Euros live in Moli-wood
Dynamic duo perfect, U.S. needs huge rally
RYDER CUP
SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France — Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood walked down the fairway after delivering another big point in the Ryder Cup, side by side with their arms around each other.
Here came “Moli-wood” at Le Golf National, the latest Ryder Cup sensation and the first European tandem to win all four matches since the cur- rent format began in 1979.
Even more satisfying was that three of those points came at the expense of Tiger Woods.
But this was no time to celebrate.
“We came here to do a job, and it wasn’t to go in the record books or anything like that,” Molinari said.
And now they have to do it individually.
Everything points to Europe taking back the precious gold trophy today, starting from a 10-6 lead that requires them to win only 41⁄2 points from the 12 singles matches.
Woods hasn’t won any of his three matches.
Phil Mickelson didn’t even play yesterday.
Europe filled the board with its blue scores right from the start, winning three of the four matches in fourballs for an 8-4 lead, its largest after three sessions in 14 years. It held on in foursomes, with Henrik Stenson delivering clutch putts in the only match that was close.
But the score should sound familiar, and it was enough to make the Euros cautious.
That’s the same deficit Europe faced in 2012 at Medinah when it produced the largest comeback on foreign soil. The Americans have never made up that much ground away from home, though they were the first to win after trailing 10-6, at The Country Club in 1999 when they frontloaded the Sunday lineup with their biggest stars.
And that was on the mind of Europe captain Thomas Bjorn, even as he was drowned out by thousands of fans using what was left of their voices to sing songs the Americans have heard far too often.
“We go ahead tomorrow and focus on what’s ahead and not what’s done,” Bjorn said. “We are so well aware of what’s standing across on the other side — the greatest players in the world . ... I would never get ahead of myself in this.”
Europe brought five rookies to Le Golf National who sure didn’t seem like rookies — Alex Noren and Fleetwood were the last two French Open champions on the Albatross Course — and certainly didn’t play like that.
His four captain’s picks have delivered six points, while the American picks have contributed one, by Tony Finau.
“We’re really, really happy with how it’s gone these past two days,” Bjorn said.
If not for Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, the Americans might really be in trouble. They pulled ahead in a tight fourballs match to beat Ian Poulter and Jon Rahm for the lone American point in the morning that prevented Europe from a second straight sweep of a team session. They rallied from an early deficit against Poulter and Rory McIlroy in foursomes, with both delivering key shots and big putts. With four birdies in their last five holes, they won 4 and 3.
Europe was up 10-4 until Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson won their match on the 16th, and Spieth and Thomas closed out their match right behind them.
“They had a six-point lead, and now it’s four,” Spieth said. “So we are carrying that as a little bit of momentum, I guess. Early wins tomorrow go a long way.”
Thomas leads off the singles against McIlroy.
Woods is in the No. 4 spot against Jon Rahm, who has played two emotional matches without winning. Mickelson faces Molinari.
“I don’t know if there is any one match more important than the other,” U.S. captain Jim Furyk said. “You’ve got 12 of them out there, and we have to win eight points tomorrow . . . . We’re trying to make some magic tomorrow.”
Mickelson will have to shake off some rust. He hasn’t played since Friday in a foursomes loss that lasted only 14 holes.