Justin Thomas makes eagle in afternoon match to aid in US domination on Day 1 of the 2020 Ryder Cup (image: PGA Tour)
HAVEN, WISCONSIN - The 2020 Ryder Cup is underway and Day 1 of action has concluded. As it stands, the US holds a dominating lead over Europe with a score of 6-2.
This is the largest Day 1 lead of the Ryder Cup since 1975 and was the start that the US was looking for. The team managed to win 40 holes today, versus Europe's 27.
Let's break down today's action match by match.
MORNING FORESOMES
1) Jordan Spieth & Justin Thomas vs Jon Rahm & Sergio Garcia (3&1)
Match 1 was the most anticipated pairing of the morning, with both the US and Europe going to their strengths first. The match was tight for the first few holes, with Spieth and Thomas taking a 1UP lead after the 2nd hole, but Garcia and Rahm rallying back to take a 1UP lead after the 4th hole. After this, Rahm took over the match with an impressive display of putting, aiding by accurate iron-play by Garcia. The two had a 3UP advantage after the 10th hole, and won by that amount. On the 17th hole, the last hole of play, Spieth, after a poor tee shot by Thomas, was faced with a dramatic chip shot. Their ball was located on the side of a grassy cliff that surrounds the 17th green. With barely a stance possible, Spieth hit one of the most impressive shots I've seen this year, managing to flop the ball straight up in the air, just feet from the hole and nearly stumbling down the cliff doing so. Unfortunately, Thomas could not make the putt to extend the match, giving Europe their first point. For Garcia, this ties him with Sir Nick Faldo for most match wins at a Ryder Cup with 23.
2) Dustin Johnson & Collin Morikawa (3&2) vs Viktor Hovland & Paul Casey
This was an interesting pairing, with both Captains Stricker and Harrington opting to pair one of their rookies with one of their veterans. Johnson and Morikawa struck first, taking a 1UP lead after the first hole, but Hovland and Casey rallied back, winning holes 3 and 4 to go 1UP after the 4th. Johnson and Morikawa, aided by excellent iron play and driving accuracy, countered, winning holes 6 and 7 to go 1UP. This lead would continue and grow onto the back nine, with the Hovland and Casey only wining one point on the back nine, leading to a 3UP win and the first point for the US.
3) Daniel Berger & Brooks Koepka (2&1) vs Matt Fitzpatrick & Lee Westwood
Captain Harrington again decided to pair youth with experience, but things did not pan out. Koepka and Berger, former college teammates at Florida State, managed to take the lead after the 2nd hole and held onto it all match, with Fitzpatrick and Westwood unable to win a hole from the 7th hole onward. This was a tough loss for Europe, since both Fitzpatrick and Westwood had several putts to win holes but could not convert.
4) Xander Schauffele & Patrick Cantlay (5&3) vs Rory McIlroy & Ian Poulter
This was perhaps the most surprising result of the day. We knew it would be a good one, given the skill between Schauffele and Cantlay and the experience between veterans McIlroy and Poulter. But the Europeans found themselves in unfamiliar territory, and fast, losing their first five holes, to go five down after five. I think this shocked most fans, who could not believe what they were seeing. Poulter and McIlroy began to muster a comeback on the back nine, winning holes 10 and 11. But the lead proved too large to overcome in the end.
The score was 3-1 for the US after the morning rounds, which was cause for concern amongst European players and fans alike.
AFTERNOON FOURBALLS
1) Dustin Johnson & Xander Schauffele (2&1) vs Paul Casey & Bernd Wiesberger
For this match, Captain Harrington again decided to pair Casey with a rookie in Wiesberger. This turned out to be ineffective against the well performing Schauffele and Johnson. Again, in a growing trend, the US struck first, going 3UP after five holes. The Europeans managed to cut the lead to one going into the back nine, but the Americans were able to counter, taking the lead back up to three over holes 10 and 11, and held it until the end.
2) Bryson DeChambeau & Scottie Scheffler vs Jon Rahm & Tyrrell Hatton (halved)
This match saw the much awaited tournament debut of DeChambeau and Scheffler, who were both fan favorites. The match was very close, going back and forth right until the end. Going into the par 4 18th hole, the Americans held a 1UP lead. A victory seemed imminent, but Hatton saw things otherwise. After hitting a huge tee shot on the 18th and following it up with a close approach onto the green, Hatton sunk his birdie putt to halve the match.
3) Tony Finau & Harris English (4&3) vs Rory McIlroy & Shane Lowry
This was a very good match for the Americans, as both Finau and English played very well. But it was the Europeans who took an early lead, going 1UP after the 5th hole. But, both English and Finau knew exactly what to do and did it, rallying hard over holes 6-10 to gain a 3UP lead, one that would extend to four shots after the 13th hole. This was a good and dominating win for the US.
4) Justin Thomas & Patrick Cantlay vs Tommy Fleetwood & Viktor Hovland (halved)
This is the match that the Europeans will be kicking themselves over. Fleetwood and Hovland held a commanding lead in the match, being three points up after 8 holes. But determined not to be had, Thomas and Cantlay managed to make birdies at holes 9 and 12 to chip the lead down to a single point. A huge eagle on the 16th tied the match up and it remained that way until the end.
The score was 6-2 for the US at the end of the day and Europe managed to not win a single match in the afternoon.
***
On the whole, things are not looking good for the Europeans. Simply put, they were outplayed all day by the Americans. They will need a strong performance on Saturday to even think about being in contention. It will be tough, but we've seen just how hard the Europeans can rally when asked to do so. Saturday's match formats will remain the same, with foursomes in the morning and fourballs in the afternoon. Winds are scheduled to pick up as well.
Is this the start of a comeback in the making for Europe? It's too early to tell, but Saturday is moving day and a lot can happen. Stay tuned tomorrow for our Day 2 coverage.
-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews
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