Sparks began to fly at the Ryder Cup.
Team Europe’s tandem of Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood were up three on Team USA’s Bryson DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler during the Day 2 fourballs before the match quickly turned tense.
As Rose prepared for a birdie putt on the 15th hole, DeChambeau’s caddie Greg Bodine approached the cup but was gestured away abruptly by Rose, signalling he was about to make the shot.
DeChambeau took exception to the incident and was seen scolding Rose for talking to his caddie before the players began to the next tee after halving the point to continue the contest.
“It’s a shame that the match got to that point,” Rose told the broadcast after picking up a 3-and-2 victory over the Americans.
The two sides continued an animated conversation up the hill on the way to Bethpage Black’s 16th tee box, with Scheffler’s caddie Ted Scott shown jawing with Europe’s vice captain Francesco Molinari.
“I was waiting to putt … I waited a few seconds and I felt like they came up again, it’s my putt right?” Rose said.
“Maybe I didn’t say it as politely as I could of said it in the moment and by no means was there any disrespect or anything like that, but obviously it was taken the wrong way.”
Cooler heads prevailed as the teams teed off, but dialogue and tensions lingered on the tee box and down the 16th fairway.
DeChambeau and Scheffler struggled throughout the match and dropped another point for the U.S., who are down 11.5 to 4.5 as the Europeans look to capture the first road victory since 2012.
