Europe suffered their worst opening morning in the Ryder Cup since the event changed format in 1979 and the United States their best since the late Arnold Palmer was captain with an overwhelming foursomes whitewash at Hazeltine.
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Unsurprisingly they will be up against two-time major victor Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed, who were America’s best combination in Scotland with two wins and a half in three matches, in the first match off at 7.35am local time (1.35pm BST).
The United States also had a 5-3 lead at Medinah four years ago. Matches do not go extra holes in a Ryder Cup.
Let’s let Open champion and European stalwart Henrik Stenson, who was partnering Justin Rose in a practice match, take up the story. The Americans never trailed.
In turn, Danny Willett, an English rookie, had to apologize profusely for the harsh words from his brother, Pete Willett, about American golf fans, since Pete had said that they were “pudgy, basement-dwelling irritants, imbecile”. Europe won its only hole with a par on the ninth and had a chance to shift the momentum.
The feared U.S. duo of Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler proceeded to make it 4-0 over the visitors with a convincing win over Rory McIlroy and Andy Sullivan.
Expect more of it before the hardware gets lifted. Andy Sullivan, one of six European rookies, chipped far too strong on the 15th that led to bogey.
None, of course, was more satisfying than his majestic, 226-yard 4-iron that set up his 20-foot eagle putt.
But with shots such as finding a bunker at the first hole and then putting his tee shot at the seventh into one of 10,000 lakes that the State of Minnesota boasts certainly was not the start Europe was expecting of the 43-year old Brit.
American captain Davis Love keeps faith with three of the foursomes pairings that dominated the opening session. Zach Johnson and Walker will head out against Kaymer and Garcia, and the morning rounds end with Dustin Johnson and Kuchar facing Pieters and Westwood. Love said this week at Hazeltine.
“So obviously instead of playing five times, he will be one match fresher and be able to play his fourth match [as] the singles”. The Americans claimed a 5&4 victory to give the hosts a 2-0 advantage.
The Englishman and the Swede have been in terrific form this season, Stenson winning the British Open and the pair going down the stretch in the Olympics in Rio, before Rose emerged victorious.
“It helps when you birdie the first three holes”, said Koepka, who’s been a star in waiting on the PGA Tour.
Stenson said he thought Spieth and Reed seemed exhausted late in the round, “and we weren’t”. The 12 Americans will now try to prove themselves and their team after the entire USA contingent revamped its selection process, creating a committee and meeting several times in the lead-up to the 2016 Ryder Cup.
“A lead is a lead”, said Ryan Moore after he and J.B. Holmes were beaten by the Spanish pairing of Sergio Garcia and Rafa Cabrera Bello. Unfortunately didn’t make them and then they got on a great roll, started making birdies coming in. “We just stuck with it, trusted our games, trusted ourselves and we got on a little run”. Both Americans missed the fairway on the par-5 16th. At the onset of the match, each team commits one player to tee off on odd-numbered holes, while the other will tee off even-numbered holes. They were always going to be my choice for leading Europe off in this match.
“So we’ll see how that goes”.
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Look away now, Europe fans…
