Europe Seizes Commanding Ryder Cup Lead as U.S. Falters Late in Key Matches

The U.S. finished the first day at Marco Simone without winning a single match.

ROME — The drama that was missing from an early-morning blowout of the United States returned to the Ryder Cup on Friday afternoon as the Americans fought their way back into the competition—with considerable work still needed.

After what the Americans could term an embarrassing start to the three-day competition that saw Europe win all four morning foursomes matches for the first time in the event’s storied history, they managed to at least get on the board in the afternoon, but lost two matches on the 18th hole at Marco Simone Golf Club and walked away with just three tied matches.

The U.S. had an opportunity to win three matches at the 18th hole and could not deliver, falling to a 6½ to 1½ deficit.

Viktor Hovland helped power Europe to another winning session on Friday afternoon at the Ryder Cup :: Gregorio Borgia/AP

It is daunting and will require a much better showing for the Americans on Saturday morning, when they take another shot at foursomes.

"We've put ourselves in a spot where we need—every session is extremely important and yeah, at the end of the day, it's just all anybody can do is control their match," said Justin Thomas after halving his afternoon foursomes match with partner Jordan Spieth.

"You can't win more than one point in one match, and just go out and do your job and win as many as we possibly can tomorrow and get back in it going into singles."

The European lead is its biggest after one day since leading by the same score at Oakland Hills in 2004. Europe went on to a lopsided 18.5 to 9.5 victory.

After sitting in the morning session, U.S. captain's picks Spieth and Thomas put up a noble effort against Viktor Hovland and Tyrrell Hatton, but could not hold the 2-up lead they took to the 14th tee.

Some of that was due to Spieth, who after making three birdies through 13 holes went cold, leaving Thomas all alone. Thomas gamely fought to the end, making a birdie on the 18th hole to salvage a tie after Hovland rolled in a longer birdie putt.

It was at least something after a day of frustration that also saw Americans Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka with a chance to win, only to see Jon Rahm made an eagle at the 18th to salvage a tie when it appeared victory was imminent for the U.S.

Ryder Cup rookies Max Homa and Wyndham Clark, who was playing in his first match in the afternoon, gave the U.S. a boost by getting the lead on the sixth hole and holding it through the rest of the day, only to lose the last two holes to settle for a tie with Robert McIntyre and Justin Rose.

“A lot of putts have meant a lot to me. We don't know the significance of the putt yet but the last putt of the day, all of your team are behind you, the stage was set, you know," said Rose, who made a birdie putt at 18 to secure the half-point.

"I've been out on the golf course and experienced moments like that in the past, whether it be with Poults (Ian Poulter) and Rory and guys like that, but I've never had that moment alongside Bob here where we fought really hard to have that moment, and everybody is following your fourball, your last match on the course."

“And just to enjoy the amphitheatre was incredible, and to knock on in, I kind of let it rip. It was fun.”

Matt Fitzpatrick earned his first Ryder Cup point by carrying Rory McIlroy to an easy 5 and 3 win over Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele. Fitzpatrick made an eagle and four birdies in a five-hole stretch to give Europe a 5-up lead through six holes.

All of this followed a horrific morning for the United States. The struggles for the U.S. Ryder Cup team while playing in Europe are well-documented, a 30-year run without a victory in the biennial competition a big talking point this week.

But the Americans challenged their own futility in that morning session while failing to lead any match at any time. It was a brutal beatdown.

No matches made it to the 18th hole, and no matches were even tied beyond the fourth hole.

The U.S. had openings but faltered each time. Three players found water hazards, nobody seemed able to make a big putt and the Europeans fed off their home-course advantage and boisterous crowd.

For the first time since 1989—a competition that the U.S. team rallied to tie in the end—the U.S. played an entire session without leading for at least one hole in any match.

It's only the fourth time in Ryder Cup history that the matches began with a 4–0 session. Each of the previous three sweeps were foursomes, and it was the Americans who swept Europe. And each time, the U.S went on to win the Ryder Cup.

Only one team—Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay against McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood—trailed by as few as one hole through the opening nine.

Meanwhile, Hovland holed a pitch shot from the fringe at the very first hole, ominously setting the tone for the Americans. That was the first birdie of the day. Rahm hit the flagstick with his tee shot at the par-3 7th, his ball narrowly missed dropping for an ace, and settled for a kick-in birdie. Rahm would also save a par with partner Hatton at the ninth by chipping in, banging his shot off the pin and in.

A recap of Friday fourball matches:

Match 1: Jordan Spieth/Justin Thomas (U.S.) and Viktor Hovland/Tyrrell Hatton (Europe), tied

This was tense throughout, with the U.S. getting its first lead at any point all day when Thomas birdied the 6th hole. The U.S. went 2 up when Spieth birdied the 13th but he lost it from there, leaving Thomas to go alone. Thomas saved them, making a birdie putt at the 18th to tie after Viktor Hovland rolled in a longer putt. The half point was well-earned, but they will rue not getting the full point.

Match 2: Jon Rahm/Nicolai Hojgaard (Europe) and Scottie Scheffler/Brooks Koepka (U.S.), tied.

Rahm worked miracles, making birdies at the 16th and 18th holes to salvage a tie after the Americans had taken a 1 up lead through 16 and again through 17. Both Scheffler and Koepka made key shots and putts but it was Rahm who delivered in the end. He made no other birdies in the round. Koepka and Scheffler combined to birdie the 14th through 18th holes and it still wasn’t enough.

Match 3: Max Homa/Wyndham Clark (U.S.) and Robert MacIntyre/Justin Rose (Europe), tied.

The Americans led this match from the 7th hole and were 2 up with five to play but couldn’t close it out, losing the last two holes. Justin Rose, a Ryder Cup veteran, made the clutch birdie putt at the 18th to salvage the tie.

Match 4: Rory McIlroy/Matt Fitzpatrick (U.S.) defeated Collin Morikawa/ and Xander Schauffele (Europe), 5 and 3

This one got out of hand early, all due to Fitzpatrick, who was 0–5 in his previous two Ryder Cups, both in the United States. Playing for the first time and paired with McIlroy, he played the second through fifth holes in 5 under par. McIlroy added a birdie at the seventh and they were 7 up. The U.S. didn’t win a hole until No. 11 and never got closer than four holes.