The solar was shining and the rout was on Friday morning at Marco Simone Golf Membership.
Workforce Europe swept the foursomes session to take a commanding 4-0 lead into the afternoon, with the Individuals by no means main a single match. Not for one gap, not in any match.
It’s the primary time Europe has blanked the Individuals within the opening session of the matches (the U.S. received, 4-0, in opening foursomes in 2016 at Hazeltine).
Final week, the U.S. swept the opening session within the Solheim Cup however Europe clawed again to retain the cup with a tie. This time, nonetheless, it’s the guests who’re in a deep gap.
Right here’s how the Day 1 foursomes performed out:
Match 1: Jon Rahm/Tyrrell Hatton (EUR) def. Scottie Scheffler/Sam Burns (U.S.), 4 and three
Rahm and Hatton’s dominant victory was highlighted by the Spaniard’s near-ace on the par-3 seventh.
After the Europeans made the flip, 2 up, it seemed as if the Individuals would be capable to pull inside one on the par-4 10th. Rahm had different plans, chipping in for par from wanting the inexperienced to tie the outlet.
Rahm and Hatton proceeded to win the 11th and 12th holes to go 4 up and coast to the end line to place the primary level on the board for Workforce Europe.
Match 2: Viktor Hovland/Ludvig Aberg (EUR) def. Max Homa/Brian Harman (U.S.), 4 and three
Hovland introduced the fireworks early on this one, chipping in from simply off the inexperienced on the par-4 first for birdie to take a 1-up lead.
Aberg was stable in his Ryder Cup debut, because the pair took a 3-up lead into the again 9 and tacked one other one on with a birdie on the par-4 14th.
Hovland ended the match at No. 15 when he splashed a greenside bunker shot to inside a foot for a conceded par and one other level for Workforce Europe.
Match 3: Shane Lowry/Sepp Straka (EUR) def. Collin Morikawa/Rickie Fowler (U.S.), 2 and 1
This was by no means as shut because the rating would point out.
Lowry and Straka have been 4 up by 9 holes and the U.S. may get no nearer than 2 down on the again 9. The massive fellas closed it out with a routine par on the 16th, placing Europe up, 3-0, with one match left within the session.
Match 4: Rory McIlroy/Tommy Fleetwood (EUR) def. Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay, 2 and 1
This was the closest of the early contests, with Europe main, 1 up, by 14 holes. It appeared because the American tandem would draw all sq. on the 15th, with the Euros out of place, however Fleetwood rolled in a 20-footer for par and Schauffele adopted by lacking a 5-footer to match.
Staked to a 2-up lead with three to play, Fleetwood hit the workforce’s tee shot into the financial institution of the inexperienced on the drivable par-4 sixteenth, barely clearing the water. They might not rise up and down, whereas the U.S. made birdie.
Cantlay then hit a stable tee shot on the par-3 seventeenth, inside 20 toes. However McIlroy responded with a dart to three toes.
After Schauffele missed, Fleetwood rolled his in to finish the blanking.
