Europe whitewash America in Friday foursomes at Ryder Cup
Europe won each of the four morning foursomes matches to take a large and unexpected lead at the 2023 Ryder Cup…
Europe completely dominated America on a Ryder Cup Friday morning to remember, taking a 4-0 lead into the afternoon.
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler got the event underway, but he and Sam Burns were beaten 4&3 by the passionate pair of Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton.
Team Europe’s opening duo were never down, nor were any of Europe’s pairs at any point, and a birdie-eagle sequence on holes 11 and 12 helped to secure Luke Donald’s first point as captain.
“I’ve had a good feeling about Tyrrell all along,” Rahm said in Rome. “Last time we played together it really felt good, and it was good to come out here and perform the way we did.
“It’s an incredible foursomes match and we played as confident as two people can play, and it was a beautiful one.”
Viktor Hovland chipped in for a birdie with just his second shot of the week, leading to another convincing 4&3 win alongside the young Swede Ludvig Aberg.
First hole. First roar!
— Ryder Cup (@rydercup) September 29, 2023
Viktor Hovland’s chip on the first hole this morning sent Marco Simone wild 🤯@Citi | #RyderCup pic.twitter.com/hcQZI6jdp1
They suffocated the rookie US pairing of Max Homa and Brian Harman who won just two holes at Marco Simone this morning.
“It was such a big difference compared to Whistling Straits,” Hovland said. “Normally I keep my head down and just play, but I’m trying to really get the crowds going and just use them because they want you to play well and they want to support you.
Sepp Straka struck his first shot at a Ryder Cup on the 1st tee alongside Shane Lowry, and it was a debut to remember for the two-time PGA Tour winner.
He rolled in the winning putt on the 17th hole to seal a 2&1 win over Rickie Fowler and Collin Morikawa.
“Obviously it’s early days but I wanted to give Sepp his moment in the Ryder Cup to hole the winning putt,” Lowry said.
“It’s huge. We are off to a great start this morning. We need to keep our foot down. Myself and Seve jelled well today. Very happy out there with him and enjoyed myself.”
Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay pushed Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood to the 17th hole, but the European pair secured the 4-0 scoreline with a gritty 2&1 victory.
Here are the pairings for the afternoon fourballs after the conclusion of the first Ryder Cup foursomes session.
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Matt Chivers
Now on the wrong side of 25, Matt has been playing golf since the age of 13 and was largely inspired to take up the game by countless family members who played golf during his childhood.
Matt is a member at Royal Cinque Ports in Deal playing off a 5 handicap, just a pitching wedge away from his hometown of Dover where he went to school and grew up. He has previously been a member at Etchinghill and Walmer and Kingsdown in Kent.
Having studied history at the University of Liverpool, Matt went on to pass his NCTJ Exams in Manchester a year later to fulfil his lifelong ambition of becoming a journalist. He picked up work experience along the way at places such as the Racing Post, the Independent, Sportsbeat and the Lancashire Evening Post.
Matt joined NCG in February 2023 and is the website’s main source of tour news, features and opinion. He has reported live from events such as The Open, the Ryder Cup and The Players Championship, having also interviewed and spent time with some of the biggest names in the sport.
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What’s in Matt’s bag: Cobra LTDx LS driver, Cobra LTDx 3-wood, TaylorMade P7MC irons, Ping Glide 4.0 wedges, Odyssey putter.
