The 45th Ryder Cup got underway at the formidable Bethpage Black, which felt eerily quiet at the start of the opening session on Friday morning.
It didn’t take long for the lively crowd to shift to a more subdued atmosphere. Ultimately, the Europeans surged ahead, taking a commanding 3-1 lead into the afternoon’s four-ball session.
Legendary NFL coach Bill Parcells reflected on his experiences, stating that the ultimate satisfaction came from silencing rival crowds, recalling his days coaching the Giants and quieting stadiums such as RFK in Washington and Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia.
On Friday, European Captain Luke Donald wore a smile, clearly enjoying the calming silence as his team consistently sank more putts than their American counterparts.
Several key moments shaped the Americans’ morning round. After Scotty Schaeffler’s tee shot on the 10th hole, he walked off the tee with a grimace, appearing troubled as he and partner Russell Henley struggled against Matt Fitzpatrick and Ludvig Åberg.
The Americans seemed to carry the weight of disappointment throughout the course. At hole 13, Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas found themselves down against John Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, who were two up at that point. Amidst distractions, Hatton managed to focus and sank a crucial 15-foot putt to extend their lead to 3-up.
The atmosphere shifted dramatically as European fans filled the area around the 14th tee, chanting and cheering as if it were a home turf advantage.
Even the presence of Michael Jordan at the 14th tee couldn’t seem to motivate DeChambeau and Thomas. Yet, when DeChambeau holed a 10-foot birdie putt, it briefly reignited hope among American fans. However, Rahm quickly countered with an impressive eight-footer, extending the European lead once again.
This brief moment of excitement for the Americans quickly faded. DeChambeau and Thomas lost the hole at 15, sealing a 4 & 3 match defeat against Rahm and Hatton. This marked Europe’s first point early, just a little over three hours after the first tee-off.
Within minutes, it became clear the tide was turning against the Americans as Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood decisively beat Colin Morikawa and Harris English 5 & 3, making it 2-0 for Europe. By 10:43, the score increased to 3-0 when Ludvig Åberg and Matt Fitzpatrick triumphed over the world’s number one Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley with a 4 & 3 victory.
The atmosphere around Bethpage Black remained tense, with President Trump expected to visit later that day.
In the end, the Americans salvaged some pride. Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele managed to win their match 2-up, leaving the overall score at 3-1 in favor of Europe as they approached the afternoon session.
“If we only win one point, it was good to get it out of the anchor match to build some momentum for the afternoon,” Schauffele said. “We really need to come back and secure some more points.”
And so, the crowd buzzed back to life.
