McIlroy tells fan to “shut the f**k up” as visitors take five-point lead into day two fourballs at Bethpage Black
“We’ve learned he isn’t doing a lot of smiling,” the four-time PGA Tour winner quipped early in coverage of the second day foursomes.
As Yogi Berra would say, it was déjà vu all over again for the US skipper as Luke Donald’s Europe won the foursomes session 3-1 for the second day running to extend their lead to five points — 3.5 to 8.5 — in the race to the 14 they need to retain the trophy and the 14.5 required for the first away win by any side since 2012.
While New York-born rookie Cameron Young proved an excellent foil for Bryson DeChambeau and they claimed a 4&2 win over Matt Fitzpatrick and Ludvig Aberg in the top match, Europe proved too good for Bradley’s troops in the demanding alternate shot format.
Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood subdued the crowd early and were six-under in their 3&2 victory over Harris English and Collin Morikawa while Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton claimed their fourth successive foursomes win with a 3&2 win over Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay.
There was pressure on world number one Scottie Scheffler to step up and while he was better on the greens alongside Russell Henley in the anchor match, Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre showed why he’s become one of the world’s top players over the past two years.
The Scot inspired Viktor Hovland, and while they lost a 2-up lead by the 13th, a birdie at the 14th, set up by MacIntyre’s towering tee shot to five feet, restored Europe’s lead.
When MacIntyre was left with a 30-yard putt up a tier at the 17th and knocked it 12 feet past, the US had a glimmer of hope.
But Hovland snuffed it out by ramming in the putt to ensure at least a half, they turned it into a 1-up win with a solid par at the last.
McIlroy was again a target for the US fans, who crudely chanted “F**k you, Rory” as he headed for the first tee and screamed abuse all the way around the Black Course.
The Holywood star replied to one screaming US fan at the second and another with a “Shut the f**k up” late in the round, but in general, he kept his cool, as per Donald’s team orders.
“I don’t mind them having a go at us,” McIlroy said. “Like that’s to be expected. I mean, that’s what an away Ryder Cup is.
“Whenever they are still doing it while you are over the ball and trying to hit your shot, that’s the tough thing.
“You know, look, in between shots, say whatever you want to me. That’s totally fine. But just give us the respect to let us hit shots, and give us the same chance that the Americans have, I guess.”
It was the fourth successive foursomes win for Fleetwood-Mac, as they have become known, though it took a few holes more than it should have after mistakes on the 14th and 15th allowed the Americans to get back from four to two down.
“We played phenomenally well for 12 of the holes, and for the next few holes, it was like we were always kind of one golf shot away from the match being over,” Fleetwood said. “I made a hash of a couple of things.”
As for the reason why they gel so well, Fleetwood added: “It’s Rory McIlroy. I can play from a lot of the places where he hits it.”
Rahm and Hatton have an equally impressive partnership, as they showed in their 3&2 win over Schauffele and Cantlay.
Rahm has won all six foursomes he’s played in the event, and the last four with his LIV Golf teammate.
“He pulls out some unbelievable shots at very special times,” Hatton said. “He’s an incredible player, and a good person to walk the fairways with.”
How it happened
Matt Fitzpatrick & Ludvig Aberg lost to Bryson DeChambeau & Cameron Young 4&2
Keegan Bradley’s decision to replace Justin Thomas with the impressive rookie Cameron Young proved to be the correct one. The New Yorker was solid from tee to green, and with DeChambeau’s power a factor, the US never trailed all day, winning the seventh, eighth and 10th to forge a 3-up lead they never looked like losing.
Rory McIlroy & Tommy Fleetwood beat Harris English & Collin Morikawa 3&2
Even after losing the first, Europeans were a juggernaut most of the day, turning the match around with birdies at the second, third, fifth and seventh to go 3-up. Morikawa’s poor tee shot led to a bogey at the eighth and a 4-hole deficit.
Europe were 4-up with five to play when they three-putted the 14th from close range, then lost the 15th to English’s 18-footer.
But McIlroy did not want to give the Americans any encouragement and closed out the match with a towering wedge to three feet at the 16th to put them 6-under for the day.
“They didn’t give us anything,” English said. “Shooting 6 plus under par in alternate shot is pretty tough to beat.”
Jon Rahm & Tyrrell Hatton beat Xander Schauffele & Patrick Cantlay 3&2
A birdie-birdie start by the European duo put them 2-up before the Americans won the fifth and seventh with pars to level matters. When Rahm chipped in for a winning two at the eighth and hit Europe’s approach close at the 12th, they were 2-up again and on their way to their fourth successive foursomes win.
Rahm acknowledged that Hatton’s putting was key: “We’ve shared the golf course for many, many holes, and it’s absolutely incredible watching him play, and what he did on the greens today was nothing short of spectacular.”
Robert MacIntyre & Viktor Hovland beat Russell Henley & Scottie Scheffler 1 up
Europe were 2-up at the turn and three-under, but Scheffler is not the world number one for nothing. The American struggled on the greens on Friday but birdied the 11th and set up Henley to birdie the 13th and square the match.
Macintyre’s brilliant tee shot to the 14th and Hovland’s putt edged Europe ahead before the Norwegian made a clutch 12-footer at the 17th to ensure Europe won their third session in a row.
