with Bryan Angus

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Friday, September 29, 2023

Friday story: undefeated Europe 6 1/2 USA 1 1/2...Saturday morning Foursomes..

 Ryder Cup : Saturday morning foursomes 

Team Europe hold a record-equaling five-point lead over the U.S. Team after going unbeaten on the opening day of the Ryder Cup in Rome.

Matt Fitzpatrick and Rory McIlroy-1708169580
Matt Fitzpatrick (right) claimed his first Ryder Cup point on a historic day for Europe

The hosts produced a clean sweep of Friday’s morning foursomes to hold a 4-0 advantage as Captain Luke Donald's plan to open with foursomes paid off at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club.

They then faced a spirited fightback in the afternoon fourballs but Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm and Justin Rose all crucially holed putts on the 18th green to pick up half points and further deflate the holders.

Matt Fitzpatrick earlier secured his first point as he teamed up with Rory McIlroy to claim an impressive 5&3 win in the anchor match of the afternoon session.

Zach Johnson’s U.S. Team looked likely to cut into Europe’s advantage after the foursomes when they led in all but one of the fourballs, before late heroics from Donald’s men ensured they won the afternoon session 2 ½ - 1 ½.

The 6 ½ - 1 ½ lead after the opening day equals the biggest in the history of the biennial transatlantic match play contest and was last achieved at Oakland Hills in 2004.

This is also the first time the U.S. have not won a single match in a day at the Ryder Cup.

Jon Rahm was perhaps the star of the show for Europe, delivering 1 ½ points - a haul matched by Hovland, Hatton and McIlroy - from his two matches on the day.

After leading from the front by delivering a win alongside Hatton in the morning, the Spaniard chipped in for an eagle on the 16th and then holed a 33-foot eagle putt on the 18th to secure a gutsy share of the spoils alongside rookie Nicolai Højgaard.

Fitzpatrick, the 2022 U.S. Open Champion, earlier made four birdies and an eagle in the first six holes to put his pairing firmly on the way to a stress-free victory.

When the U.S. won the 16th to go two up on rookie Robert MacIntyre and Justin Rose, the U.S. seemed set to claim their first point but England’s Rose won the 17th with a par and then birdied the 18th to cap a memorable opening day for Europe.

edit**** A historic day indeed for Europe. However everything went their way, like Jon Rahm holing a 35 foot putt for eagle while Scheffler and Koepka were lining up 12 footers for birdie, or a wild right drive from Hatton that must have hit a golf cart to bounce right into the middle of the fairway. This has happened against Europe many more times, USA dropping putts from all over the green, Euros lipping out.

The Japanese captain in charge of the aircraft carrier involved in bombing Pearl Harbour in answer to his jubilant pilots who wanted to go back again and finish the job. " we will go back to defend Japan, for I fear with have awoken the sleeping giant"

It wont be this easy tomorrow morning.. Europe will just have to keep playing steady, keep the pressure on, don't make mistakes, make it hard for USA to beat them...

Saturday morning foursome matches

R.McIlroy/T.Fleetwoodvs J.Thomas/J.Spieth
V.Hovland/L.Åberg vsS.Scheffler/B.Koepka
S.Lowry/S.Straka vsM.Homa/B.Harman
J.Rahm/T.Hatton vsP,Cantlay/X.Schauffele

Europe 4 USA 0....Friday morning Foursomes... Friday afternoon Fourball matches results

 Ryder Cup : Friday foursome matches 

Team Europe completed a historic clean sweep of Friday’s opening foursomes to make the perfect start to their bid to regain the Ryder Cup.

Team Europe-1707607826

The hosts' Captain Luke Donald made the decision to begin the 44th edition of the biennial transatlantic contest with foursomes in a bid to get off to a fast start and the move paid dividends at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club.

Europe did not trail in any of the four matches, with the leaderboard exclusively blue from the moment Rory McIlroy made a birdie at the fourth in the anchor match.

But it was Viktor Hovland who set the tone for what was a memorable and historic morning session - winning the opening session of a Ryder Cup 4-0 for the first time in their history.

The Norwegian, playing alongside rookie Ludvig Åberg, chipped in for a birdie at the first, before his fellow Scandinavian birdied the second as they took control in the second match of the day against Brian Harman and Max Homa.

Playing in the opening foursomes match, Jon Rahm produced a sublime display in the company of Tyrrell Hatton, birdieing the third and fifth before the World Number Three almost holed his tee shot on the par-three seventh as they took control against Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns.

Both pairings maintained their command on proceedings as they went on to record 4&3 victories.

In third match out, Ireland's Shane Lowry and Austrian debutant Sepp Straka made five birdies as they raced four up after nine against Rickie Fowler and Collin Morikawa.

Despite losing two holes out of four from the 10th, they wrapped up a 2&1 win with a par on the 17th.

McIlroy, who is making his seventh Ryder Cup appearance, teamed up with Tommy Fleetwood to great effect, with the pivotal moment in their match seeing the Englishman hole a long-range par putt before the American pairing of Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele lost the 15th with a three-putt.

That put the European pair two ahead with three to play and despite losing the 16th, they decisively ended the match after McIlroy set up a three-foot birdie with a brilliant tee shot to seal a 2&1 success.

Friday Fourball Matches

12:25J Rahm/ THatton            TiedJ.Thomas/J.Spieth
12:40V.Hovland / L.Aberg         Tied     S.Scheffler/B.Koepka
12:55R.MacIntyre/J.Rose               TiedM.Homa  /W. Clark
13:10R. McIlroy/M.Fitzpatrick    5&3           C.Morikawa/X.Schauffele

Europe 6 1/2   USA 1 1/2  after Day 1.

europeantour.com

Bryan Angus (edit)

Thursday, September 28, 2023

Team Europe..name the players and coaches ?

Here they are.. all set to take back the Cup...Europe has already won the Solheim Cup in Spain and in the Junior Ryder Cup Europe beat the Yanks 20 1/2 to 9 1/2...Europe are bookies favourites... most of the USA thinks otherwise with them being heavy favourites..We'll see  .......Bryan Angus

Team Europe are pictured as they look to continue their 30-year unbeaten record on home soil