Rahm & Straka vs Scheffler & Spaun | Friday Four-Balls | 2025 Ryder Cup

Full mach highlights from this Friday Four-Balls Match where Europe’s Jon Rahm & Sepp Straka defeated USA’s Scottie Scheffler & J.J.Spaun 3&2 at Bethpage Black, New York, USA.

Don’t miss a moment of the Ryder Cup! Subscribe now: https://bit.ly/RyderCupYT

Every two years, 24 of the best players from Europe and the United States go head-to-head in match play competition. The European Team are the reigning champions after winning at Bethpage Black in 2025. Drama, tension, incredible golf, camaraderie and sportsmanship are served in equal measure, captivating an audience of millions around the world. It’s an event that transcends sport, yet remains true to the spirit of its founder, Samuel Ryder. The 2027 Ryder Cup is set to take place at Adare Manor in County Limerick.

Keep up to date with the Ryder Cup:
Website: www.rydercup.com
X:  https://x.com/RyderCup
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therydercup/?hl=en
Facebook: Ryder Cup European Team and Ryder Cup USA
TikTok: @rydercupteameurope or @rydercupusa

Ladies and gentlemen, your attention, please. Good afternoon and welcome to the first day of the 45th Rder Cup. This is match number one, a fourball match between the European team represented by John Rom and Seth Straa against the United States of America team represented by Scotty Shepler and JJ Spawn. First on the team representing Europe, John Rom. It had a long way right this morning off this first team. Now on the team representing Europe, Seth Straa. A two- win season on the PGA Tour for Set. Albeit they came early in the season. in the United States of America, JJ Spawn. A lovely reception for the US Open champion. Also lost out to Rory Mroy at the Players Championship. a rookie at the age of 35. got through those trees, had some eyeballs, kind of picked its way through, which representing the United States of America. I feel good about Scott Not anymore. Sort of hard to think that the US wins. Feels like he’s going to have to have three points this week, right? I mean, it’s hard to imagine that the US can’t win if he doesn’t win three points. I mean, he’s going to really have to play good after after this morning. Seth and play with struck it up late first. 80 yards to go here. Oh boy. Guy in the middle of the getting the yard. Here we go. Time to knuckle down. Not so bad. Fraction light. The wind’s a lot stronger. You saw that with the flag there. There’s nothing like the first hole, right, of the RER Cup. when you haven’t been on the course yet, your first first experience out there, no matter how many times you played, it’s it’s just wild. It’s just like, I just want to get this over with. I just want to get into the round, right? Shafler next. Yeah, not bad there. It’s going to be interesting how the course changes today. Really wet this morning. The sun’s out. The wind’s kind of picking up. It’s going to dry everything out. GG Spawn next. Tough angle. Beauty. Oo, great shots. That’ll settle you down, Hunter. Oh, 100%. Especially if they give that to you, that’ll really settle you down. That ain’t going to help. Finally, Rahm. Okay, Advantage USA. Seen some great moments, haven’t we? This year’s winner will be announced, by the way, at the conclusion of the Sunday singles. Back to the first tracker for birdie. So must go for Ram you would think. Although maybe Spawn’s putt is a little further away than it looks from this angle. So a big putt to make some pressure on the Americans. Great angle. No, no, no. That’s ready. Sheffller to win for the United States. Feels like he could use this. He could use this birdie even though his partner’s in there close. got a little bit of momentum for himself. Can’t get it in. JJ’s like, “I got you, partner. Don’t you worry about it.” First part of the Ryder Cup, four feet downhill to win it. It ain’t easy, Hunter. The first hole, man. First blood to the United States and the US Open champion, JJ Spawn. Now to go to the second shaked it, but has he shaked it too much? Definitely looks like it. He’s doesn’t look like he’s on grass. He’s up into the crowd. It’s kind of trickling back down. Little pressure on Scotty there. Left hand left hand pin here as well. So that’s not good. Down the left hand side. Just a 3-wood. Probably just catch the edge of the FY. You would think maybe not. There it is. It’s okay if that’s a ball. It looks that ball. Yeah. There’s no question where that one’s going. Yep, that’s more like it. Look at all that mud. Such an easier format for the players. You feel so much more comfortable when you just playing your own ball. You got a partner who can make up for your bad shots. This is Sheffller’s second been cut tight to the left hand side. Got a wedge in your hand. Got to go right at this flag on the left side. Oh, flew it right over the flag. A little bit too much stick by a little over 20 ft for that putt. But uh good swing, just a little aggressive. Well, the dawn is just slightly a jar, isn’t it? Better angle here for Striker from 124. Lovely rhythm in the swing. Seb striker. He didn’t get that right. The Rambo. Now John Ram has come up short of the second green. Maybe there was a little bit of mud on the ball. didn’t get the contact. That’s striker’s ball. His partner you can see there in the bottom of your screen or the bottom of the green I should say. To the second Scotty Sheffler for Birdie. Not sure where JJ Spawn is. He missed the green. But now Striker. This is to win the hole. Chipping straight up the green. Yeah, that fringe is is thick, Tom. It’s tough to get a putt through it. It’s not far away. It’s not far away. Oh, Seb Straa. Welcome to the RDER Cup 2025. ties up that top match. Let’s go to the first of the par threes here on the black course. And John Rah pulled his T-shot ever so slightly this morning here. Not this afternoon. That looks right on it. Beautiful. He’s such a great team man. Ram I think it was instilled by Sevi. So Spawn next up on the right line as well. looks can be deceptive. It’s quite a tough pin that it’s tucked away in the left hand side and quite narrow. 213 yd as well. So mid to long iron. It’s similar to this morning. It’s just a bit further back. Scott, he’s not really settled into his game yet. should see a big difference playing his own ball. It’s like his own man playing the playing the course. What he’s so used to and so good at trying to draw in. It’s not bad at all. Excellent shot from Sheffller. Ram, I beg you pardon. Striker up at three. Rams on the green, of course. Crowd getting a bit lively now. Viferous on every shot. JJ Spawn from the rough at three. This looks good, doesn’t it? Super touch. Back to third. John Ram up the green for Birdie. Has he hit it? Has he hit it? Has he hit it? He has. He has. just slipped in the front door. The Americans will have a pot for a tie. Over to three. This to tie the hole from Scotty Sheffller. Oh well, a win for Europe. Just exactly what Keegan Bradley wouldn’t want. He’s wanting red. He’s wanting Please get some red on the board early. Mhm. Um, brilliant for Luke Donald though, but John Ram, what a player. This looks a little awkward to Sea. Well, it’s a big gamble trying to get it up on top and I don’t think the gamble paid off. He had a terrible lie. This green, the high point of the green is kind of the front left fringe. It works to the back right. It works away from you. Major championships in the past when this green has been firm, you really couldn’t hit the green unless you maybe hit the front fringe. But with the soft conditions and JJ Spawn’s ball flight was high cut. I think you can get this within 20 ft. The the safe line is probably 20 ft long and a little right. No breeze at all. The air is thick and heavy. Where’s Ram? Rom’s in the right side of the fairway right by Sheffller. This is the best of the three lies in the fairway. That’s not a good miss there. I think the miss you better been long to this pin dom you think? Even just off the back. There is John Ron. Ball above his feet. Rahm likes to play it left to right, but he can play any shot. Plenty of elevation on this one. There you go. What a golf shot that is to stop that from that distance, pin high. Wow. Sheffller like Rom has the ball above his feet. A little bit of a down slope, but also like Rom can hit it sky high. I think he will play a draw here, Sam. He can. and he just chooses not to most of the time. Looks like he’s setting up a bit right. Some breeze coming up in his face as he addresses this ball. Advantage Europe. They’re one up in that match already. Tough shot for Spawn here. Rams in quite close. He’s played that very well. That is three. You can see Ram’s marker there just over Sheffller’s shoulder. That was a very poor lie here. All the grass is growing against him off an UPS slope. So close. Just a really bad lie there. Obviously, J. That’s he did, Stephen. The grass was growing against him on an ups slope. That club just didn’t go through. So, an important part here for JJ Spawn. You can see the marker just to the right hand side of him of John Ram. This for birdie for Spawn. This is virtually straight up the hill here. This was a heck of a shot off that downs slope to give himself this birdie putt. Very good look. Great. Great part. He had to do that because John Rams obviously got a P for Eagle. So, it makes this a little bit more trickier for for for John. What an up and down that was off the down slope of the bunker. This is the one that you really want to hold to just cancel that out for Ram. That’s the Eagle to win the hole. It was a brilliant sixiron in here, Sam. This has a big swing from right to left coming off that front left fringe. Bit of breeze coming from the high side of that green as well. Might push it even more. It’s not going to be a lot of speed on this one because he has to two putt. So, he can’t doesn’t have a free run, but gravity’s going to help get it there. Just set it on the high line. I think he’s going to make this most of the time. It’s a great look. A little tentative, wasn’t it? Yeah, that’s just what happened with with JJ spawn hole in that. That’s that’s great match play there. In case you’re wondering what’s happen, he’s allowed to haul outer on five. Good good distance, but I’m sure he’d be want to hit that a little bit closer than that. Straa has the easiest of the three birdie putts remaining. It has the least amount of break. It’s definitely uphill and slow. Going to break a little bit right to left. It’s a putt most of the time. You’re probably going to leave this short. Bit of pressure on this cuz Rahm still has a lot of work left for his par. It’s a wonderful pace. A really strong try there. Yeah, the signs are good for Striker. Doesn’t really look like a man who hasn’t played competitive golf for what, six, seven weeks or so. Spawn and Dom, this is the better of the two looks. Even though JJ’s further away from the hole than Scotty, this is breaking right to left. Slightly uphill to beginning, but once it starts kind of hitting the high line, it’s going to be coming down the fall line. So, it will be quick that last third. Good line. Excellent effort. That looked in until it wasn’t. Oh my goodness, what a putt that was. You see how you can’t believe it. And they still have a chance to win this hole. The US team. Yeah, Dom, this is the harder putt. This is a big slider left to right. It’s one of those putts you just have to pick the high line and try and drop it in. Of course, it doesn’t matter if he misses. Spawn is in in four. But as Sam was just saying, you know, if you hit it too hard that’s not hauling speed and that type of thing, you just putt this putt like you’re playing an individual play, trying to drop it in there. I think drop the center of the hole is probably about 8:00 as you look at it. Low early on its journey. Not his best effort, you’d have to say. It’s almost like he needs something, a spark, even a bad shot. Even something to get some emotion out of him, you know, something to get him going. He’s just not been firing at all. I was number one. Right over to the sixth hole. JJ Spawn on a down slope here, Jake. He is on a down slope from 97, but it’s not sitting down. Plenty of green to work with. Even though this is a low area, there’s some helping wind from the left. Yeah, not overly daunting shot. Nicely played. 10 ft or so. Yeah, Sheffller playing from 85 yards. And this is not a good lie. It’s sitting in a hole. Looks like it might be an old divot. He’s going to have to pinch this. It’s going to come out low. Plenty of green to work with. There is that. Oh, I don’t think he was expecting that. The back spin there. How can you account for that from the rough grass to six Ram? Plenty of room to work with. Flatter lie and spawn. Just a lob wedge. Came out all wrong. John Ram for birdie at six. And this is a putt that doesn’t have a lot of break to it. Scotty Shuffler’s moving in quickly. Very similar line. Little late movement the last what 3 ft or so. Oh, they’re going to give him that. You couldn’t make him put that. And I’m not very generous. This is true. I just call him the way I see him. Dom. Here we go. Over to six. Sheffller. The hardest part about putting is the line. He knows the line. Should be able to execute. I expect him to make this one. Been putting great lately. Just smashed it. The wrong speed. Lot of golf to come. Not quite finding the lines so far on day one. Give him time and I’m sure he’ll get his eye in. Jay, we didn’t actually see the uh striker shot. So, it’s him next to play. It is going to be Straa. And this putt, based on what Rh’s putt did, which had the correct speed from the other side of the hole, this putt should break to seps left. Initially, it might come off a little left to right, but as it loses pace, it’s going to straighten out or move right to left. Spawn will be looking closely. Not high enough, is it? Just coming through that fringe again. You see it bobble straight away. Straight off the putter. just bobbled and it sort of lost a foot of pace. There’s a few thousand people around this green. JJ Spines hold two nice putts. Hold the putt at one. Hold the putt at four. Got a good look here. He knows it goes right to left. You just have to feel the pace. I was surprised by Sheffller’s lack of command of pace. Sam said it very well earlier this afternoon. You even if you have a putt to win a hole, you have to hit at your normal pace because that’s what your eye sees for a line. This crowd will go nuts if he makes it. I think it’s about a ball outside right. Not his best effort, let’s be said. Both of them left it short. Must have been just got caught out there by the by the slope. Maybe that’s why Sheffller knocked it past as well. Underestimated the slope. Here’s John Ram on seven. Perfect angle wind helping out of the left. It’s about a one club wind at the moment. Great hole location for Ram’s cut shot. Spawn already in there. Close. That’s a nice little bounce, isn’t it? I wasn’t expecting that ball to come down there. Right hand pin. That’s the old double cross. Yep. That’s the one that he’s he’s’ll be pleasantly surprised, I think, when he gets up there, though. spawn almost the master of the little fade shot. That was a gem right over the flag. A short start from the US Open champion in his first Rder Cup. John R. Nice little kick out of the long grass, wasn’t it? At seven. Third shot. This long par four. Keep going. Good line we’re hearing for Ram. has taken advantage of that. So that should be uh four for the Europeans. She chef found Sand with the second always on an ups slope here at Beth Page Black if you’re in the sand. Quite some distance to negotiate and he has covered just about every inch of it. Brilliant third from the world’s best player. He gave it a go. You could see see quite a bit of that in four ball golf. These great putters just giving it a bit extra, trying to force the putt in with a free run at it. It’s not the way to go. Just try and hit a good putt. I always think and that all means that JJ Spawn has a putt to win the hole and square up this top match. It’s a good look too, Dom. There’s not much in it as it loses pace around the hole. Should come from the right. Kind of putting down a very subtle little valley. Not many birdies on this hole. No, but this is a good look, Stephen. And this is a very flat putt as far as speed goes. Sheffller’s already in the hole. But I’m a believer in not saying, “Okay, take some breakout.” You know, you’ve already got a par. I think you have to putt your normal speed. If you start changing your speeds, then you get out of rhythm and then your putting gets all messed up. No, not to be. little on the high side and a bit pacey. Once again, just overly aggressive the freedom that was allowed him. So Europe cling on to their slender lead in that top match. United States up in two. Straer the pond at eight. difficult to get it all the way back to this back plateau once again. This time it is John Ram. 223 to the hole. Plays nine downhill. The flag is five over that ridge on that back shelf. Wind hurting from the left. Players on the te can’t feel it. Oh, oh, oh. In the water. Needs to be peeling back towards the flag and it’s an excellent shot for line. Will it hold? Just about by the look of it. There’s no wind up here on the tea, but looking down by the green, the trees long right, there’s a wind tunnel just ripping left to right. It’s been a good atmosphere in this game. I will say that. Now all of a sudden, you can feel the wind helping from the left up on the tee. Good hole location for three of the four players. Spawn, Rom, Chefer. Love to move it left to right. You have to be careful you don’t lose it on the wind. That’s not lost on the wind, Jay. Stay down the left side. Came out of its pitch mark from the looks of it from the tea. Back to the eight. Sheffer. Pressure on Sheffller here with Spawn in the bunker. Good man under pressure. 223 down the hill for Sheffler to this back right pin. He’s faded it in. Oh, Scotty, Scotty, Scotty. It’s about time. He’s just waking up. Perhaps not gone his way today. Bradley’s there urging them on. Rahm has a good look here. And he has to assume that Sheffller’s going to make his. If this one is losing pace around the hole, I think it’s going to fall left to right just ever so slightly. I think the perfect line is probably left edge. Hit five iron in here and took a little bit off the five irony. It was a big cut. Started way left. It was a real feel shot he played to this position. Slightly uphill. Great amphitheater right and left of this green full of people. No, not really. Fiddly. Looks like he’s aiming a bit further left. Jay here. Open himself up. Sort of pushed it a little bit. Stay online. Yes, it does. John Ron gets his blowing first here at the eighth. Gone with the Olay Olay chance. It’s all been USA, hasn’t it, so far this afternoon? Sounds like early pantoime season, doesn’t it? Yeah. You guys need to come up with something new. I’m tired of that whole LA stuff. How many decades have we been listening to that stuff? Come on. Your repertoire is not that great, Jay. I think No, both both sides need to expand. No doubt about it. Pick your fights, Jay. I I I think the the nail on the chalkboard depends on what color shirt you wear. So Sheffler to tie the hole. And this is a really easy putt. Dom putts he’s been making all season long. It’s slightly uphill. Has to start it outside right unless he slams it in there. And I don’t think that’s the thing to do. He’s been so good all year. He’s spread eagled the rest of the golfing world because of this putter. He started putting well. Well, he’s missed that one. First in wins once again. That man takes the victory. Two up for the Europeans as he marches to the ninth hole. Straa from 171. Wind howling into and from the right. Safe shot there from Straer. Tricky pain on the front. Jay, what are we talking about? We talking about a one club wind yet. You know, at times it gusts up to one and a half. Right now it’s probably Yeah, close to one and a half. It was amazing. Three drivers off this ninth pitch within a half a yard of each other. tonight once again. This time JJ Spawn left hand pin and breeze from the right. So a nice combination. Fanny’s taken full advantage. If anything, he’s looked the most comfortable out of these two. Up on the ninth, the Austrian striker spawns in there close. Oh goodness. Might still be him again. Spawn fighting first. So Sheffler doesn’t give on the line. The knee bend didn’t work. Gamble didn’t pay off. Well, one down. She a go. You just see a break on these greens and they they just don’t move. They just rarely need to start the ball outside of the hole. What do you think, Jay? Well, a certain vertically challenged Australian and I have both looked at this. We don’t see much. If anything, we see it falling right to left or excuse me, left to right. That’s why it’s so confusing. I mean, there’s just nothing in this. You Jamie, you were talking about it this morning when you were on course. The greens, you tend to overread the brakes. Yeah, there some of the flattest greens I’ve seen, Jake. They’re just very subtle. He is aiming left. It’s not going to move from there. It’s a horrible read. I think he hit his part, David. Just just a misread. No doubt about it. John Ram in there like a shot. You know, I think that Sheffller played what he saw. It’s just amazing that I was standing right behind his line. Watch that ball roll all the way. I mean, Rahm is such a good putter. He’s given him the line now. It was a great putty hole of the previous hole. A chance to go three up. Yeah. You sense at the turn. Yeah. You sense it’s a big moment, don’t you, Jay? Yeah. I mean, when when you give him the line, he seldom misses. better line but not quite. Even Stevens on the ninth for the opening four ball. Two up for the Europeans as they stride onto the back nine. Sheffller in the long 10th 492 on the card front left pin. That’s more like it. Bang on for distance. as he so often is. It’s a fine second for the world’s best player. Jammy’s right though. He needs a spark. He needs a little something to get going, doesn’t he? The world number one lost this morning’s foroms and down again in that first match. Europe leading 3-1. John Ram has pulled his T-shot at 10. And I think he’s just trying to put this one back in play, is he? Yeah, just trying to advance it down the fairway, isn’t he? Ram still in the rough. I think it did. That’s a brilliant shot there from John Ram out the rough. Give him give himself a chance of a four. Top match 10th green. Jay Scotty’s got a great look. Played a wonderful second shot in here. Ram missed his or should say Straa missed this to win the hole. They’re in desperate need of a putt. Haven’t made one in quite some time. That one he missed on eight I think kind of hurt. Definitely breaking from the right. Another one slides by for Scotty Sheffller. He has not had his putting boots on so far today. 11 T striker top match. Players on the tea cannot feel the wind on 11s helping from the right. That bunker that encroaches closest on the left not in play. And if you hit it over that bunker in the roughs, not a bad spot. Beautiful T-shot from Stra. Couldn’t quite carry the right side there, but he didn’t need to. Straight down the middle. Pretty wide fairway. This one’s 31 yds wide up there where Straa landed it. Very comfortable T-OT with a helping wind from the right. For guys that move it left to right, you just want to hit at the right edge of the TV tower behind the green and just let it fall right up against the breeze. Just exactly like that then. Jay, what a fantastic drive as well. Six of the pins coming in are on the right hand side of the green. So for Ram, he’s going to be licking his chops. JJ holds some putts early and then is just kind of falling off a little bit. And neither JJ or Scotty really have anything going. One of the two needs to hit a good shot or hold a decent putt because there’s just there’s just no energy between these two at the moment. They need to do something quick. Only nine holes left. Well, that’s not going to help the cause. Yeah, they’re the top pair, aren’t they? She lorn, you know, world number one spawn US home champion. Doesn’t get much better for the Americans, Jay. No, it certainly doesn’t. And if these guys go down, if you beat Scotty twice in a day, clearly different formats and different partners, but that does not bode well for the US team. Scotty needs to be dominant and he’s just not at the moment. Certainly wasn’t this morning. What about that? What about that move? Normally go straight down the middle when he does things like that. Yeah, there you go. Yeah, this might be the one that can get a spark. He he definitely needs something to to kick him in to get the the juices flowing for him. JJ Spawn has found the fairway bunker. He’s in quite a steep ups slope here as well. He’s got a launching pad, but the lip is so high. I think he would have to just absolutely flush it to get it to the green. And if he tries to hit it high and over the lip and gets to the green, comes up short in the bunker, it’s going to bury for sure. Helps to play this shot when your partner’s in good shape. Well, they didn’t plug. That’s all I can say about it. Such a tough shot. Never. It was really, really hard to hold your balance there. Right foot slipping back. Little bit of sand first. Over to his partner. Now Striker two against one. It is definitely 122. Win from the right. And he’s got a back stop. You can hit it seven, eight yards past the hole and spin it. Oh, that’s a terrible shot. I am shocked at that. That’s what he was trying to do, Jay. He just powered it through. He’s got 108. I think the perfect pitch point is about 115 spin and slope. Even coming out of this first cut of rough with this lie, this is going to have some juice on it. As he stands over, the wind dies. It was hard from the right. He’s judged that so well. It’s amazing the spin they’re getting out the rough, Stevie, as well. Unreal. Yeah. Four yards closer. 104 for Scotty. Not quite as good of a lie. I don’t think this will have as much spin, although he spins his wedges a lot. Has to pitch this well past the hole. Time to get moving for Sheffler. That’s an obscene amount of spin from the rough. My goodness, what a shot. I thought that was going to go in for a second there. Sheffller. You can see John Ram getting close close to Sheffler. The minute he hits it, he’ll be trying to get in and get a peek at how it finishes, how the putt turns at the end, or if it goes straight. Stevie, this one wants to come a little right to left at the beginning, but I believe you’ve nailed it. It goes pretty straight at the end. I think this is just about execution. And Scotty hasn’t looked good with the putter, but he can turn it around. No time like the present. You have to expect Rahm’s going to make his. Not even close, I’m afraid. That was a terrible pop, wasn’t it? Really is strange, isn’t it? I think he might have to bring Ted Scott in his Caddy just to help him out with the lines here. This is to win the hole and for Europe to go three up in the top match. And you saw this putt Scotty missed to the right. Rams looked really good with the putter, the best of the three. And I think the more we get into this, the more holes we’ve seen, these greens become more difficult by their simplicity. There’s just not much to them. Don’t leave the hole, John. Straight up the hill. About there. And John Ram pounces again for the Europeans. And they do indeed take a three-up advantage in the top match. Totty striker. back into the wind here at 12. The cross bunker not in play. Yeah. How far do you take off? Needs to sit up. That’s okay. That’s okay. Sean’s the hole going down the left. It’s the popular spot. It’s the miss. Look at the right flag as well. So, it’s that’s a great angle in there. You definitely would rather have the 30 yardd shorter in the left rough, especially on the angle as you were just saying. Wind just switched direction a little bit. Now it’s more from the right than it is hurting. I’m looking at the flags on the back of the 11th green. It’s a gusty wind. It’s not constant. Makes it more difficult club selection in the greens. This man has been rock solid this afternoon. Just dead straight for Ram. Get out there. Yeah, that’s wonderful T- shot from John Ram here on the 12th and you’re three up after a birdie put the last you stand up and you rip it 330 down the middle. It’s going to be tough to come back from that spawn. The US Open champion in the world, number one, need to step up because I can promise you one thing. I don’t care what he’s ranked. John Rom, one of the best players in the world. He’s not going to give it back to you. You’re going to have to earn it. These guys need to tighten up their bootstraps a little bit and get something going. Somebody needs to give him a pep talk, whether it comes from within or one of the captains. Yeah, he likes to play a bit of a cut, JJ. And the hole obviously goes the other way, but that’s an excellent T- shot from Spawn. I think it’s reading the greens, Jay, more than a pep talk. I agree. They’re not even scaring the hole at the moment. You know, if you’re hitting good putts and missing, that’s okay because you know they’re going to fall. But they’re not even hitting good putts. Scotty does get in funks. Sometimes they last a whole day. Seldom last a whole week where he doesn’t hold anything the tree line and like Ram gets that nice little bounce out of the rough into the fairway. Great reply there by the American team. So top match striker in the rough but good angle and a very good lie. 2011 Breeze hurting from the right. Solid shot there from Striker. Just means his partner can take dead aim here at 12. That’s what the four ball’s all about. Lakey wasn’t going to anyway. Well, that’s true. Yeah, very much. Jamie, I think you’ve just nailed it because all Straa has to do is be solid cuz Rahm is just on fire hitting good shots. He’s holding the best putts. Has the best speed by far. JJ Spawn 196. Wind has died down at the moment. Barely moving the flags to the top of the grand stands behind the green. Good hole location. should be a great pin for Spawn. Well, just hung on to it a little bit. You can see he was aiming left trying to work it in. He’s his usual left to right shape and he’s just hung on to it slightly. Metronomic on the range earlier this week with his irons, but not so easy when the gun goes, is it? You’re out there in the heat of the battle. You’re three down after 11. This is when your number one golfer in the world by a country mile has to step up. Really? Yeah. 179 Steven. He’s got a great angle here, but the wind just gusted up. Needs to take some air out of this. Punch it through the wind. That’s a high floater. It’s one of those ones again it’s just average decent. It’s okay. It’s okay. He’s just that good. Over to 12 and to Ram 177. He’s got to be licking his chomps with this one. No one close. I mean, Spawn’s not even on the right level, the right shelf. Rh’s thinking, stuff it in there close. I can put this match out of reach right here. He’s got the killer instinct. Well, down to some long parts. Uh when you’re three up though, Spency, you know that’s Yeah. Happy days. Happy days. Exactly. If it goes in, it goes in. This is just a speed putt. It’s such a tough putt to get the speed correct, though. Well, we know he’s got a good eye and a good touch for putts like this. We’ve seen him do it in the past. Yeah, that was quite a putt at Oakmont, wasn’t it? He needs to pull on some of those powers. It only takes sometimes one putt that goes in you don’t expect to turn things around. They’ve held nothing. So far, no. And they’re starting to run out of holes. Is this the time? That was such a tricky putt. That’s why I left the pin in, I think, as well. It knew it was going to be coming with a bit of pace on it. Let’s go over to 12 this time. Straer with a birdie putt. And gravity will do most of the work to get this one to the hole. Should have some right to left in it as well. Just not as much as that though. Tough putt again to hold. Just get it down there. Scotty Sheffller at 12. Now the first two/3s of this putts uphill quite a bit. Shouldn’t have much break to it. The last third wants to fall to his right. He’s not made a birdie yet today. Yeah, that that is incredible. That is incredible. It just just looks the mojo is just not there at the moment. And Ram has a chance to put the Europeans four up in the top match. This is a man that’s had the best putting eye downhill, left to right slider. He just has so much heart. He’s a great watch. Strera’s in tight for the four. So, just let it roll. John, tricky part. Tricky hole today actually. They’re hitting long medium to long irons in there. A four is a great score. So Europe up in two still, but uh the gap has been cut in that bottom match. Sheffller has 266. He can definitely reach the greens. A little bit of wind hurting. And from the right, that bunker that’s short from the player’s point of view is well short of the green. Not in play with even a mildly well struck shot. It’s time for Scotty to step up cuz Rom can certainly reach the green. Got to keep this left of the flag. Do not want this leak right. Oh, awesome shot. Perfect golf shot right there for Scotty. They needed that in a big way. Rom from 263. Perfect T-shot right center hole location. Just built for a John Rom special. Plenty of club. actually needs to take some off. Play a little high cut shot in there. This could be the nail in the coffin. Be enough. He says he’s just a little bit better than Scotty today, isn’t he? I mean, he’s just he’s the best player on the course right now. Terrific hit, wasn’t it? 270 yds out. Spawn 13. Third shot. Little field shot in here with a wedge. Got a back stop. This is coming in low. Should have some spin. Nearly hold it. Boy, that was unlucky. Almost looked like it hit the flag, but I don’t think it did. We need a Scotty Sheffller moment here. Mhm. To force Rom. but to get the crowd going. Oh yeah, it was well done, but at this particular moment just not good enough. Out comes the pin. John Ram with an eagle putt. Coax it down there. Get one hole closer to the hole. Have it drop in and essentially this game is over. At the moment, I don’t think you’d want anybody else putting this putt. I think it’s definitely a high line. Let it fall in from about 430. Get out of there. Not this time for Ram. No movement from the Americas. Little glance I thought from John to see if this was given. Not when you’re three down. You you just stare right back at him and say, “Please continue.” Well, then Seth has to go ahead now. Will Jon take control? He will. Well, more than manageable, you would think. He’s on form this afternoon. John Ra this to take a three up advantage. Five holes to play. Now the Europeans on course for another point in that top match. There is the 14th of par three over the valley 161 yds today. The holes cut five over that ridge and you don’t want to go over. You miss club by a half a club long and it’s a downs slope. Leaves yourself a really tough shot. Very little wind at the moment. Looks pretty good. Easy. Ron will be next up at the 14th. Rahm ready to go. Breeze off the right. I get the distinctive feeling that there’s an adult beverage location nearby. Plenty of support for both teams here at 14. A rare mistake out there this afternoon from Brah Spawn. No time like the present. Five holes left, three down. Nearly have to run the tables here. No time to be playing safe. You got to get aggressive. Tough hole location to get aggressive with. Just up on that shallow little shelf. If anything, Stroer showed you that when you fly it up there, you have to fly it up there with very little if no spin. Swing from JJ. Oh, great shot. That’s what he needed right there. Spawn is in there close, but you might as well have two bites of the apple. Wind a little bit from the right. Right at it. Play it up against the wind. It has just not been his day. Straer up the slope for Birdie at 14. Needs a good firm rep. Oh, Seth Straa finds one. Just when there was a little glimmer of hope, he just shut the door. That was awesome. JJ Spawn, who may have been expecting to have this one for a win. Instead, it is to tie the hole. He’s got a really good look here, but it makes it so tough now after that Straa putt. I’ve had Rom a better chance to make it two than Straa did from the lower level. I think he’s got to take the break out, keep it inside the hole, probably right center. Yeah, that’s the part of a US Open champion. Well done. Well done right there. Vital really. Yeah, I mean the miss is match is basically over. Straa first to play from a perfect position. 184 + 13 197. If you take it 15 ft left, it’s five over the ridge. Look for this to be the safe play is 20 ft long left. Rahm has a good lie on the first cut of rough, so you can go ahead and be aggressive if you want. A little feed back down into the bowl. From that distance, it’s not such a bad shot. Such a difficult hole to make Birdie, right? I mean, you really got to you got to push this club to the right side of the screen to a flag. That’s really tucked right over that mound. Well, it’s always tough to get the distance right, isn’t it, when you have such an elevation change. Always more difficult going uphill than downhill because you don’t have that visual. They’re throwing up grass, but the best thing to do is look at the grand stands and the mares to the right. There’s flags over there. They’ll tell you everything you need to know. Good look left side of the fairway, right pin. Have to get it on the top level. Back to 15. Rahm. He’s got a very good lie. Not the best of angles. 176 plays 13 up. 189. Where’s the adrenaline? probably off the charts. Loves it. Needs a carry. Just Hunter just run. How did that stay there? It wasn’t because all these people in red, white, and blue were willing it to stay there. I can tell you that Scotty has a very poor lie. Two yards closer than Rom, but a good angle. Very tough to get it within 25 ft here out of this lie. He’s going to have to dig it out. Dig it out. He did. It’s a fine shot from Sheffler. The US has a couple of putts. JJ Spawn to go first. It’s a pretty obvious break from the left. Not a big break, but often times on these greens, it’s kind of been okay. Is it going to go this way or that way? This is definitely going to go left to right. And it’s putting with the natural slope of the terrain away from the left side. So, it’s a sneaky quick putt here. Well, he held one from almost double this distance, didn’t he, to win the US Open. Scotty’s on a very similar line, so he’s going to learn something if this one doesn’t go in. Of course, Rahm still has a good look at it as well. Hey, good. This is Sheffler. This looks good. Finally from the world number one. Big big time putt right there. There we go. Rom just backing off to let the crowd settle down after that shuffler birdie. A much needed birdie, but he’s birded two out of the last three holes. Not much in this. Slightly uphill. I do feel it’s going to have a little left to right to it. This to stay three up. How? Wow. Wow. Well, well, well. How well has he played today and especially this afternoon? Been the best player today in both sessions. Man, that’s incredible. Over the 16, JJ Spawn second from 172 yds. Pin middle right. Pretty accessible. He’s leaning right. Oh, perfect. sets stra into the 16th. 171 yards for the Austrian. So, is that top quality goal or what? To Sheffller. 159. Two great shots in there. I’m not sure if birdie is going to be good enough to extend this match. Wind coming from the right. Take dead aim right at it. Hold it up against the breeze. There is a slope coming off the right fringe. Well, they’re throwing darts and surely bird is coming again from the 16th green for this group. Ram in the fairway too. Jay, he is hit the longest drive with the adrenaline going. This is nothing more than a little three/arter pitching wedge. Slightly downhill lie. Can’t see the bottom of the flag stick. A rare loose one from Rahm. Ram at 16 from the rough. Not a very good lie, landing it on a down slope. He played an amazing shot from over the green at the second. needs to do the same thing. Just slide the club underneath it. Landed over the fringe. See you later. Now the lie got him there. Sheffller at 16 for Bernie. Moscow does fighting right to the end. Sheer, it’s been a tough day making Straa work for it. Always good to take your first opportunity to win a match. This is a tricky little putt. Left to right slider to win the match. And it is the first point of the afternoon session for Europe. Uh Se Strucker and John Ram win 3 and two over Scotty Sheffllock and JJ Spawn. Who would have thought the world number one would go 0 and2 on this opening day at Beth Paige 42 to Europe top left of your picture. To watch another RDER Cup video, click here and subscribe here.