Fact: The United States Ryder Cup team has not won on European soil in 25 years.
Last time the U.S. walked off with a victory was 1993, Tom Watson was the team captain and The Belfry was the venue.
That’s two and a half decades ago.
So as we watch this 42nd version of the grudge matches between the United States and the lads from Europe, you wonder if the United States is really the favorite.
That’s what they’ve been telling us all week whoever “they” are.
Le Golf National was there waiting early Friday morning, flawless as it should be — $7 million will make just about any course flawless — and that’s what was spent to prepare the site.
France did its part.
The crowds were huge and boisterous early. It’s easy to tell which way the matches are going. If you keep hearing that annoying Ole!-Ole!-Ole! singing, well, things are going Europe’s way.
If it gets a little too quiet, the U.S. is doing well.
The captain’s did their part with compelling four-ball matches (best ball), to get this party started. Looked like this:
Justin Rose and John Rahm vs. Tony Finau and Brooks Koepka.
Paul Casey and Tyrrell Hatton vs. Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas.
Rory McIlroy and Thorbjorn Olesen vs. Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler.
Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari vs. Tiger Woods and Patrick Reed.
Glaring change is that U.S. captain Jim Furyk broke up the Spieth-Reed winning combo. Phil Mickelson, Webb Simpson, Bryson DeChambeau and Bubba Watson were on the American sidelines. Sergio Garcia, Alex Noren, Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson sat out the morning session for Europe.
The U.S. had one incredibly hot hand early and it was the player you might least expect — Spieth.
Spieth, who missed the Tour Championship for the first time in his career, was a man on fire early and often. All Spieth did early was play the first seven holes in five-under par and his chip-in birdie at the seventh gave him and partner Thomas what looked like an insurmountable three-up lead, first guys to go three-up in the matches.
Rose and Rahm looked like they’d overpower Finau and Koepka. Finau was carrying Koepka early but Rose and Rahm were two-up at the turn and showed no signs of wilting.
It was only the first match of the day, but historically, that first match has been an important one. In recent years, more often than not, the team winning the opening match went on to win the cup.
As the morning matches progressed, the scoreboard had an early blue tint but as the day worn on, Team USA began to turn the tide.
First American points went up when Fowler and Johnson squashed McIlroy and Olesen, 4-and-2. McIlroy was simply awful, missing fairways, finding the deep rough and Olesen was simply not strong enough to drag Rory’s lifeless carcass around the difficult layout.
There was more bad news for Europe in that all-important leadoff match.
Finau and Koepka rallied late and just when it looked like this match would be halved, Rose up and dunked his approach to 18 long and in the water. Rahm had to layup from the rough, couldn’t save par and VOILA! Another full point for the USA and a huge loss for Europe’s strongest team of the morning.
Two-zip, early thanks the memorable “Bulkhead Birdie” by Finau at the par-three 16th where his tee shot his the wooden bulkhead and instead of finding the water, it stopped three feet from the hole — thank-you.
But just when it looked like things were peachy for the USA, Tommy Fleetwood made late birdie bombs at 15 and 16 to lead himself and Molinari to 3-and-1 victory over Woods and Reed.
Europe desperately needed that point.
By morning’s end it was a near whitewash — USA 3, Europe 1.
Time to end this 25-year drought nonsense.
Editor’s Update: Skunked! Shut out! Just when you think good old Team USA got off to a great (3-1) morning start, what happens in the afternoon alternate shot format? They get wiped out, totally, it wasn’t even close. Team Europe won all four to take a 5-3 advantage after the first day of action. Saturday will be the same, best-ball (four-ball) in the morning and alternate shot (foursomes) in the afternoon. Jim Furyk better figure out who can and cannot play alternate shot or else they’ll be behind the eight-ball going into Sunday’s singles matches.
4 Comments
baxter cepeda
Glad you added that Jim needs to figure out who can play foursomes in editors note Tom because that us what it is exactly all about.
First, anyone can play fourball.
But who can play alternate shot?
Well, they better be naturally steady (not Phil), on form and healthy (not Bubba), major clutch, and really confortable in this environment.
Jim left out an on form Tiger and Tony. He left out the guy with 2 majors this year. And he left out Captain America, our Poults/Serg.
A case could have been made for all 4 except perhaps Reed.
phil and Bubba had no right being out there in foursomes. Spieth was questionable because like Phil and sickly Bubba while he has that major pedigree, his poor form is clearly documented.
Europe is playing everyone early as the US is trying to do but the home teams foursomes have been selected with surgeon like precision…the same cannot be said about Jims US teams alternate shot duos.
Tom Edrington
This one is very much about accuracy and we can see that is obviously a big American weakness!
baxter cepeda
Yes so much hindsight.
I was all about Phil getting in cause he is Phil. But that is only true in America. Phil like a few of our guys (bubba) just arent cut out for European Ryder Cup course setups. We ironically needed more Webb simpsons over there.
Our side are getting smarter but boy are they still so many steps ahead of us in this thing its unbelivable.
Tom Edrington
Baxter: Check out the next feature for Wednesday, the real post-mortem, we won’t pull any punches in explaining what’s wrong with our Ryder Cup team…..it will be eye opening.