USA start fightback as Europe remain in control – Ryder Cup

Ryder Cup 2023

Day 2 Afternoon Fourballs

Team Europe 10½-5½ Team USA

Team Europe are closing on an emphatic Ryder Cup victory after retaining a commanding five-point lead over Team USA heading into the Sunday singles in Rome.

Luke Donald’s side began the day five ahead and extended their advantage after edging the Saturday foursomes session, only for Team USA to claim three points in the fourballs and cut the gap to 10.5-5.5 at Marco Simone GC.

Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Åberg had reduced Scottie Scheffler to tears earlier in the day after defeating the world No 1 and Brooks Koepka 9&7, the biggest 18-hole win in Ryder Cup history, only to struggle in the afternoon session and fall to a 4&3 loss to Sam Burns and Collin Morikawa.

Max Homa and Brian Harman claimed their second point of the day when they survived a late comeback from Tommy Fleetwood and Nicolai Hojgaard to earn a 2&1 win, with a Team USA clean sweep temporarily remaining a possibility with two matches left on the course.

Justin Rose and Robert MacIntyre claimed Europe’s first point of the session when they despatched Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas 3&2, before Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick were beaten in a dramatic finish in the final match.

Europe were one ahead with two to play against Wyndham Clark and Patrick Cantlay, who quietened the home crowd by birdieing the 17th and draining a sensational 45-foot birdie at the last to snatch a 1up win and session victory for the visitors.

Europe need four points in the Sunday singles to regain the trophy and win a seventh consecutive home edition of the biennial contest, while Zach Johnson’s American team need eight points to retain the cup and 8.5 points to end their 30-year wait for victory on away soil.

Sam Burns and Collin Morikawa beat Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Åberg 4&3

Burns holed a birdie at the first and converted from 10 feet for a winning par at the third, then responded to Hovland winning the fourth by birdieing the next and gesturing to the home crowd after holing from close range at the sixth.

Morikawa took advantage of the par-five ninth to reach the turn four ahead and followed a birdie at the 11th by making a 10-foot eagle at the 12th to go six up with six to play.

The two-time major champion missed from four feet at the 13th and six feet at the 14th to lose both holes to Åberg birdies, before a par at the next was enough to give both Americans their first win of the contest.

“We did a good job out there,” Burns said. “We knew it was going to be tough. We knew the crowds were going to be against us. We just kept fighting, and glad to put a point on the board for our team.”

Max Homa and Brian Harman beat Tommy Fleetwood and Nicolai Hojgaard 2&1

Homa opened with a six-foot birdie and Team USA stayed ahead when Hojgaard missed a birdie opportunity at the third, with the American then draining a 40-footer at the fourth and matching Fleetwood’s birdie at the next.

The Americans pulled further clear when Homa birdied the sixth and Harman took advantage of the ninth to reach the turn four ahead, with the visitors responding to losing the 10th to a Fleetwood birdie by making a brilliant eagle at the par-five 12th.

Hojgaard’s 30-foot birdie at the 14th and Fleetwood’s remarkable chip-in eagle from off the 16th green extended the contest, before Homa secured a second point of the day for him and Harman with a par on the penultimate hole.

Justin Rose and Robert MacIntyre beat Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth 3&2

MacIntyre slotted in from 15 feet to match the birdie at the first from Spieth, who added another at the fourth, while Rose’s winning birdie at the sixth was cancelled out when Thomas holed from six feet to win the next.

Rose birdied the ninth and drained a 15-footer at the 10th to move Europe ahead in the match for the first time, with MacIntyre winning the par-three 13th to double their advantage.

A par from Rose was enough to claim the 14th and MacIntyre’s brilliant up and down secured a tie at the next, with the point secure at the next to continue the Scot’s unbeaten start to his Ryder Cup career.

“Today is everything I’ve dreamed of. I worked hard for it,” MacIntyre said. “Yesterday I felt like I let Justin [Rose] down a little bit but he stood up to the challenge and today he was brilliant again, and thankfully I helped him out.”

Patrick Cantlay and Wyndham Clark beat Wyndham Clark and Rory McIlroy 1up

McIlroy edged ahead with a 10-foot birdie at the fourth and halved the next after missing his eagle try, having driven the green, with both teams taking advantage of the par-four ninth to leave Europe 1up at the turn.

Cantlay left himself a close-range birdie to win the 11th and Fitzpatrick drained a 20-footer to match Clark’s birdie at the 13th, while McIlroy moved Europe back ahead when he holed from 10 feet at the 14th.

Cantlay holed from 10 feet to match McIlroy’s birdie at the 16th and made a birdie at the next to pull the contest level heading to the par-five last, where Cantlay recovered from a poor pitch to hole a remarkable 45-foot birdie and spark wild celebrations on the final green.

“Obviously they had a great finish and you know, Patrick made three great putts at the end to seal the deal, so hats off to them,” McIlroy said. “They played a great match, and yeah, a few scenes there on 18 and just fuel for the fire tomorrow.”

Sunday Singles:

• Jon Rahm v Scottie Scheffler 11:35 CET
• Viktor Hovland v Collin Morikawa 11:47 CET
• Justin Rose v Patrick Cantlay 11:59 CET
• Rory McIlroy v Sam Burns 12:11 CET
• Matt Fitzpatrick v Max Homa 12:23 CET
• Tyrrell Hatton v Brian Harman 12:35 CET
• Ludvig Åberg v Brooks Koepka 12:47 CET
• Sepp Straka v Justin Thomas 12:59 CET
• Nicolai Højgaard v Xander Schauffele 13:11 CET
• Shane Lowry v Jordan Speith 13:23 CET
• Tommy Fleetwood v Rickie Fowler 13:35 CET
• Robert MacIntyre v Wyndham Clark 13:47 CET