FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – The Americans made the wrong kind of history Saturday at the Ryder Cup.
Their opponents just became the first road team to win the first three sessions.
What was a three-point European advantage swelled to five by midday Saturday after Jon Rahm remained perfect in foursomes, Rory McIlroy continued to dole out punishment, and Viktor Hovland holed a clutch 8-footer on the 17th hole to help secure another full point for the Europeans.
Europe leads, 8 ½ to 3 ½, with the situation becoming increasingly dire for the U.S. It’s the largest lead for a road team since 1987. Here are some takeaways from the Saturday morning session:
Recap of Saturday morning’s foursomes matches at the 45th Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, where the Europeans did something no visiting team has done since 1961 – and no European team has done ever.
- At the end of another historic season, Scottie Scheffler heard something unusual Saturday: Boos. Needing to mount a rally to flip the anchor match and split the foursomes session overall, Scheffler and partner Russell Henley failed to birdie each of the last five holes in what was a 1-up defeat. Scheffler’s ending was particularly uninspiring: In perfect position on 18, Scheffler dumped a wedge into the native grass short and right of the green. The world No. 1 dropped to 0-3 for the week – the first time that’s happened in Ryder Cup history.
- Europe’s foursomes firewall held up again Saturday. The duos of McIlroy/Tommy Fleetwood and Rahm/Tyrrell Hatton improved to a combined 8-0 in the alternate-shot format over the past two Ryder Cups. Those four players, together, have trailed in a match after a total of just seven holes. Rahm is now 6-0 in the alternate-shot format.
- U.S. captain Keegan Bradley didn’t have a statistical justification for sending Collin Morikawa and Harris English back out in foursomes after a 5-and-3 thrashing on Friday morning, saying, basically: They were disappointed by their play and wanted another chance. Though they fought gamely, combining for five birdies, the Americans ran into the same problem they encountered a day early – McIlroy and Fleetwood, both in full flight. The European duo dropped seven birdies in foursomes, with McIlroy ending the match with a stuffed wedge to 3 feet after telling an unruly fan to “shut the f— up.” Both English and Morikawa will sit in the afternoon session after going 0-2 together.
Rory McIlroy backed away from the ball, turned around and told a group of heckling fans to “Shut the (expletive) up!” Then, he stepped up to his shot and did the work himself.
- The pairing of Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay is now 1-3 in their last four Ryder Cup foursomes matches together.
- Looking for a spark, Bradley will once again pair Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau together for afternoon fourballs. That duo went 1-0-1 together at Whistling Straits in 2021. DeChambeau got on the board alongside Cam Young in the morning, earning a 4-and-2 victory, but was the second-worst player statistically in the session for the U.S.
- Young was statistically the best player on the course, on either side, on Saturday morning. One of the few bright spots for the Americans, Young is the only American to earn two points so far. The Ryder Cup rookie will run it back with Justin Thomas in the leadoff spot for fourballs.
- Ben Griffin (0-1) and Rasmus Hojgaard (0-1) are the only players who will sit both sessions on Saturday. Six players will play all five sessions: McIlroy, Fleetwood and Rahm on the European side, with Scheffler, DeChambeau and Cantlay going the distance for the U.S.
