In a Week Full of Ryder Cup Records, the U.S. Will Need One More to Win
ROME — It will take a record effort for the U.S. to take the Ryder Cup back home, but this 44th biennial event has been all about breaking records, and another record would need to be smashed given the 10.5 to 5.5 European lead.
This isn’t like 1999 at The Country Club, when U.S. captain Ben Crenshaw said he had “a feeling” on Saturday night with his team down four, at the time an insurmountable lead.
Nor is this like the Miracle of Medinah in 2012 when Europe flipped the script and came back from a four-point deficit to win on foreign soil.
The U.S. winning the Ryder Cup from five points back would be unprecedented.
This week's run of records started with Europe winning four points in Friday's opening foursomes, the first 4-0 start for the continent in history and the first time the U.S. was shut out in an opening session.
Jordan Spieth and the U.S. put themselves in plenty of bad spots over two days which saw Europe build a huge lead.
Alessandra Tarantino/AP
The 6½ to 1½ European lead at the end of Friday tied the largest lead in Ryder Cup history, matching American leads in Laurel Valley in 1975 and Oakland Hills in 2004.
After losing 3 to 1 in Saturday morning foursomes, the USA was down 9½ to 2½, a seven-point lead for Europe, matching records for the highest margin after three sessions along with American efforts at Champions Club in 1967 and Laurel Valley.
The Europeans' biggest lead after three sessions had been 8½ to 3½ at Muirfield Village in 1987.
In the Saturday morning foursomes, Europe’s pairing of Ludvig Aberg and Viktor Hovland defeated Brooks Koepka and Scottie Scheffler 9 and 7, the most lopsided 18-hole margin in Ryder Cup history.
At the SI Sportsbook, the odds of the U.S. coming back are 14-1. Would you put money the unprecedented U.S. rally in Sunday singles?
“I do feel like we've got some guys that are in a position and are willing and wanting to be in those positions, that is really attractive to me,” U.S. captain Zach Johnson said of his Sunday pairings.
“Whether you call it experience, accepting the big stage, all of that ... we've kind of got it littered all the way down, and even in certain areas, too: a good mixture of vets, a good mixture of rooks, which history has shown being a rookie isn't that big of a deal when it comes to singles. It's really not that big of a deal.”
While Johnson doesn’t have the luxury of putting hot players at the start of his lineup because he has few of those players, European captain Luke Donald has an abundance and is using them to his advantage with his first six: Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland, Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy, Matt Fitzpatrick and Tyrrell Hatton.
With 12 points available but only needing four, Donald is tasting victory.
“Listen, we are in a great position, five points ahead going into the singles at home,” Donald said. “I like where we are. I like the feelings in the locker room. Patrick (Cantlay) obviously made some great putts and flipped that match at the end but to be honest, we've had a lot of momentum going our way, so we are in a good position.”
Sunday Singles
11:35 a.m. (5:35 a.m. ET): Scottie Scheffler (USA) vs. Jon Rahm (Europe)
11:47 a.m. (5:47 a.m. ET): Collin Morikawa (USA) vs. Viktor Hovland (Europe)
11:59 a.m. (5:59 a.m. ET): Patrick Cantlay (USA) vs. Justin Rose (Europe)
12:11 p.m. (6:11 a.m. ET): Sam Burns (USA) vs. Rory McIlroy (Europe)
12:23 p.m. (6:23 a.m. ET): Max Homa (USA) vs. Matt Fitzpatrick (Europe)
12:35 p.m. (6:35 a.m. ET): Brian Harman (USA) vs. Tyrrell Hatton (Europe)
12:47 p.m. (6:47 a.m. ET): Brooks Koepka (USA) vs. Ludvig Aberg (Europe)
12:59 p.m. (6:59 a.m. ET): Justin Thomas (USA) vs. Sepp Straka (Europe)
1:11 p.m. (7:11 a.m. ET): Xander Schauffele (USA) vs. Nicolai Hojgaard (Europe)
1:23 p.m. (7:23 a.m. ET): Jordan Spieth (USA) vs. Shane Lowry (Europe)
1:35 p.m. (7:35 a.m. ET): Rickie Fowler (USA) vs. Tommy Fleetwood (Europe)