Easy Ryder? Let’s not get too carried away … but it’s hard not to. Europe’s rousing dominance of the 42nd Ryder Cup continued at a bright, breezy and chilly Le Golf National this morning as Thomas Bjorn’s inspired troops extended their lead after the third session and opened up a commanding 8-4 advantage.
Having routed Friday’s foursomes 4-0 to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 5-3 lead, Team Europe kept the foot to the floor in this morning’s fourballs and pounded the beleaguered Americans with another series of poised, polished and purposeful performances to take the session 3-1. In contrast to the European exploits, the USA could barely find a fairway, hole a putt or buy a point as they continued to be flummoxed by Le Golf National’s robust examination.
The general wretchedness was illustrated by Patrick Reed. Dubbed Captain America due to his previous Ryder Cup heroics, the Texan was more like Captain Chaos from the Cannonball Run as he thrashed and swiped all over the parish in partnership with a brassed off Tiger Woods.
That particular duo were put to the sword again by the terrific double act of Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari who maintained their 100 per cent record.
Europe burst from the traps like the dugs at Shawfield. Leading from the front in the top tie, Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia surged into a four hole lead through eight but had to endure a nervy finish as Brooks Koepka and Tony Finau fought back before the Europeans notched a 2&1. Paul Casey and Tyrrell Hatton were a combined nine under par in a 3&2 victory over world number one Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler before Fleetwood and Molinari, whose win over Woods and Reed was the only European success on Friday morning, then repeated the feat in style. A blitz of three consecutive birdies from the 11th from Open champion Molinari proved decisive after Woods had somehow dragged the match back to all square.
McIlroy, who had not made a single birdie in Friday morning's fourballs, recorded four of them in the first eight holes, including crucially holing from 15 feet for a half on the fifth after Finau had holed his bunker shot.
Garcia's birdie on the 11th forced Finau into missing from much closer for a half and the European pair were in complete command before Koepka birdied the 14th and both Garcia and McIlroy dumped their approaches in the water on the 15th.
Finau's birdie on the 16th raised the possibility of a stunning reversal but Garcia birdied the 17th to seal a vital win.
"Four up and five to play you are thinking get this over and done with and to be going up 17 is not what you want, but we tried to make best of the situation and that three from Sergio is so clutch," McIlroy said.
"We loved coming out here and the fire and passion he has is infectious and it rubs off on me pretty well."
Casey and Hatton had been eight under par in losing to Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth on day one but went one better to deservedly get a point on the board, Casey making five birdies in the first six holes and Hatton getting in on the act on the seventh, eighth and 13th.
"It's amazing, almost lost for words," Hatton said. "It's such a special moment. To be here is an honour and to win a point for the team is very special. It was a Casey express train the front nine; I was just trying to help out when I could."
Those three points meant Europe had won a staggering eight points in a row, the first time that had be done since the current Ryder Cup format was adopted in 1979. The US finally stopped the haemorrhaging in the final match as Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth staved off the challenge of Ian Poulter and Jon Rahm and battled to a 2&1 win to grab something of a lifeline.
It was going to be a long way back, though.
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