Bethpage Black is for the people, the golfers with modest budgets, willing to sleep in their cars to secure tee times.
On Saturday, it was home to the ugly American.
A second straight no-show by Team USA has made the European conquest of Long Island a near-lock, stripping all suspense from the final day of the 45th Ryder Cup with the Americans trailing 11½ to 4½ for the largest two-day deficit since the 1979 dawn of the current format.
Even as the U.S. lost six of eight matches, a well-lubricated suburban crowd looked even worse, venting their frustration by making numerous obscene remarks. Rory McIlroy was the top target, repeatedly showered with four-letter taunts — he responded with one of his own, as did his partner Shane Lowry, who asked security to eject an attendee — which prompted American players to ask for silence and necessitated an increased police presence.
With 12 singles matches remaining, Europe needs only 2½ more points to retain the trophy and three points to claim the first Ryder Cup road win since 2012. No team has ever overcome a final-day deficit of more than four points. No team under the current format has ever scored more than 8½ points on the final day.
Still, U.S. captain Keegan Bradley summoned inspiration:
“The message [to the team] was, ‘I was at that 28-3 [Super Bowl] against the Falcons,” said the New England native and Patriots fan, referencing their 2017 championship comeback. “My message was, ‘If you were a 16-year-old kid, and you were going to get to go play for your country in singles in New York at Bethpage Black, you would be so excited.
“Of course, I want to go out there and make history.”
Europe became just the second road team to win each of the Ryder Cup’s first three sessions, earning three wins in foursomes and three more in the four-ball session to produce the most points through two days in the history of the 28-point format.
Since the start of the 2023 Ryder Cup, the U.S. is 3-13 in foursomes play. That includes an 0-4 mark from world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who became the first American to ever lose matches in the event’s first four sessions. Europe also won cumulative four-ball play (5-2-1) for the first time since 2010.
“I didn’t really imagine this,” European captain Luke Donald said. “I’m very happy with how strong our team is, the firepower they have, the intensity. It’s kind of the anti-fragile mentality. Things got tough out there, and it fired them up even more.
“It was loud. It was raucous. What I consider crossing the line is personal insults and making sounds when they are trying to hit on their backswings or very close to when they are trying to go into their routines. … It’s something we prepared for, and I can see how well they have dealt with it.”
In the most recent Ryder Cup at home (2021 at Whistling Straits), the U.S. recorded the biggest blowout win (19-9) of the modern format. But the thousands of fans expected to visit the state park Sunday could be witnesses to American infamy.
No home team has ever lost by more than nine points.
“Anything can happen,” Bryson DeChambeau said. “I know it’s quite lopsided, but it would make for a great comeback story.”
DeChambeau showed fight by winning the day’s first match with New York native Cameron Young — the first American rookie to win his first two career Ryder Cup matches — then took part in a heated verbal confrontation with Justin Rose and their respective caddies near the tail end of the blowout.
“I was ready to hit my putt, [and] I didn’t feel like that space was being honored,” Rose said after his victory with Tommy Fleetwood against DeChambeau and Scheffler. “I made my feelings known, asked him to move, maybe not as politely as I could have done but … we both have a lot on our minds and it’s intense out there.”
For the most part, the Europeans were unflappable, largely ignoring the crowd, whose off-color comments grew worse as the deficit grew larger. McIlroy largely smirked or shrugged at the incessant remarks, blowing kisses at the desperate crowd trying to make an impact on the one-sided affair.
During one of the day’s most consequential moments, the American heckling backfired. With the U.S. looking to even the anchor match of the morning, and potentially split the session, fans mocked Bob MacIntyre’s weight, then counted past 50 as Viktor Hovland lined up a 13-foot putt that he would bury before unleashing the Europeans’ most emotional celebration (“Let’s f–king go!”) of the day.
“That was pure instinct,” Hovland said. “I think I went blackout there for a couple seconds. You understood how much it meant.”
During four-ball, the Americans went nearly four hours without leading any match, before J.J. Spaun and Xander Schauffele closed with back-to-back birdies to steal a win.
“Just go for broke,” said Spaun, stating the mindset on the final day.
By early evening, tickets for Sunday’s matches were available for less than half the price of their $750 face value. Alcohol prices remain the same.
“The People’s Country Club” belongs to Europe.
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