Records tumble as Europe open up four-point lead – Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup 2018
Europe 10-6 USA
Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari created Ryder Cup history and inflicted yet another demoralising defeat on Tiger Woods to inspire Europe to a 10-6 lead at Le Golf National.
Debutant Fleetwood and Open champion Molinari combined for their fourth win of the contest on Saturday, a feat never previously achieved by a European pair, and a victory for either in Sunday’s singles would complete the first 5-0 record by a European player.
Having brushed aside Woods and Patrick Reed 4&3 in the morning fourballs, Fleetwood and Molinari – Christened ‘Moliwood’ by fans – dispatched Woods and Bryson DeChambeau 5&4 in a foursomes session which was shared 2-2 to maintain the home side’s four-point cushion.
Woods has now lost his last seven foursome or fourball matches in the contest and the 14-time major winner’s total of 20 defeats is just one behind the record of Phil Mickelson, who was left out of the entire day’s play.
Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood beat Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau 5&4
The third match out finished first as Fleetwood and Molinari created history by becoming the first European pair to compile a 4-0 record in the Ryder Cup. Two birdies and seven pars on the front nine took them into a commanding lead before Woods birdied the 10th and 11th to threaten a comeback. Molinari responded immediately with a brilliant approach to the 12th and another birdie on the 14th secured a convincing win. The defeat was Woods’ 20th in the Ryder Cup, one short of Phil Mickelson’s record.
Europe 9 United States 4
Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson beat Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka 2&1
Having been rested in the morning, Stenson and Rose looked rusty as they made a mess of the opening hole, but gradually found their rhythm and pars on the eighth and 10th were enough to move two up. The European pair responded to losing the 12th with a birdie on the next before Koepka’s stunning approach to the 15th set up a winning birdie. Stenson then had to hole testing par putts from eight feet on the 16th and 17th to ultimately seal a vital 2&1 win.
Europe 10 United States 4
Sergio Garcia and Alex Noren lost 3&2 to Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson
The Americans won the first with a Simpson birdie but neither team covered themselves in glory at the short second, which was bizarrely halved in triple-bogey six after Simpson, Watson and Noren all found water. The European pair’s scrappy play continued as when they lost three in a row from the sixth to be four down. They briefly got it back to three down at the 10th but they could not wrest anything else back.
Europe 10 United States 5
Poulter and McIlroy won the first two holes with pars but once the Northern Irishman, after holing a putt for a half at the third, turned to the crowd and screamed ‘Who can’t putt?’ things went downhill. McIlroy carved his drive at the next into the trees to lose the hole and by the eighth they were two down after the four-time major winner missed from six feet. Thomas birdied the 11th to go three up and another birdie at the 13th ruled out any hopes of a comeback.
Europe 10 United States 6
McIlroy will be sent out first in the singles matches as Europe attempt to regain the Ryder Cup on Sunday.
The Northern Irishman will face Justin Thomas in the opening match as USA captain Jim Furyk put his heavyweights out first.
Brooks Koepka, the defending US Open and USPGA champion, is second out against Paul Casey, with Webb Simpson, the 2012 US Open winner and May’s Players champion, up against Justin Rose and Tiger Woods taking on Jon Rahm.
Europe’s star players over the first two days, Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari, are fifth and ninth out respectively against Tony Finau and a desperately out-of-form Phil Mickelson.
Tomorrow’s single matches:
11:05: Rory McIlroy v Justin Thomas
11:17: Paul Casey v Brooks Koepka
11:29: Justin Rose v Webb Simpson
11:41: Jon Rahm v Tiger Woods
11:53: Tommy Fleetwood v Tony Finau
12:05: Ian Poulter v Dustin Johnson
12:17: Thorbjorn Olesen v Jordan Spieth
12:29: Sergio Garcia v Rickie Fowler
12:41: Francesco Molinari v Phil Mickelson
12:53: Tyrrell Hatton v Patrick Reed
13:05: Henrik Stenson v Bubba Watson
13:17: Alex Noren v Bryson DeChambeau
