NO SPAIN NO GAIN
Garcia and Rahm repay Harrington’s faith as they get Europe off to a dream start by downing Stricker’s top pairing in the opener
THERE was once a time when Padraig Harrington and Sergio Garcia didn’t get on.
But the Irishman put his trust in the Spaniard and he wasn’t let down.
Faith to pick him as a wild-card. Faith to ask him to lead the team out on to the first tee alongside compatriot Jon Rahm and into an idiotic chorus of boos.
Garcia responded in the only way he knows how at the Ryder Cup.
As Europe had to weather a firstmorning storm in the sunshine at Whistling Straits, the 41-year-old ran straight towards the fire.
Not wilting. Not even to America’s superstar pairing Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas.
Harringon needed something special from the marquee opening contest and Garcia displayed an iron will and touch of class which deserted many of his team-mates in the opening exchanges.
At the same time, more records were chalked up for the insatiable Spaniard. Garcia already held the landmark for most points won in the Ryder Cup and it’s now 26.5 after he added another to that tally.
His 23rd victory equals the record held by Nick Faldo and he also equalled Bernhard Langer’s all-time record in foursomes.
It just goes on and on for Garcia and Harrington is going to need him fresh and firing for the next two days if Europe are to have any chance.
The first tee shot of the Ryder Cup was a little tug into a bunker and, fair enough, there were a couple of uncharacteristic mishits later.
In general, Garcia was sensational, guiding and channeling Rahm’s energy and brilliance and leaving his world No.1 pal in positions to do damage with his lethal weapon of a putter.
Perhaps Rahm summed up his senior partner’s influence on the match and the entire side when he said: “When you have this guy beside you, it’s easy to feel relaxed.”
There was silk and steel. For all the quality, there was a bit of matchplay mind games just before the turn and a psychology over short putts not given to either side.
As several Americans have found to their cost in the past, fuelling Spanish fires is not a sensible plan.
Garcia kept his foot down. Proud to have led the side out in his 10th Ryder Cup appearance, he said: “It felt great, but I knew who I had on my side and I wouldn’t change him for anyone. I was very honoured to hit the first tee shot.
“Jordan and Justin played well and we had to do the same to beat them. Jon and I went out there and we did what we had to do. I know the guys are fighting hard.”
Given Garcia’s standing in the game, it would have been better to have some respect afforded.
Spieth even shot a glance to heckler on that first tee as silly booing and catcalling accompanied Garcia, Rahm and all of the European players on to the first-morning stage.
Garcia’s seen it all before. If you made your debut at Brookline, there’s nothing left to see.
His wife Angela, an American, had made appeals beforehand about locals going over the line towards away players. It wasn’t spiteful, more stupid and disrespectful, but Garcia said: “We know that’s the way it’s going to be. “If they don’t get behind them in the US, where are they going to get behind them? “You expect that. You know it is going to happen.” In some ways, just like any Americans will feel defeat may be coming their way if it’s them facing Garcia today or tomorrow. Sadly for Europe, it was just the one run for him. Into his fifth decade, Garcia just can’t do five matches at The Ryder Cup any more. As Rahm went back out for the afternoon fourballs alongside Tyrrell Hatton, his record-breaking colleague instantly joined the support staff on the first tee, blethering and smiling with Greg Norman as his team-mates went back into the fight.
Lee Westwood and Matt Fitzpatrick also had a watching brief after a morning defeat to Brooks Koepka and Daniel Berger. The 48-year-old and English partner had chances to sink the American pair, but made mistakes at key points and didn’t take the opportunities which came their way.
Westwood was philosophical about the loss and said: “We played well enough to win. They got the breaks. We didn’t.
“They holed a couple more putts and we didn’t and we didn’t take the chances when we had them. The first bogey we made all day was on the 17th, so we played well.
“It’s just like that in The Ryder Cup. Sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn’t.”
Fitzpatrick is still without a Ryder Cup point, but he said: “As Lee said, I thought we played great and we missed two greens all day.
“Lee put a bit of on an exhibition tee-to-green to be fair and I didn’t take the chances when I had them.”
Jon and I both went out there and we did what we had to do GARCIA SAYS HE AND RAHM ARE ON SAME PAGE