FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – The usual frustration and disappointment that has accompanied so many American losses devolved into something far uglier Saturday at Bethpage Black.
Rory McIlroy and hundreds of unruly fans exchanging F-yous.
Shane Lowry needing to be held back from having a go at another spectator.
A chippy Bryson DeChambeau getting in the face of his opponents.
But perhaps the nastiest scene of all was what unfolded on the scoreboard:
Europe 11 ½, U.S. 4 ½.
Depending on your allegiance, it’s either a rousing triumph from arguably the greatest Ryder Cup captain ever, a masterclass in preparation and execution that has put his stars in position to succeed despite the most hostile environment in the tournament’s raucous history.
Or, to put it bluntly: It’s an unmitigated disaster, from the top on down.
It’s the PGA of America, who installed a still-in-his-prime player with no experience, who cooked up $750 ticket prices to seemingly give fans free license to voice their disapproval, and who appeared woefully unprepared for the onslaught of taunts Saturday that was so overwhelming that it compelled McIlroy, on the sixth green, to tell the referee: “I’m not going to putt until they shut up.”
It’s rookie captain Keegan Bradley, who opted for a toothless setup that doesn’t accentuate his team’s skill set and trotted out a few head-scratching pairings that laid the foundation for a two-day whooping unlike any in the modern era.
It’s Scottie Scheffler, peerless for much of the past four years, who nonetheless became the first player in the history of the Ryder Cup to lose his first four matches. It’s DeChambeau, the star attraction, who has contributed one point in four tries. And it’s too many other underwhelming role players to name, from captain’s pick Sam Burns, who has been the worst player on the course through two days; to Ben Griffin, who performed so poorly in his lone appearance Friday that he was benched for both sessions the following day; to Collin Morikawa and Harris English, the duo that Data Golf pegged as the worst of 132 possible combinations for foursomes who predictably went 0-2 against the European buzzsaw of McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood.
It’s little surprise, really, that the chaotic crowd (estimated at 50,000 a day) became one of the biggest stories on a day that saw the Europeans dominate both sessions, 3-1. They started outright heckling – not cheering – because the U.S. players hadn’t given them anything to be excited about.
In the morning, the Americans led for a total of three holes. Ditto for the afternoon. They were fortunate to escape with two points, period.
Recap of an emotional Saturday afternoon fourballs session at at Bethpage Black, where the Europeans won 3-1 to take a record seven-point lead into Sunday singles.
One of the most ridiculous theories posited pre-tournament was that if the Americans unperformed, the famously ruthless New York crowds would shift their ire inward, toward the home team.
Not even close.
The fans just became even more entrenched, more emboldened, more determined to make the visitors’ lives hell.
Remember when it was viewed as unsportsmanlike for the home crowd to cheer when an opponent missed a green?
This is the new era entirely. Angry, salty, vulgar. Over the line.
They taunted McIlroy over his personal life.
They mocked Lowry and Rahm about their weight.
They chided Bob MacIntyre about his appearance.
They chirped when players were about to pull back the club. Then they booed relentlessly when they backed off to reset.
Sensing the escalating situation, the PGA finally interrupted the broadcast stream on the Jumbotron to flash reminders of its zero-tolerance policy for hateful speech and spectator etiquette.
Each was met with a loud chorus of boos.
“We knew what we were going to get coming here,” Lowry said. “It was a very tough day. Being out with Rory doesn’t make it any easier. I think he’s getting the brunt of it.”
But each time, when provoked, they seemed to deliver.
Lowry went eagle-birdie on the front nine with the heckling at full throat. McIlroy delivered a dagger of his own on 14 and whipped the crowd into a frenzy. Matching birdies on 16 and 17 were met with death stares into the crowd and shrieks of “f—ing come on!”
“It was a really challenging day,” McIlroy said. “I’m going to sleep well tonight.”
Tensions flare between Rose, DeChambeau, caddies
A miscommunication about whose turn it is to putt on the 15th at the Ryder Cup results in a tense exchange between Europe’s Justin Rose, USA’s Bryson DeChambeau and the caddies.
And now a much easier day awaits.
Ticket prices on the secondary market for the Sunday singles session have plunged in the wake of this stunning blowout. The only drama left on Sunday is whether the Europeans can get to 19 1/2 points – one-upping the Americans who four years ago romped to a 19-9 margin that supposedly represented a nadir for the visitors.
By late Saturday, the massive grandstand behind the first tee and 18th green had been overtaken by European supporters, dancing and chanting, “Ole! Ole! Ole!” as the players made their way to the final green.
With strength in numbers, one European fan belted out: “You want to get paid for this s–t, Cantlay?”
A few members of the European team snickered. It was finally their turn to fight back.
