Europe’s play during Friday morning’s session of the Ryder Cup was not only impressive.
It was rare.
In the first match at Bethpage Black, Europe’s Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton defeated Americans Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas, 4 and 3, in foursomes. Then, Europeans Ludvig Åberg and Matt Fitzpatrick topped the United States’ Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley, 5 and 3. Then Europe’s Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood defeated Collin Morikawa and Harris English of the U.S., 5 and 4. Three matches in the opening session — and three matches won by at least four holes.
That hadn’t been done in 74 years.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the 1951 Ryder Cup was the last time a side had won to that degree in an opening session. Played at Pinehurst No. 2, the Americans’ Clayton Heafner and Jack Burke Jr. won 5 and 3; Sam Snead and Lloyd Mangrum won 5 and 4; and Ben Hogan and Jimmy Demaret also won 5 and 4.
Below are a few other findings from Elias:
– Europe’s wins in the first three matches had never happened in 22 previous playings of the Ryder Cup in the United States.
– Europe won at least three points in the opening session for the third time in the past 27 Ryder Cups — and for the second-straight Ryder Cup. Europe led 3.5-.5 in 2004; and it led 4-0 in 2023.
– The teams of Rahm and Hatton and McIlroy and Fleetwood are now 3-0-0 in Ryder Cup foursomes matches.
– Scheffler has now trailed by at least four holes over his three career Ryder Cup foursomes matches.
– The Official World Golf Ranking’s No. 1 player has played 21 Ryder Cup foursomes matches. The record? 10-10-1. The current world No. 1? Scheffler.
One more item. It’s for both American and European fans.
Teams trailing 3-1 or worse after the opening session — the U.S. trailed 3-1 this year — have rallied to win the Ryder Cup five times. Europe has done it three times (1957, 1985 and 2018) and the U.S. twice (1949 and 1971).