The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fleetwood, Molinari pair up for two wins
SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, FRANCE — Tommy Fleetwood has the long, flowing hair of a rock star, and he was treated like one as he strode through the massed ranks of spectators at the back of the 14th green on a day he’ll never forget at the Ryder Cup.
Like a cyclist pushing his way through boisterous mountaintop crowds at the Tour de France, Fleetwood was stroked, patted and high-fived to the backdrop of “Tommy! Tommy! Tommy!” chants that reverberated around Le Golf National as the sun began to set late Friday.
“It is,” Fleetwood said, “as good as it gets.”
Playing with a partner he considers one of his best friends, Fleetwood teamed with Francesco Molinari to take down Tiger Woods and Patrick Reed in the morning fourballs and outplay Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas — the golden boys of American golf — in a 5-and-4 blowout in the afternoon foursomes.
It all ended at the 14th, Molinari delivering the final blow by rolling in a 6-foot putt for birdie. European captain Thomas Bjorn was there to congratulate them, hugging Fleetwood and whispering in his ear. Teammate Sergio Garcia lifted Fleetwood off his feet.
Fleetwood and Molinari — the European No. 1 and the British Open champion, respectively — were the only European pairing to play twice Friday. And Bjorn has paired them again for fourballs this morning when they will take on Woods and Reed once more. They might be Europe’s new dream team, a combination Bjorn will lean on as it looks to wrest the cup from the United States.
“All the preparation you do,” Fleetwood said, “but nothing gets you ready for this.”
Aside from the scenes at the end, Fleetwood said the highlight of his first day as a Ryder Cup player was the birdie putt at No. 16 in the match against Woods and Reed. The ball broke to the right and dropped into the cup with almost its final revolution.
The celebrations — a double fist-pump followed by a chest bump from Molinari — were among the most memorable of the opening day, and it came amid a run of three straight birdies from No. 15 that turned the match and gave the Europeans their only win of fourballs.
It gave the team momentum going into foursomes, which Europe swept for the first time at a Ryder Cup. That Fleetwood and Molinari finished the job in the anchor match seemed apt.
“I played with Frankie in practice this week, and he barely missed a fairway and barely missed a green,” European player Ian Poulter said. “And I played with Tommy as well, and he played great. That pairing was a very solid pairing from when Thomas agreed to put them out. They have done a stellar job, they really did.”