Farmingdale, New York | In a variation of the coffee mug slogan “Life is what happens when you are making planning”, it is a fair assumption that none of the exhausting Ryder Cup preparation work by the American captain Keegan Bradley and his employees expected a grim reality.
That Scottie Scheffler and Bryson Dechambeau, the expected thunder and lightning of the Americans, could not win on the first day of this Ryder Cup in benevolent Bethpage Black.
It can be a simplification, but the reason that the Europeans have a 5½-2½ lead that will enter the matches of Saturday is the difference in what their top players did compared to the A-Listers of the Americans.
While Scheffler and Deschambeau went together 0-4 and play both quadries and four-balls on the long, sunny day, the European Triumvirate won from Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood 5½ of a possible six points.
If McIlroy had gained a 12-foot Birdie Putt on the 18th hole while the sun went under, it would have given him and Shane Lowry a 1-up victory over Sam Burns and Patrick Cantlay instead of a draw. The difference was half of the point, but it felt like it left the lights on the Americans, who have to turn the story into the eight games of Saturday.
“It’s a great day for Europe,” said McIlroy. “We would have absolutely taken this last night if you had told us that we would be 5½ -2½ up.”
A day that started surprisingly softly, just after sunrise culminated with a closing two hours that hissed the way Ryder Cup days to do.
With the New York crowd who found his voice – not always in the softest way – each gap seemed to have more weight towards the end of the day. The only thing it was missing was the Broadway lights 30 miles west.
The frustration was clearly clear on the face of Decchambeau and in his body language when he marched to the reach just before sunset to chase what was missing.
When Fleetwood the 18th Hole Birdied to close a 1-up victory with Justin Rose about Ben Griffin and Dechambeau, it felt like another trailer swing for Europeans in a match that could have tilted the other way.
“Tommy made some huge putts at the right moments, and you know, that was a huge turning point,” said Rose.
The frustration was clearly clear on the face of Decchambeau and in his body language when he marched to the reach just before sunset to chase what was missing.
“0-2 today, pretty disappointed. I played good golf, just not good enough, and they have made everything. Happiness is now on their side,” said Decchambeau.
Speaking of body language, Scheffler looked understandably tired when he left on Friday evening. His day started with a loss of 5 and 3 foursomes with Russell Henley to Ludvig Åberg and Matt Fitzpatrick and ended with a 3-and-2 four-ball loss with JJ Spaun to Sepp Straka and Jon Rahm.
Scheffler is now 0-4-2 in the last two Ryder-Bekers, so that a fan asks: “Is Scottie Scheffler not playing well with others?”
“We gave ourselves many opportunities. It really just came down to me and wasn’t enough puts,” Scheffler said.
At the end of a disappointing day, Bradley said what captains say.
“We only played 28 percent of the points. This is the first quarter. We still have three -quarters to go. I have a lot of confidence in my boys,” said Bradley.
It was a discouraging but not devastating start for the Americans, who lost three of the four four-derms matches and ran their record to 2-10 in the last three alternative shot sessions.
Instead of activating the Home-Heavy Gallery, many of whom were in the massive grandstands around the first Tee and 18th Green spacious before the sun rose on Friday, the flat-line starts ominous, with invaluable dark visions of Lost Ryder Cups being lit again in recent years.
“Incredible day. This morning was huge for us and we all know how important it is to start well.” – Luke Donald
In the three American losses in Foursomes, none of the matches reached the 16th hole. The only morning match that went the distance was a 2-up victory for Xander Schauffele and Cantlay about Viktor HOVOLAND and Robert Macintyre.
In his short comments in the afternoon, Bradley openly hoped that the arrival of President Donald Trump might be the inspiring impulse that his team needed. The afternoon session, although marginal better for the Americans, suggested that it will cost more than a presidential drive-by to get the Europeans.
Bradley chose to send a number of new combinations in the morning with the Collin Morikawa-Harris English combination that opened some eyes. The two had never played team golf together and never found a rhythm against McIlroy and Fleetwood, lost, 5 and 4.
In the morning, Bradley also chose burns, Griffin and Cameron Young, three of the top four Americans in the beats this year won statistics.
Small, different from Ryder Cup Warhorse Cantlay, worked. Cantlay was 1½ of the 2½ points of the Americans on Friday and he is now 6-2-2 in the Ryder Cup. He will have to do it again on Saturday if the Americans have to improve their chances for Sunday singles.
“Incredible day. This morning winning was huge for us and we all know how important it is to start well,” said European captain Luke Donald.
“Boys grinded to win the session again this afternoon. That is another tick in our box, and I am very happy where we are.”
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