– No, Europe has not yet won the 45th edition of the Ryder Cup on American soil. But this team, led by the circumspect Luke Donald, has already made history for the simple reason that it has reached Sunday’s singles with 11.5 points in its locker, something that had never happened since the Ryder pitted the US team against Europe (1979 edition). They achieved this after winning again in the fourth session of play, Saturday afternoon’s fourballs, by 1-3, bringing the total score to that insulting 4.5-11.5, which in any case perfectly reflects what has happened so far in the ‘hell’ of New York.
– Keegan Bradley has fallen into the same trap as many of his predecessors. He, in fact, had taken the task, which is more about emotions, pure locker room relationships, the ha-ha, he-he, to understand us, under the motto ‘make the boys feel comfortable, relaxed, and everything will go smoothly on the golf course’. And it’s not that this is negative, on the contrary, Bradley has been a great captain in this regard. The real unity of the group around a common goal was one of the reasons for Europe’s early success in this competition. The problem is that at this stage, something more is needed. Or much more. A daily work that covers more areas and that, in the European case, from the European circuit to be more precise, will already be underway a day after the action ends at Bethpage.
The United States produces golf talent in abundance, but the improvisation of the method demonstrated once again by the stars and stripes’ technical team, with Bradley as the main responsible for the collapse, not only guarantees nothing when the competition starts, but rather the opposite. The threads that make up a group’s commitment are multiple and varied and are not woven in two or three weekends of adolescent coexistence.
– The pair formed by Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau, as the grand finale of the fireworks, convinced no one, probably not even the players themselves. Another thing is that the World Number One has not been up to the task, for reasons that he probably can’t even understand right now. Scheffler has lost all four matches he has played and, whichever way you look at it, Keegan Bradley cannot be blamed for that. The Ryder is something else, as someone named Woods learned well, and the stripes, a priori, guarantee absolutely nothing. Scheffler’s spirit during Saturday’s two sessions did not rise above the grass level…
Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood, fundamental cogs of the continental machine, made short work of the stellar duo (3 and 2) by demolition, undermining their resistance hole by hole, with a determination and confidence in their possibilities that transcended the ropes. What a Ryder these two Englishmen are having. What a step forward Fleetwood has taken in every sense, beyond the points he has won and those he will win or stop winning. Increasingly influential. In Tommy, a future European captain is already foreseen (just like Rose, although more in the short term, probably for 2027) with the same disposition and profile as Donald.
– Ahead of them was the fourballs match of Young and Thomas against the Irishmen, McIlroy and Lowry, who also came out on top (2 up), first relying on Rory’s hierarchy and then, in the decisive final stretch, on Lowry’s genius, courage, and magic, who finally, in this phase, has been seen in his splendid dimension as a leader, something that did not happen in 2021, his debut edition, nor in 2023, in Rome.
– Curiously, the only point lost by Europe in these afternoon fourballs came in the match of Jon Rahm, who fell alongside Straka to Spaun and Schauffele right at the last gasp, on the 18th hole. The Spaniard did not deserve such punishment, truth be told, as he continued to play notable golf in this session, well supported by the Austrian on the greens at key moments. And yes, debutant Spaun deserves all the credit, whom his captains probably found too late, because this guy might fit the foursomes suit perfectly.
– A last-minute neck injury to Viktor Hovland led to the presence of Tyrrell Hatton alongside Fitzpatrick, to face Cantlay and Burns. Fitzpatrick is finally enjoying the feeling of being a key piece in this competition. His level is great. As for Hatton… There are few values as reliable in the world of golf.
