U.S. barely keeps Cup lead after morning sweep
Even with the first opening-session sweep in four decades, the Americans were reminded anew Friday that no lead is safe in the Ryder Cup.
Not after one session. Not after one day.
And based on the last Ryder Cup on American soil, not until it’s over.
Europe battled back from a 4-0 deficit behind its best tandem, Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose, and capped off a long and rowdy day at Hazeltine at Chaska, Minn., when its best player, Rory McIlroy, holed a 20-foot eagle putt and then mocked the crowd by taking a bow.
The United States had a 5-3 lead, the margin after the first day at Medinah four years ago that ended in another European victory. The Americans lost a chance to really put Europe in a hole.
“It’s frustrating not to come out a little bit more ahead,” U.S. captain Davis Love III said.
Love could not have scripted a better start — a symbolic one, too.
To honor Arnold Palmer, who died Sunday, Ryder Cup officials placed on the first tee Palmer’s golf bag from when he was captain of the 1975 Ryder Cup team. Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed then set the tone with a 3-and-2 foursomes victory over Stenson and Rose, and the Americans delivered the first sweep of the opening session since that 1975 team at Laurel Valley.
Phil Mickelson, feeling more pressure than usual because of his influence on changes and on this team, also produced big shots. His wedge into 5 feet that Rickie Fowler converted was key in the Americans winning three straight holes for a 1-up victory over McIlroy and Andy Sullivan.
“With everything going on — me not having a point and Phil being a big part of getting the players a lot more involved to Arnie passing and him being a huge part of the week, this is big for us,” Fowler said. It just didn’t last. “The guys were disappointed with the way they played this morning and the way they performed,” European captain Darren Clarke said. “But they showed tremendous bravery and heart and desire to go out and play the way they have done this afternoon.”
Beaten for the first time, Rose and Stenson went right back out against Spieth and Reed and handed the American duo its first Ryder Cup loss. The Europeans made nine birdies in 13 holes for a 5-and-4 victory in an afternoon session in which the board was filled with European blue.
Sergio Garcia, who along with Martin Kaymer made only one birdie in a foursomes loss, teamed with fellow Spaniard Rafa Cabrera Bello to dismantle J.B. Holmes and Ryan Moore. McIlroy and Thomas Pieters never trailed against Zach Johnson and Matt Kuchar, handing them their first loss in four Ryder Cup matches.
The lone American point in the afternoon came from Brandt Snedeker and Brooks Koepka, who had no trouble against Kaymer and Danny Willett. LPGA Tour: Mi Jung Hur eagled two of the last three holes for a 10-under-par 63 and a share of the second-round lead at 14-under 132 with Brooke Henderson in the Reignwood LPGA Classic in Beijing.