Ryder Cup: Ben Coley reports from Paris after Europe take the lead on day one
Ben Coley reports from Le Golf National after Europe fought back to take an unlikely lead into day two of the Ryder Cup.
It is often said that Europe are stronger than the United States when it comes to Ryder Cup foursomes. The theory goes that golf's ultimate trust exercise appeals to their team dynamic, with the US players - typically more successful as individuals - finding it harder to share the load. At the end of an enthralling first day in Paris, it all makes sense.
Europe were all at sea in the morning fourballs, despite Justin Rose putting blue on the board at the first opportunity. From there, he and Jon Rahm slowly but irrevocably let slip their advantage, one which saw them lead after 14 of 18 engrossing holes but not the one which counts. Europe were already 1-0 down when Rose's second to the last found water, and Rahm could not perform the rescue act.
Half an hour earlier, Rory McIlroy and Thorbjorn Olesen had been forced to concede defeat on the 16th green, before Tyrrell Hatton's attempt to salvage a half drifted right as Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth began their Ryder Cup romance with a point. It was left to Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood to keep Europe in the fight, the former winning his first full point in his third Ryder Cup thanks in no small part to Fleetwood's late-morning fireworks.
Still, Europe had much work to do. Their star rookie had suffered defeat and their star men, Rose and McIlroy, had failed to deliver, Rose spectacularly so on the final hole. Much now rested on some returning heroes with questions of their own to answer. Ian Poulter, back from four years away, was charged with igniting McIlroy while Sergio Garcia made his first appearance in his preferred format as Alex Noren's foursomes partner.
As Garcia gripped and re-gripped on the first tee, it would've been hard to imagine he and Noren making the turn seven-up, but a stunning five-under run combined with some extreme waywardness from Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau made it reality. The European pair could not chase down records - 8&7 for the biggest Ryder Cup success in history, 7&6 for a foursomes best - but their point was never in doubt.
Poulter, meanwhile, was still looking for a way to conjure his remarkable Ryder Cup spells when he and McIlroy trailed Webb Simpson and Bubba Watson by two. Indeed it was McIlroy who changed the course of the third match, first driving the sixth green and then finishing the meat Poulter's powder-puff eagle try had left behind.
From there, a run of bogeys from the meek American duo handed Europe an advantage and it was all but finalised when McIlroy produced a spell of his own at the 13th, hacking and hoisting a mid-iron from a deep, downhill lie onto Poulter's putting radar as memories of their Medinah partnership came flooding back.
🏆 Shot of the day?
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) September 28, 2018
This effort from @McIlroyRory must be up there...#TeamEurope #RyderCuppic.twitter.com/MRCmcjmzrV
America's stay of execution lasted two more holes until a floating approach to the 16th from McIlroy forced a concession, a 4&2 victory representing a marked turnaround. Europe had won seven holes in 12 all told to earn another point on an afternoon which, it had long been clear, had barged the morning into the realms of distant memory.
With three already secured, five Medinah members responsible for them along with the brilliant Noren, it was left to Europe's shining lights from the fourballs to chase another record: Europe had never before won Friday's foursomes 4-0. They have now.
Again, Europe had help. Fleetwood and Molinari clearly enjoyed each other's company, finding comfort no doubt in the fact that one is as reliable as the other, but it was Spieth's putter which ended the match early. While everything had dropped in the morning - he needed just six putts in the opening seven holes - in the afternoon came a different story, emblematic of America's straight shift from fifth to reverse.
US captain Jim Furyk will not need telling that much can change, and that Europe's 5-3 lead is a narrow one, but pressure is now heaped upon him and his side heading into Saturday's fourballs. In light of Europe's latest foursomes display, the visitors simply must win the third session of five - and then they must perform much better in the afternoon.
It's clear that Le Golf National asks questions of the American side they're not totally at ease in answering. That alone does not allow us to write this Ryder Cup off this early - far from it - but some more thought and improved execution will be required. This amounts already to a serious test of their credentials. The team who were meant to end the 25-year European hoodoo must now do so from behind.
Europe are comfortable dictating from the front. They are at one with a golf course which was made to host this event, yes, but might as well have been made with even greater specificity - to host a European win. They remain 9.5 points short of that target with 20 more to play for; this is still on a knife edge and will likely remain so until at least Saturday afternoon.
Then, it's time for some more foursomes. As Europe once again showed, it's where they're at their most comfortable.
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