Team USA Struggles Early as Europe Dominates Ryder Cup Main Event

Bryson DeChambeau brought flair to the opening day of the Ryder Cup — but Europe brought the points.

The much-hyped atmosphere at Bethpage Black fell short of expectations in Friday’s opening Foursomes session, thanks in large part to a dominant European performance that left the U.S. trailing 3-1 after day one.

The Americans were spared a complete morning sweep only by Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, who held on in a tense finish. After losing a 3-up lead through 11 holes, they battled to the final green to secure the lone point for Team USA.

“It’s not exactly what we wanted,” admitted U.S. captain Keegan Bradley. “But the Ryder Cup is all about ebbs and flows. I’ve got a lot of faith in our boys.”

The host crowd saw a flash of drama when Air Force One flew low over the 15th fairway, President Donald Trump on board en route to the Ryder Cup — marking the first appearance of a sitting U.S. president at the event. The Americans were 1-up in the anchor match at the time, walking under a giant flag and across Old Swamp Road in front of thousands of fans. But the moment didn’t shake Europe’s composure.

European Domination on the Scoreboard

DeChambeau kicked things off with trademark style, blasting a 344-yard drive over the trees on the first hole to ignite the crowd. But from there, the Europeans took over.

Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton delivered a commanding 4-and-3 victory in the opening match. Behind them, Ludvig Åberg and Matt Fitzpatrick dismantled world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley 5-and-3, building a 3-up lead by the sixth hole and never looking back. It marked Scheffler’s fifth straight Ryder Cup match without a full point.

Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood — the “Fleetwood Mac” pairing that starred in Rome — wrapped up their match early with a dominant win over Harris English and Collin Morikawa, finishing things on the 14th hole before ever reaching Old Swamp Road.

“We talk a lot about fast starts,” said Fleetwood. “Luke [Donald] has drilled that into us since he became captain. That’s the ideal.”

Quiet Crowds, Boisterous Moments

Despite Bethpage’s reputation for rowdy New York energy, the morning crowd was surprisingly subdued. Even Bradley’s pre-round rally cry — grabbing a mic and yelling “Let’s (expletive) go, boys!” — couldn’t stir the grandstands into full voice.

The usual Ryder Cup energy was fragmented, with chants starting on one side and fading before reaching the other. At times, the crowd even crossed the line — particularly during McIlroy’s warm-up, when vulgar language echoed around the range.

Still, there were moments of classic New York edge. On the 17th tee, Robert MacIntyre had to reset after a heckler shouted “Hit the ball!” before he missed a crucial par putt. The crowd erupted in cheers for the Americans and booed the Europeans on the 18th.

Cantlay and Schauffele capitalized on the pressure, winning a back-and-forth match against MacIntyre and Viktor Hovland to avoid a 4-0 hole.

Looking Ahead

Europe’s captain Luke Donald again emphasized early momentum — just as he did in Rome, where his team swept the opening session and never looked back. It seems the strategy is working again at Bethpage.

For Keegan Bradley and the U.S. squad, the pressure is on. Only two teams in modern Ryder Cup history (since 1979) have overcome a 3-1 opening-session deficit to win the Cup.

Bradley, who considered being the first playing captain since 1963, walked alone up the 15th fairway to shouts of “You should have played!” from the fans.

DeChambeau and Justin Thomas received huge cheers early, but there was little for U.S. fans to celebrate by the end of the morning.

The Ryder Cup may be just getting started, but Europe has already made its presence known.