KOHLER, WISCONSIN (REUTERS) - The United States, led by a new generation, reclaimed the Ryder Cup on Sunday (Sept 26), reaching the 14-1/2 points required to beat holders Europe and heralding what could be an era of domination by the Americans at the biennial competition. Having romped to a commanding 11-5 advantage after the foursome and fourball sessions, the Americans entered the singles needing just 3-1/2 points to get to the target needed to hoist the little gold trophy. Collin Morikawa ended European hopes when he birdied the 17th to go 1Up in his match with Viktor Hovland, guaranteeing the US a deciding half-point. The 24-year-old Ryder Cup rookie would make it official a few minutes later with a par on 18 to end the match in a tie, sending a thundering chant of "USA, USA" rumbling across Whistling Straits. "To clinch this and bring it back on home soil feels so good," said Morikawa, one of six rookies on the 12-man US team. "The guys pulled through; we didn't let up." It was just the second time in six competitions and third in 10 that the US had claimed golf's most coveted team title. Never before in 42 previous Ryder Cups had a team come back from more than a four-point deficit on the final day and Padraig Harrington's men, while defiant, never threatened to make history. Whistling Straits provided a stunning backdrop and perfect party spot for 40,000 mostly flag-waving American fans who flooded into the links-style Pete Dye jewel on the Lake Michigan shoreline on Sunday, ready to celebrate. Morikawa sent the party into overdrive but it would be some time before all his team mates could join in with seven matches still out on the course to be completed and the only thing left to be decided the margin of victory. Given their commanding lead, there were worries about a lack of intensity by the US players but a raucous crowd on the first tee assured their batteries were fully charged heading out. Needing something magical, Harrington turned to a player who had so far provided little of it at Whistling Straits, tasking a winless Rory McIlroy with sparking a European fightback. McIlroy, who laboured so badly in the foursome and fourballs that Harrington stood down the Northern Irishman for the first time in his Ryder Cup career, was first out against Olympic champion Xander Schauffele and found a spark, going 2up after four holes and never trailing in a 3&2 win. But behind McIlroy an American red wave was forming on the scoreboard as Jon Rahm, Sergio Garcia and Shane Lowry, who had accounted for most of the European points in the foursome and fourballs, failed to fire. Patrick Cantlay defeated Lowry 4&2 and Scottie Scheffler slayed Europe's best Rahm 4&3. More on this topic Related Story Golf: Delayed Ryder Cup returns to raucous reception Related Story Golf: Europe drop Rory McIlroy for Saturday's foursomes line-up in Ryder Cup Scheffler, a captain's pick still without a PGA Tour win, was handed the daunting task of taking on the world number one and did not wilt from the challenge, going 4up on the Spaniard after four holes and never letting him back into the match. Big-hitting Bryson DeChambeau, the crowd favourite with his monster drives, pounded Garcia into submission 3&2 to leave the US a half-point from mission accomplished. Who would get that crucial point was a toss-up between several matches but Morikawa got the honour when he nearly aced the 17th, leaving a short tap-in that secured nothing short of a draw.
KOHLER, UNITED STATES (AFP) - Americans Xander Schauffele, the Tokyo Olympic champion, and US PGA playoff winner Patrick Cantlay face Europe's Ian Poulter and Rory McIlroy in Friday's (Sept 24) opening foursomes session of the Ryder Cup. Pairings revealed at Thursday's opening ceremony unveiled the lineup for Friday morning's start to the 43rd biennial match-play showdown between holders Europe and the United States at Whistling Straits. Spaniards Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia will open for Europe in the first match against Americans Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth at 7.05am (7.05pm Singapore time). Top-ranked Rahm won his first major title in June at the US Open while Garcia is the all-time Ryder Cup points leader with 25.5. Spieth is a three-time major champion while Thomas has one major crown. The next match, teeing off 16 minutes later, sends Americans Dustin Johnson and Collin Morikawa against England's Paul Casey and Norway's Viktor Hovland. World number two Johnson won his second major title at last year's Masters while Morikawa captured his second in July at the British Open. Match three finds Englishmen Lee Westwood and Matt Fitzpatrick facing Americans Brooks Koepka, a four-time major winner, and Daniel Berger with Americans Schauffele and Cantlay off last against Europe talisman Poulter and four-time major winner McIlroy. The event was delayed a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, those involved not wanting to conduct the Ryder Cup without spectators. "Seeing all of you out here, it was all worth the wait," US captain Steve Stricker told thousands at the opening ceremony. European captain Padraig Harrington admitted, "There were times I figured this might not happen." "After all the world has been through the past two years, it's such a joy and relief to be standing here in front of you." More on this topic Related Story Golf: Harry Potter actor Tom Felton requires medical attention at Ryder Cup Related Story Golf: US tries to win back Ryder Cup as Europe seeks upset Friday's early foursomes matches will be followed by four afternoon four-balls matches and Saturday will have foursomes followed by four-balls ahead of Sunday's 12 concluding singles matches. The United States will need 14.5 points to win the Ryder Cup while Europe need only 14 to retain the trophy. The United States owns a 26-14 with two drawn edge in the all-time rivalry but since expanding from Britain and Ireland to all of Europe in 1979, the Europeans are 11-8-1, winning nine of the past 12 and four of the past five. World number two Johnson said there was no secret to Europe's recent success. "They just play better," he said. "It's really simple. Whoever plays better is going to win. I mean, it's not rocket science." More on this topic Related Story Golf: Koepka Ryder Cup ready despite injuries Related Story Golf: DeChambeau enjoys 'great conversations' with Koepka ahead of Ryder Cup
KOHLER, UNITED STATES (AFP) - Padraig Harrington is hammering home the idea of European exceptionalism as his players prepare to defend golf's Ryder Cup in hostile territory against a star-laden US team. Upon arriving at Whistling Straits, Europe's players learned where they line up in the history of just 164 players who have represented the continent. Despite their wealth of experience and depth of enthusiasm for the biennial match play showdown, Europe's players were clearly moved to learn what rare company they're in. "It was very powerful," Spain's Sergio Garcia said of the video that featured such past Ryder Cup greats as Jose Maria Olazabal and Tony Jacklin. Every player to represent Europe - Great Britain and Ireland before the format changed in 1979 - was assigned a number, right through the members of this year's team of 12, who were urged to "make it count." Garcia will be playing in a 10th Ryder Cup when Europe launches its defense on Friday on the Wisconsin course hugging the shore of Lake Michigan. England's Lee Westwood will be playing in his 11th - but he too was struck by the video that contrasted the 164 to the 5,780 people who have climbed Mount Everest, 570 people who have been in outer space and 225 men who have won a major golf championship. "You have a far greater chance of going into space or climbing Mount Everest than you have representing Europe in the Ryder Cup," Westwood said. "It's something to be proud of, being able to pull on the clothing with the European team crest on it." European teams have won nine of the past 12 Ryder Cups, thrashing the United States 17.5-10.5 in France in 2018. That includes three of the past six held on US soil. More on this topic Related Story Golf: DeChambeau enjoys 'great conversations' with Koepka ahead of Ryder Cup Related Story Sporting Life: Ryder Cup rookie Patrick Cantlay likes the taste of pressure In harkening to history, Harrington boosted the spirit of camaraderie that Europe must have to maintain its dominance against a US team that features eight of the world's top 10 players - the highest number for either team since the inception of the world rankings in 1986. US captain Steve Stricker, aiming to make the most of all that talent, capitalised on the United States' home advantage by convening his team for an early weekend of practice at Whistling Straits, before the hoopla of Ryder Cup week was in full swing. Jordan Spieth, heading into his fourth Ryder Cup, wasn't sure how helpful the days of light practice would be, but said Tuesday they had been beneficial. Feet on the ground "I thought the commitment of guys to get up here was cool," Spieth said. "We were messing around. We were hitting shots. We weren't really like chipping and putting to all the pins. It was more let's have some fun and play a match with each other and just kind of see - get our feet on the ground, see the grandstands, see the setting ahead of time so that when we arrive today, you're not kind of taken aback." That could be especially useful for a US side featuring six Ryder Cup rookies, and it plays into Stricker's goal of "out-preparing" Europe. "Certainly I think things can adjust, but as far as how prepared you can be on Tuesday for a Friday start, I would say it's probably the most that I've seen in the four Cups," Spieth said. More on this topic Related Story Golf: Garcia, Lowry, Poulter named as Europe's Ryder Cup wild cards Related Story Golf: Schauffele and Spieth head US Ryder captain Stricker's picks as Reed left out