Europe sweeps opening session in 2023 Ryder Cup to put USA in 4-0 hole
— Europe gave the Americans a rude welcome and a harsh reminder why it has been 30 years since they last won the Ryder Cup away from home, sweeping the opening session for the first time before a delirious crowd at Marco Simone.
So thorough was this beating Friday morning that no match reached the 18th hole.
Jon Rahm holed a 30-foot putt from off the second green and hit a tee shot that banged off the bottom of the pin at the par-3 seventh. Viktor Hovland got his side going early, chipping off the tight grass of the fringe, over a ridge and into the cup on the opening hole.
Rory McIlroy delivered the final dagger, a tee shot to 2 feet on the par-3 17th hole as he and Tommy Fleetwood — “Fleetwood Mac” for this Ryder Cup — handed Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele their first loss in foursomes.
European captain Luke Donald looked like a genius by leading off with foursomes, the more difficult format of alternate shot. Europe has started the Ryder Cup at home with fourballs every time since 1993, which also was the last time Europe lost at home.
He felt his side statistically was stronger in foursomes and he wanted a fast start. McIlroy said Donald had Europe play three-hole matches in practice to develop a sense of urgency.
Johnson's plan included sitting Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, a partnership that went 3-1 outside Paris in the last Ryder Cup in Europe. Also sitting was PGA champion Brooks Koepka and U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark. That's a combined 11 career majors on the bench.
The Americans next had try to keep it close in the afternoon fourballs, four new partnerships for both teams, and all 12 players assured of getting in on the action.
Schauffele and Cantlay had been 5-0 in foursomes at the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, and it looked like their match would go down to the wire. Europe was 1 up when it got out of position on the 15th and McIlroy hit a wedge to 20 feet for a par putt. Cantlay had 25 feet for birdie.
Cantlay ran his putt about 4 feet by the hole, and then it flipped — Fleetwood holed perhaps the biggest putt of their match, while Schauffele missed the 4-footer. Instead of the match being all square with three holes to play, Europe was 2 up and on its way to another point.
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