Scotty Schaeffler’s shot on the 18th hole highlighted a frustrating morning for Team USA.
After Russell Henry teed off well on the 18th, Schaeffler found himself in trouble, hitting his shot into a rocky area, which put the Americans in a difficult position. This moment capped off an already tough day for the US team.
Viktor Hovland and Robert Macintyre secured their fourth match win for the day, while Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Young were the only American pair to win, defeating Matt Fitzpatrick and Ludvig Aberg. Currently, the score stands at 8½-3½ in favor of Europe.
“The opponents were really impressive,” Schaeffler mentioned after the match. “They made some crucial putts. I was definitely disappointed with how we finished, but I’m pushing hard this morning and will be ready for the afternoon.” The atmosphere at Bethpage Black was wild, but the pressure was building for the Americans.
As Macintyre and Hovland celebrated their win, European fans started chanting, with one jokingly telling Keegan, “Take out the earpiece!”
Harris English and Collin Morikawa managed to close the gap against Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood, but they were down by four after four holes against the dominant duo.
Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay had a tightly contested match against Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, but the European team seemed to have an answer for everything, with Rahm making one of the best shots of the tournament on the 8th hole.
The Europeans came to Long Island determined to take home the Ryder Cup.
“We celebrated our success yesterday, but we know there’s more to do, so we need to maintain our momentum,” Donald stated before the match began on Friday.
