as you said, Maroy on exactly the same line. So, he’s had to actually move his marker. And Cample is on exactly the same line and he’s moving his marker as well. And actually one moved the marker to the left, the other moved the marker to the right. And that basically says to me, hit it between the markers and you’re not going to be very far away. Got a little gateway. I don’t really think there’s a whole lot on this. It’s slightly back up the hill and they know where the flags were in practice, so they’ve hit this putt. So they’re going to know exactly what it’s going to do. Um, so again, you know, three great looks at it. But, uh, two is better than one. The end of day one of the 45th RDER Cup here at Beth Paige Black on Long Island in New York. Europe taking the first two of the afternoon fourballs. The Americans the third and this the final one in the balance. The score overall, Europe five, the United States two. It’s been a great day. Whatever happens for Europe, but it could turn into one of their greatest days if things go well here. And that would certainly be the case if Larry holds this part. sent it on its way towards the hole. Needs to keep rolling. Does keep rolling, but then the brakes come on and he goes down on his hunches in frustration. He really fancied that. And it just dribbled to the left and I think Mory Mackoy would have rather just given it a fraction more even if it didn’t go in just to see what the ball does around the hole. Yeah, it was bang on line but it was just lacking in pace and it’s now fed off. And now the awkward thing about that is that’s not the pace that Rory’s going to be hitting his put on. So hopefully that hasn’t thrown him off his read. Now this now means that Sam Burns, if he holds this, the Americans can’t be beaten in this match and Maroy would have to hold his for the half. So this is what 12 ft should we say? Yeah, 12 ft. Pretty straight, slightly up the hill. Nothing really to worry about pacewise. just going to be trying to focus on getting a good stroke and staying in position, letting it roll all the way into that ball. The last 90 minutes of this match has been unrelenting tension and drama. What’s left? What’s left? What’s the final twist? Burns looking for Birdie and misses. Misses to the right edge. And now the man of the moment, Rory Maroy. And he is ready to go. Now, I didn’t see him put his marker back. Did you? Um, I didn’t. Um, but I’d like to think he has. No one’s saying anything. No. Um, I was actually just focused on Sam Burns has play that rolled as it lost pace. It went to the right and was trying to see at what point it dove to the right. So, I’m not quite sure, but it seems like everyone else is pretty happy with it. Well, likewise. I just want to put it out there that I didn’t see. That doesn’t matter if it if it happen if it if it happened. But anyway, I’m sure it did. I’m sure it did. And this to win this for 6-2. This for one of Europe’s greatest days at the Ryder Cup in the United States. And Mroy is the only person here who can’t see or hear these lone shouts that are coming from the crowd. He’s ready. and he sends it on its way heading towards the hole and it misses to the left and he tosses his putter into the air in frustration. The caps come off and it’s a halved match and I think that’s the right result. It’s been drama all the way. It deserved a crowning moment but we didn’t quite get it. An honorable half, a really really good effort from all concerned and a fine fine day for Europe. They end it leading by five and a half points to two and a half. Yeah, it was a great battle backwards and forwards and whilst it was two against well one one-on-one for a large part of it, the other guys played their part and at the end I thought Rory was just going to come through and finish with two birdies but a tie is a great result and what a great day for Europe. Really fantastic Mark. Uh three-point advantage away from home after day one. They’ll be thrilled to bits with that. Could have been half a point better but not to be. What what an 18 holes they have put out. Canlay and Burns and Maroy and Larry. And the one thing I would just say at the end of that is Ian, it was a few hours ago that we were back here together watching Patrick Canle win that Forsome that he was in at the bottom of the first set of matches that were out today. So, he’s gone 18 holes twice today. Yes. Yeah. Full 36. So, I’m just getting myself in position here to be able to try and get a chat with uh with the the two players. Yeah. Yeah, I can go. Yeah. Here we go. Yeah. Rory Shane, I’m just going to grab grab the microphones there. Mixed feelings, I’m sure, at the end of that, Rory, but what a hell of a match. Yeah. No, it was great. Um, absolute honor to partner with this man again and get out there and, you know, we we got half a point. You know, obviously right now disappointed I didn’t hold that for a full point, but um, you know, it’s been a great day for Europe. You know, we’ve come out of the gates really strong like we wanted to and um, yeah, we should be really proud of ourselves. Shane, that’s the key thing, isn’t it? Overall, the situation for Europe is is fantastic away from home on day one. Yeah, absolutely. And like, you know, obviously Rory and I feel like we could have got a full point there. Um and but you just have to sit back and look at the look at the positives. Uh great day for Europe. Great start. Exactly what we wanted. We would have taken your hand off for this this morning on the first se. So uh you know a lot of work done but a lot more to do over the next two days. Rory, it got lively out there this afternoon. What was it like to play in that atmosphere? Yeah, I mean uh it, you know, what we sort of expected, you know, it was it was rowdy and and lively and um they made it difficult for us, you know, but I felt like Shane and I we we handled that really well and dug in and um you know, made some good swings and good putts when we needed to. Well, congratulations on what was a great match. Commiserations on not quite getting the result you wanted. Thanks, guys. Rory Maroy and Shane Lowry there as they head off to do their television duties. Katrina Matthew alongside me. Ollie Wilson will be alongside Ian as well somewhere at some point and Shawn McKill is with us as well. I mean Rory’s got nothing to be disappointed about, has he? Given how he’s played both morning and afternoon. Absolutely not. I mean he hold great putts there in 16 and 17. Absolutely. He’s going to be disappointed. He had the chance had the chance on the 18th to get that full point and but when he looks back in it maybe, you know, 10 15 minutes, he’ll be he’ll feel a bit better. He played great today. It wasn’t as if he missed one from 2 and 1/2 ft at the end. No, I mean I was out with him this morning and I thought that was one of the best rounds of golf I’ve seen between two players and alternate shot. I mean they him and Tommy Oh yeah, they played extremely well and I didn’t get to see much of the second match, but yeah, what an opportunity he had there, but the Americans really needed a half point and this it’s slipping away quickly. It’s still a lead that Luke Donald would have snapped your hand off for at the end of the first day, isn’t it? Five and a half, two and a half. 100%. If someone had said to him, we’ll give you 5 and 1/2, 2 and 1/2, and you don’t need to play, he’d have snapped your hand off and taken that. I mean, anytime away from home, I mean, you just seen they haven’t once. And you know, no teams have won for 20 years away from home. So, I mean, five and a half, two and a half lead after the first day, it’s a dream start. It really is. The team leading at the end of day one has gone on to win the last five rider cups. That dates back to 2012 in Madina when USA were 53 up uh at the end of day one. Europe have gone on to win the last six times that they have led after day one. So that’s 2002, 2004, 2006, 2014, 2018, and 2023. And last time as they blare the music out here, Ian, that they led after day one and went on to lose was 1999. Their first lead in America after day one since 2004. I hope all those numbers and all those stats. Don’t curse it, but it just highlights what they have done today. And it highlights what we were saying in the buildup. Mark, the importance of the foroms to get off to that start. It gave Luke Donald the license to play everyone. Everyone has been blooded. Europe have built a really, really good lead here away from home. Three points ahead after the first day. You know, with all the height that was coming, I think it’s going to be super lively tomorrow. It really is. And America will be trying to rally themselves. But I think very quietly and very calmly Luke Donald will feel very, very satisfied. He knows the statistics bear out that that’s the start that was needed to give an a great probability of a successful defense of the trophy. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. But you he’d have snapped your hand off for that at the start of the day. I I came back several times during both sessions to us Ollie at the range watching them yesterday and you coming away from that saying, you know, talk to a few people, watch them. You thought there was a real steel and a real belief about them. And I think at times today, even when it might have got tricky and they had they had to dig in a little bit, they did. There was lots of that. But what I saw was in the reactions when they did something big, they didn’t actually celebrate as much as I sort of expected them to do that. And I think that’s just showing the underlying confidence that’s within this team. Alex Orin live with John Murray. Yes, we can get a word from the uh the captaincy department. Alex, if you like. What a day that was for Europe. Yeah, it’s unbelievable. I’m so proud of the guys to come out here and play like that. It’s amazing to see. That’s what I was looking forward to the most to to play under under these conditions and and do what they did. The plan coming together and I know it’s only the end of the first day, but the plan coming together in Italy was one thing, brilliant, but h for the plan to come together thus far in America is a different thing, isn’t it? Yes. I mean, we got a long ways to go, but I think it was a first a great first day. Um, I mean, I’m super excited for tomorrow and and uh like I said, it it’s how they played today and how this last match turned out. That’s that’s what we’re looking forward to. Great. I’ll let you get back into the team room. Thanks, Alex. Yeah, Robbie. I’ve just bumped into Robbie Fowl. We’re on the 18th green as we’re walking up. What do you say to me? What a day that was. Oh, it’s brilliant. I think um I mean if you just woke up this morning and said you’re going to be leading by three points on the first day, you’re taking out all day. Um yeah, I love today. Uh largely quiet in the morning. A few little sporadic cheers in the afternoon from the American crowd. So um yeah, I mean Europe have kept it quiet which has been a brilliant day for us, isn’t it? Is this your first Ryder Cup in First Rider Cup? First Ryder Cup in America. Yes, it’s my first Ryder Cup. Uh I mean so it’s not a bad start, is it? Long long may continue. Do I’ve asked some of our golfers on on this on our team as well and you at the level that you have played in the the the goals you have scored, the trophies you competed for, the penalties you’ve taken, do you marvel at what those golfers do on both sides? Uh yes, I mean I’ve played I’ve been lucky enough to play close hand with them as well and obviously you know that there’s a pressure situation in terms of what they’re doing now and uh I mean look I admire sportsman anyway cuz they work hard at the job and you know they’re unbelievable. Uh and yeah, you take your hats off them because they’re They’re incredible, aren’t they? Are you here tomorrow? Here Sunday. I’m here tomorrow. Yes. I’ve got to go home, though. I’m missing my daughter’s birthday, so the wife’s not too happy. Right. If Europe’s still leading the end tomorrow, you’re going to try and wangle an extra day. You know what? I’m looking forward to getting home. I’ll watch the final on on the television. So, you can probably see a bit more there, can’t you? You can actually. Or listen on the radio, Robbie. And that as well. And that. So, but I mean I mean what you can watch it, but listen to the radio. You’re on brand. See you soon, Robbie. Thank you, Robbie Farer with us on Five Live Sport. Meanwhile, the rest of the team have disappeared up a up a hill. Um, for people listening and they’ll be with us until the half hour and then and then we’re finishing today. When do we find the next loss out? Uh, well, that’s the they’ve got an hour now uh to to come up with their pairings for tomorrow. Same sequence of matches. Foursomes in the first session, four balls in the afternoon. I would think the captains will have a very good idea of what they’re going to do, but clearly Keegan Bradley’s got an awful lot more to think about than Luke Donald in the sense that he’s got to turn the the initiative and the momentum in the opposite direction. What from from his point of view and and and when he’s looking at his American troops, what Kantlay and Young are the two biggest positives for him? I would say they’ve been the two standouts. I mean, I think Young without a doubt is going to be played tomorrow morning. Um, he’s still going to put Sheffller out again, world number one. You’ve got to hope he’s going to hold a few more putts, but um I think he’ll mix up some of his force impairings definitely for tomorrow. Would you put Sheffler out again first thing tomorrow morning? You wouldn’t rest him tomorrow. No, I’d put him out again. Um he’s he’s just too good a player. You just never know. I mean, he that back n I was watching his match this afternoon and he’s he was starting. He held a couple of putts there in the last couple of holes. So, yeah, you you can’t not play him. The big thing is, Mark, isn’t it, and we said it again in the preview program, the buildup, your big players have to deliver. You know, Mroy has put one and a half points on the board. Sheffller’s put zero points on the board. Dambo zero points on the board. Schoffé has delivered in the morning, but didn’t play in the afternoon. So, you know, that’s where the difference lies. The big guns haven’t delivered for America. They have for Europe. Do you think uh where um Ollie as well that at times today we really saw the experience and and and and by that I mean the number of matches that European players have played in at RDER Cups the number of RDER Cup appearances really Europe Europe you’re up double Europe are 32 compared to the Americans 15 and they’re over double when it comes to just Ryder Cup matches played in 120 something compared to 56 for the states. There’s an experience there. there is an experience there, but it’s it’s hard to say because you know the European team just played really well. Um they I think putting was probably the difference. You look at someone like Scottish Heffler and over four days you’d fancy he’s going to come into his own that some say you can’t imagine he’s going to come if he plays both matches tomorrow you fancy he’s going to do a lot better than he did today. And he he played okay he just didn’t hold anything. But um the US rookies I think will be out in the morning a little bit more because they are tailor made to the foresomes. They’re great ball strikers and they’ll be pumped and ready to try and go out some points. I think the the biggest thing I noticed today was I think they really got into that message Luke Donald was telling them that not to react to the crowd. You never saw them reacting to a crowd. I mean, I would say the crowd was actually way better than I was expecting. But there was still shouting and and different things, but they tend to just look at each other and start laughing. There was no kind of shushing of the crowd or getting the crowd. That was the the biggest thing I think I took away from today. I was I was really surprised at the crowd. I really thought they’d be digging into the European team a lot more than they did. And there was a few shouts on in our game, but nothing to really take your attention away from the golf. Um, but the thing was was the European reaction. They just they were very um calm and collected and just it was almost expected and I think that’s something they probably worked on leading into here so they don’t rile up the crowd as well. Then Shawn McKill what they also did the Europeans was, you know, they lost the first hole of the first match of both sessions today and they shut that down very quickly. They didn’t allow the momentum to build really. There was probably this afternoon maybe an hour, an hour and 20 where Europe didn’t win a hole and you thought well maybe something’s building here but but the Americans didn’t put their foot down and foot to the pedal there either. And you know there there were just too many misplayed iron shots. I’ve kind of I’ve kind of said that ad nauseium today. But the one thing I took away from the American play was particularly their iron game. I mean that the course is wide. They hit plenty of fairways. They they lagged the ball well. They got the ball up and down if they missed the green. They just didn’t have enough close birdie putts. And you know particularly in in for ball you you you have to have birdies. you have to to put a score on the board. Um, alternate shots kind of a different animal. And we watched Rory and Fleetwood shoot 500, which was a an amazing round of golf, but you know, look, getting off to a good start got everybody got the crowd riled up and they go, “Here we go.” And then all of a sudden, the European team tamed that pretty quick. So, I was really impressed with the way the European team handled the crowd. Everyone’s right. You know, there there wasn’t a whole lot of shouting. Um, it was a pretty benign crowd, very respectful for the most part. We heard some stuff at the end, but but the bottom line is the European team just played better golf and and that and that’s why they’re here. Katrina, I’d be fascinated to know your take now. What will Luke Donald be thinking with such a successful combination this morning in the Forsomes? Does he go with the same pairings and just shuffle up the order and keep grabb Bradley guessing? I’d be surprised if he didn’t go with the three that won. Um he might switch up the other one. Uh but yeah, I think he’ll go with the three that won and switch up the other one a little bit. Hland and McIntyre didn’t play this afternoon. They were the ones who lost this morning. I saw them. They weren’t they weren’t they weren’t brilliant but they were dogged and they took it all the way to the 18th against a very good pairing in Schoffle and and Kantlay. So a tricky one. Yeah, maybe he might put McIntyre and Rose out again. Successful in Rome. You know, Rose go and play Forsims tomorrow morning. I think Bob from the little bit I saw this morning seem to play pretty well. Hit a lot of good shots. What what he has though I mean is he has a lot of options doesn’t he with the way with the way it has gone for them. He has he has a lot of options and a lot of people playing well which is great but I would be really surprised not to see Rosie playing in the forsomes. It’s he’s got the experience he’s playing well and his his game suits forms. So I think he definitely could come in right uh the sun is started to set here at Beth Paige Black in New York at the end of the first day of the 45th RDER Cup in Europe. got off to a flyer this morning in the forsomes as they won that three and one and then this afternoon in the four balls uh it was two and a half uh hang on what was it 1 and a half two and a half uh to Europe so at the end of the first day Europe finished with 5 1/2 the USA with 2 and 1/2 we expect tomorrow morning’s forens to be announced at midnight UK time I think is says Ian Carter. Sometimes in sometime in the next half hour, 40 minutes or so, uh you will hear those on five Live when they are announced. You’ll be able to catch them on the BBC Sport website as well. There are highlights of the first day here at Beth Page Black on BBC television at midnight. You’ll be able to watch those on the eye player as well. And we are underway tomorrow morning. What time What time does it get underway tomorrow morning? 10 10 10 7 10 10 10 7 uh here in New York. So we’ll be on air as normal as it’s a Saturday with Saturday’s five life sport at midday as we combine the golf and all the days of the sport including the football and of course the women’s rugby union world cup final live from Twickenham between England and Canada. What a day today. Tomorrow promises even more. It’s time for the latest BBC News. history at Clarkson.