Team Europe makes Ryder Cup history with 4-0 sweep

Europe won the opening session of a Ryder Cup 4-0 for the first time in their history as Captain Luke Donald’s plan to open with foursomes paid off at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club.

The alternate-shot format opened proceedings on European soil for the first time in 30 years, with that contest at the Belfry the last time the U.S. Team won away from home.

And no match went to the last as Europe won a foursomes session 4-0 for the second time in as many home Ryder Cups, leaving the visitors with an early mountain to climb.

Jon Rahm was in inspired form as he and Tyrrell Hatton won the top match 4&3 against Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns, with the Scandinavian pair of Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Åberg beating rookie duo Max Homa and Brian Harman by the same score.

At one point, Europe were 4 UP in two matches, 3 UP in one and 2 UP in the other and while the U.S. fought back in the bottom two matches, they could not hold back the blue tide.

Sepp Straka and Shane Lowry defeated Collin Morikawa and Rickie Fowler 2&1 and Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood downed previously undefeated foursomes duo Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele to make it a clean sweep.

“It was the perfect start for us,” said Donald. “I’m so happy with the way the guys came out of the gate, they got out to leads early on which is paramount in match play.

“It’s an amazing start but we know the U.S. will be hungry to come back for more so we need to keep that foot firmly on the pedal.”

He added: “I couldn’t be happier (with the Rookies). It’s not an easy format, foursomes, to go out as your first match as a Rookie. Sepp and Ludvig just did what they needed to do, they played tremendous golf.

“This team has great unity, they’re very fired up and what an amazing start for them.”

There has been some talk of Europe taking inspiration from the ladies after last week’s European Solheim Cup victory but it may be the Americans taking heart from seeing Suzann Pettersen’s team lose their opening session 4-0 only to retain the trophy after a 14-14 tie.

The last time a team won the opening session 4-0 in a Ryder Cup was in 2016 when the U.S. went on to claim a thumping 17-11 victory.

In an attempt to fight back, Zach Johnson brought in his four rested players – who have 11 Majors between them – for the afternoon session, with Donald also making sure his entire team saw action on a baking day one in Rome.

“We’re really only two, two-and-a-half holes into an 18-hole day or front nine of a golf tournament,” said Johnson.

“There’s ample opportunity out there. We’ve got a lot of hungry guys, guys who want adversity and I’ve got the utmost confidence in them. it’s about doing what they do and staying committed and I think we’ve got the right guys to do that.”

He added: “Hats off to the European team, they’re playing quality golf, they’re making shots, they’re making putts, it’s very impressive but there’s still a lot of opportunity.”

In the top match, Scheffler lipped out for a chip-in as the first was halved but Rahm holed a curling putt from off the green at the third and Europe were 2 UP on the fifth after a tidy chip from Hatton helped them get up and down for birdie at the driveable par-four.

Burns holed a birdie putt from six feet at the sixth to cut the gap but Rahm was relentless, hitting the pin with his tee-shot at the seventh to put Europe back into a two-hole lead.

The U.S. looked like they would cut the gap at the tenth but Rahm chipped in to help his team secure an unlikely half before he drove the par-four 11th and, when he put the second shot at the 12th to 13 feet put Europe 4 UP, there was no way back for the U.S.

Hovland chipped in on the first to set the tone for a roller caster start to match two, with a par enough to hand Europe the second, but the U.S. hit back as Homa holed from 28 feet on the third and they took the fourth after Europe missed the green.

Harman chipped over the green on the fifth as Europe won with a par and Åberg, who had not looked particularly assured in the early stages of his debut, holed from 12 feet on the sixth as the hosts went 2 UP once more.

Another Åberg putt, this time from 16 feet on the par-five ninth, had Europe 3 UP at the turn and after four halves in a row, Hovland holed an 11-foot birdie putt on the 14th to put Europe 4 UP with four to play.

A Lowry approach to six feet on the third was followed by a tee-shot to similar range on the next as Europe went 2 UP in match three but the U.S. hit back on the next as Straka found water off the tee.

A par was enough to hand Europe the seventh and when Morikawa found the water on the eighth and Europe got up and down for birdie on the ninth, the lead was four at the turn.

Lowry was in the water off the tee at the tenth and the deficit was cut further as Fowler holed from 43 feet on the 13th.

Europe took the par-five next after a two-putt birdie and while a wild Lowry drive on the driveable par-four 16th helped keep the match alive, the contest was over on the next.

The bottom match was brought to life by a Fleetwood tee-shot to seven feet on the fourth and when Cantlay put the U.S. Team’s second in the water on the eighth, Europe were 2 UP.

The hosts made a mess of the ninth but got up and down on the 11th for a birdie and were 2 UP with five to play.

A beautiful Cantlay approach to ten feet pulled a hole back for the U.S. Team but the turning point came on the 15th as the Americans were on the green in two but Fleetwood holed a 20-footer for birdie and the visitors three-putted in a dramatic turnaround.

The Englishman found a nasty lie on the next to keep the United States’ hopes alive but a McIlroy tee-shot to two feet on the 17th ended the match.

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