Europe’s charge continues after morning session at Le Golf National – Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup 2018
Europe 8-4 USA
Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia survived a nervy finish to lead from the front and beat Brooks Koepka and Tony Finau in the morning’s fourballs as Europe extended their advantage to 8-4 at the Ryder Cup.
Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari maintained their 100 per cent record and condemned Tiger Woods to another defeat, before Paul Casey and Tyrrell Hatton were a combined nine under par in a 3&2 victory over world number one Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler.
In the final match, Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth gave the States something to hang on to with a 2&1 success over Ian Poulter & Jon Rahm.
Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia beat Brooks Koepka and Tony Finau 2&1
McIlroy failed to make a single birdie in Friday’s fourballs but it was a different story on day two, the Northern Irishman making four in the first eight holes including a crucial one from 15 feet for a half on the fifth after Finau had holed his bunker shot.
His longest of the day from 30 feet on the eighth put Europe four up and although Koepka’s first birdie reduced the deficit on the par-five ninth, Garcia’s birdie on the 11th prompted Finau to miss from three feet to match it. Koepka’s birdie won the 14th, Garcia and McIlroy both found the water on the next and Finau birdied the 16th to set up a nervy finish, but Garcia sealed the win in style with a birdie on the 17th.
Europe 6 United States 3
Paul Casey and Tyrrell Hatton beat Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler 3&2
Things began badly for the American pair when Fowler hit his opening tee shot into the lake and Johnson, having almost drove into the water himself, dumped his third shot into the hazard to concede the first hole. Fowler redeemed himself with a birdie at the next but Casey’s birdie putt at the third restored Europe’s advantage and a fifth birdie in six holes put them two up.
Johnson birdied the short 11th to win their first hole since the second but when Fowler’s attempt for a half lipped out on the 14th Casey and Hatton, a combined nine under par, went three up. A Johnson chip-in par at the 15th kept the match alive but only for one more hole.
Europe 7 United States 3
Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood beat Tiger Woods and Patrick Reed 4&3
After two wins on the opening day it was no surprise to see “Moliwood” back together and they made the ideal start with Fleetwood’s long-range birdie on the second and Molinari’s two-putt birdie on the par-five third.
Woods reduced the deficit with a birdie on the seventh, where Masters champion Reed had driven out of bounds, and also birdied the 10th to get back on level terms, but Molinari responded with brilliant birdies on the 11th and 12th and was conceded another on the next when both Americans found the water. Par on the 15th was enough to conclude an emphatic win.
Europe 8 United States 3
Ian Poulter and Jon Rahm lost 2&1 to Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas
Spieth made the early move with a two-foot birdie at the second as rookie Rahm got off to the worst possible start, hitting his first two tee shots into the water.
A par at the fourth was good enough to get Europe all square and when Poulter drained a lengthy putt at the seventh just before 11am local time, Europe were up in all four matches.
Spieth birdied from six feet at the eighth and from distance at the 11th to go one up and Thomas took them two up at the next. Rahm finally found a birdie at 13 but Thomas birdied the penultimate hole to get USA’s only point of the morning.
Europe 8 United States 4
