Westwood falters in face of onslaught

Darren Clarke’s faith in Belgian Thomas Pieters showed glimmers of being fulfilled, but his great friend Lee Westwood suffered one of the worst mornings in his long Ryder Cup career as the European pair were thrashed 5 and 4 by Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar.

World No 2 Johnson was in outstanding form, but Westwood and Pieters played the front nine in 40 strokes – with the veteran of 10 Ryder Cup contests the passenger for most of them.

It had been rumoured that Clarke planned to play Masters champion Danny Willett with Westwood before changing his mind at the last minute after Willett’s difficult week caused by his brother’s article in a magazine criticising US golf fans.

That was denied by the European captain, who said he wanted Pieters in the game right away.

Westwood carved his opening shot into a bunker.

After he drove into the lake on the right of the seventh fairway, they were four down.

Johnson birdied the short eighth to put his team five-up.

Although Pieters wrested a hole back at the ninth and holed out for birdie and a half at the long 11th, there was no way back.

The US won the 13th and took the point with a half in birdies at 14.

“Our games complement each other,” Johnson said. “And on home turf, the fans just kind of bring out the best in you.”