The American comeback plans fell through on the second day of the Ryder Cup. European players stretched out in the morning matches, which limited the reaction time in the afternoon. After finishing the first day with a comfortable score of 6.5 to 1.5, Captain Donald assured the men in the field and was rewarded, under the watchful eyes of singer Justin Timberlake and pilot Lando Norris.
A record was also broken on day two for the Europeans with Scandinavians Viktor Hovland and Ludwig Aberg humiliating world number one Scottie Scheffler and multiple major winner Brooks Koepka, registering a defeat by the largest margin in the history of the tournament. It was won by 9 points over 11 holes and the handshake with the last seven holes unplayed.
After leaving the green, Schaeffler sat down, joined by his wife, and burst into tears, confirming the frustration and tension that had accumulated for the champion, but also for the American team. The first American point, or rather the first win since the start of the competition, arrived at 11.15 when Max Homa and Brian Harman finished the 16th hole with a 4-stroke advantage over Shane Lowry and Seb Straka, who were still in the chase. Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood beat Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth in a match they always lead as they first escaped and then were caught again by Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton who beat Patrick Cantlay and Xander Scheufele in the final holes. Extending the lead had captain Zach Johnson running for cover and he shuffled the cards on the afternoon.
The Americans started strong with the duo of Sam Burns-Collin Morikawa and Max Homa-Brian Harman beating Viktor Hovland with Ludvig Åberg and Tommy Fleetwood with Nicolai Højgaard, and remained in the lead from the first hole. In the third match, Justin Rose consolidated his experience with Robert McIntyre, and halfway through the match, he overturned the deficit of the Justin Thomas-Jordan Spieth duo, one of the most successful duos of all time.
The fourth match was the most balanced. Matt Fitzpatrick and Rory McElroy led by 10 holes over Patrick Cantlay and Wyndham Clarke. The Europeans did not take advantage of the numerous opportunities to double their lead, and as often happens in football: “wrong golf, right golf”. Cantlay lit up on the 16th hole and with three shots in the final three holes, holed out from astronomical distances, tied for first, then handed the win to the United States. A score of 10.5 to 5.5 leaves the lead unchanged. Europe stopped the Americans just as state police did with a group of nine environmentalists preparing to enter the Capitoline Golf Club carrying signs containing slogans of protest against the sport, perhaps unaware that the greens at the clubs are subject to strict environmental protection rules. The use of water and chemical products is often preferred for animal development. Today there are 12 singles matches with the highest number of points. Europe only needs 4 to win.
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