Ryder Cup: Match recaps, Day 2

GUYANCOURT, France – Europe will take a 10-6 lead heading into Sunday’s Singles at the Ryder Cup. It’s a hefty advantage, but one that’s familiar for its miracle comebacks – which the Americans hope to pull off at Le Golf National.

Europe won the Saturday morning Four-balls session 3-1 and then split the four afternoon Foursomes sessions. That four-point advantage after the second day is Europe’s largest since 2006 when they won at The K Club.

But 10-6 was also the advantage the Europeans had in 1999 at The Country Club, with the Americans rallying to win. And 10-6 was the advantage the U.S. had in 2012 when the Europeans rallied to win at Medinah. The Americans will need to win eight of the available 12 points Sunday to tie the score and retain the Ryder Cup.

One of the big advantages for the Americans is that Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood will not be together on Sunday. They became the first European duo to win all four team matches in a single Ryder Cup. Tiger Woods was on the losing end of three of those matches, including both on Saturday with Patrick Reed in Four-balls and Bryson DeChambeau in Foursomes.

SATURDAY MORNING FOUR-BALLS

Match 1: Rory McIlroy / Sergio Garcia, Europe, def. Brooks Koepka / Tony Finau, USA, 2 and 1

Holes won: Europe 6, USA 4

Holes led: Europe 15 USA 0

Recap: The real Rory McIlroy turned up on Saturday morning and with the help of a solid Sergio Garcia the Europeans controlled this match until a brief late fightback from the U.S. A McIlroy birdie on the third hole kick-started the theme of the morning as the home side surged to 4-up through eight holes. The Americans tried to make a run at them late and reinvigorated feelings from their Friday comeback win when they claimed the 14th, 15th and 16th holes to pull within a hole. But two huge putts on the 17th green, the first a long par putt from McIlroy to free up his partners birdie attempt, the second Garcia’s long dagger to secure the win. McIlroy, who had zero birdies in the Four-ball session Friday, posted five of them Saturday.

Quotes: “It was amazing. I think we played great all day. Obviously they started coming hard at us the last few holes, a couple little mistakes here and there, but we knew that we just had to keep giving ourselves chances and the way we're playing … it was great for him to make that, gave me a little more freedom and great to roll it in.” – Sergio Garcia

“Four up, five to play, you're thinking win the 14th and get this thing over and done with, and then to be going up 17, it's not what you want, but we tried to just make the best of the situation and Sergio was so clutch. It's great. The fire and the passion that he has, it's infectious, and it rubs off on me pretty well.” – Rory McIlroy

Match 2: Paul Casey / Tyrrell Hatton, Europe, def. Dustin Johnson / Rickie Fowler, USA, 3 and 2

Holes won: Europe 5, USA 2

Holes led: Europe 14 USA 0

Recap: Paul Casey opened the match with scorching form with five birdies in the opening six holes helping set up a 2-up lead. By the turn the European duo was 3-up and while Johnson found some form on the back nine his three birdies on the back side were not enough to handle the home side. Combined Hatton and Casey were 9 under and just refused to let the Americans breathe.

Quotes: “It's been 10 years. Desperately wanted to be back on this team because I know how good it is. I mean, all these guys are amazing, and you know, once you're a Ryder Cupper, you're always a Ryder Cupper. I can't tell you how good I feel - you just don’t want to make the team, you want to contribute.” – Paul Casey

“It's amazing. I'm at a loss for words. It's such a special moment. Obviously to be here is an honor and then to win a point for the team is very special. Obviously playing alongside Paul, he's a Ryder Cup legend. What a player he is. It was the Casey Express train the front nine. I was just trying to help out when I could.” – Tyrrell Hatton

Match 3: Francesco Molinari / Tommy Fleetwood, Europe def. Tiger Woods / Patrick Reed, USA, 4 and 3

Holes won: Europe 6, USA 2

Holes led: Europe 13, USA 0

Recap: Europe’s hottest team continued to roll, beating Woods/Reed for the second time in Four-balls and moving to 3-0-0 for the week. The decisive stretch came early in the back nine when Molinari won three consecutive holes with birdies after Woods had squared the match with a birdie on the 10th hole. Molinari answered by knocking his tee shot at the par-3 11th to within 5 feet, then practically sprinted toward the green as the momentum turned. He continued to stripe his irons to gain control of the match.

Woods was solid but had little help from Reed, who struggled off the tee. He nearly found the hospitality tents at the seventh and he hit into the gallery at the 11th. The only two holes the U.S. won during the match were from Woods’ birdies at the seventh (from 30 feet) and 10th (from 8 feet). With Woods and Reed both finding trouble at the 15th, Fleetwood closed out the match with a par.

Quotes: “Today we were solid, and just started riding that wave again on the back nine when Fran started playing great, and I just kind of stood by his side and tried to hit decent golf shots and stay in the hole and let him go free.” – Tommy Fleetwood

“We were ready this morning. I think any time we had to step it up today, we did, either one of us.” – Francesco Molinari

Match 4: Justin Thomas/Jordan Spieth, USA def. Ian Poulter/Jon Rahm, Europe, 2 and 1

Holes won: USA 5, Europe 3

Holes led: USA 9, Europe 1

Recap: A tough morning at least ended on a positive note for the Americans, as Thomas/Spieth won their second Four-balls match this week. Their two wins make up half of the U.S. points through the first three sessions. The Americans led for most of the back nine, coming up with key shots to match the Europeans.

Spieth won three par-3 holes with birdies, and when Thomas birdied the 11th, the Americans were 2-up. Rahm – who found the water three times in the first two holes – cut the lead with a birdie on the 12th. But from there, Thomas matched a Rahm birdie at the par-5 14th and then matched a Poulter birdie at the par-4 15th. He then closed out the match with a 10-foot birdie putt at the 17th.

Quotes: “We both were playing well … we knew how big this point was.” – Justin Thomas.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON FOURSOMES

MATCH 1: Justin Rose / Henrik Stenson, Europe, def. Brooks Koepka / Dustin Johnson, USA, 2 and 1

Holes won: Europe 5, USA 3

Holes led: Europe 10 USA 3

Recap: The dependable European veterans found themselves in an early hole but climbed back out of it against America’s bash brothers. A scratchy opening bogey was wiped out by the fourth hole and the home side took the lead when par was enough on the par-3 8th. More mistakes from the Americans pushed the lead to two holes but they tried to mount a comeback with a win on the 12th. Sensing the tide potentially turning Rose stuck a dagger in with a birdie putt on the 13th but Koepka produced a dart approach on 15 to bring the comeback win into focus. Enter the iceman Stenson. A huge par putt on the 16th saved a potential loss and then another on the 17th left Koepka with a pressure putt to stay alive … he couldn’t deliver.

Quotes: “It was a tough match and a couple of big putts from me that I managed to squeeze in the right direction. That was awesome.” – Henrik Stenson

“We knew they were going to do something different, try to match up a strong pairing against us and Brooks and DJ are formidable, 1 and 3 in the world, incredible game and they play a similar game. We hung with it.” – Justin Rose

MATCH 2: Bubba Watson/Webb Simpson, USA def. Sergio Garcia/Alex Noren, Europe, 3 and 2

Holes won: USA 6, Europe 3

Holes led: USA 16, Europe 0

Recap: The Watson/Simpson duo finally recreated their Foursomes from the 2011 Presidents Cup, leading the entire way to give the USA its most thorough victory of the week. The duo had combined to win both of their Foursomes matches seven years ago at Royal Melbourne but had lost their two previous Ryder Cup Foursomes matches, including Friday’s afternoon match to Ian Poulter and Rory McIlroy.

A key strategy move was switching the order of tee shots, with Simpson teeing off on the odd holes Saturday while Watson took the evens that included three par 3s. Watson said the switch was made in order to properly adjust to the course conditions at Le Golf National. It certainly paid off, as the Americans combined for five birdies as well as an eagle at the 14th, a hole that displayed their best as a duo. Watson unleased a huge drive on the only par 5 in which he teed off, Simpson followed with a crisp long iron to inside 5 feet, and Watson nailed the short eagle putt to win the hole and go 4-up.

The Garcia/Noren duo, having won the day before against Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau, struggled on the front nine. They suffered a bogey, a double bogey and a triple bogey in the first seven holes and were fortunate the triple at the par-3 second did not cost them the hole, as the U.S. also made triple to halve the hole. The Europeans had just two birdies, and neither of them won the hole – including the par-3 16th when Simpson closed it out with a birdie.

MATCH 3: Francesco Molinari / Tommy Fleetwood, Europe, def. Tiger Woods / Bryson DeChambeau, USA, 5 and 4

Holes won: Europe 7, USA 2

Holes led: Europe 14 USA 0

Recap: The clear MVP’s of team play capped off a perfect 4-0 record with another demolition display. From the moment they birdied the opening hole the Europeans were in control of the match and with Woods and DeChambeau making critical errors it was never close. Even when Molinari made a rare error in finding a water off a tee, DeChambeau followed him into the hazard and lost the hole. Europe made the turn at 5-up and while the Americans tried to rally by winning two straight after the turn the home side was having none of it, burying a brilliant birdie on the 12th and clinching it with another on the 14th. Woods will be sick of seeing the pair, losing to them in three of the four matches. It was the first time in Ryder Cup history a European pair have gone 4-0 in team play.

Quotes: “A little bit emotional right now. We were really, really good this afternoon. We played really solid, we played really well. Just glad that we've done our job for the team.” – Tommy Fleetwood

“It's been absolutely amazing. But, you know, we came here to do a job, and it wasn't to go in the records books or anything like that, it's about the team, it's about getting to 14 1/2. We're getting closer, but those 4 1/2 points we're going to need tomorrow, we're going to have to fight hard for them.” – Francesco Molinari

MATCH 4: Jordan Spieth/Justin Thomas, USA def. Ian Poulter/Rory McIlroy, Europe, 4 and 3

Holes won: USA 6, Europe 2

Holes led: USA 10, Europe 4

Recap: The Europeans won the first two holes with pars – and didn’t win another, as the Spieth/Thomas duo continued to be the biggest positive factor for the Americans. The longtime friends won three of their four matches, and bounced back in Foursomes after getting trounced the day before by the undefeated Europeans, Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood.

The Americans started slowly with bogeys, and even suffered another one at the par-4 fourth, only to win the hole when the Europeans suffered a triple bogey after a wild tee shot by McIlroy. But a lengthy birdie putt by Spieth at the par-4 fifth seemed to give the U.S. a new gear, and they played bogey-free golf the rest of the way. Spieth ended the match with a birdie putt and then pounded his chest, much like Poulter has been doing earlier in the day.

Quotes: “We both played unbelievable today.” – Justin Thomas.