Europe 10.5 USA 5.5, fourballs results
Match 1: Hovland-Aberg lose 4&3 to Burns-Morikawa
Match 2: Fleetwood-Hojgaard lose 2&1 to Homa-Harman
Match 3: Rose-MacIntyre won 3&2 over Spieth-Thomas
Match 4: Fitzpatrick-McIlroy lose by 1 hole to Cantlay-Clark
A determined Patrick Cantlay: “The crowd was on me all day, so I used that on fuel. We’ve seen what they did at Medinah, we have a steeper hill to climb that they did, but we will give our best shot.”
On Sky, Rich Beem reports of some beef on the 18th green with Cantlay’s caddie Joe LaCava getting in Rory’s way shaking his hat. Shane Lowry described as “bullish”. Hmm.
That’s all from me, an interesting day of golf ahead tomorrow! Can USA launch a comeback? Good evening.
Fitzpatrick’s wedge is decent, uphill putt for birdie. Clark chunks his pitch short of the green. Yikes, the nerves. Rory’s bunker shot is a tad unlucky, but comes off the ridge and it’s a long putt left for birdie. Cantlay with seemingly the easiest chip is clumsy and way past the hole. Three chances for birdie in the sunset.
Cantlay makes the putt! Massive long putt that could win the game for USA. McIlroy misses, so it’s up to Matt Fitzpatrick to save the match and he misses. A 40 footer to win it, wow. Maybe a glimmer of hope for the Americans. USA win the final fourball session 3-1.
A big setting sun leaving a nice scene into 18. Cantlay goes for the green from 280 yards but doesn’t make the green. Clark hits a similar shot to yesterday from the middle of the fairway but not as far right, still in the fairway. McIlroy is into the back right bunker from 231 yards. All down to the short game.
Massive drive by Clark down the middle and the par 5 18th. Cantlay in the fairway too. Fitzpatrick down the right in the rough. McIlroy’s drive is massive, but down the left rough.
Both Rory and Clark miss the green down the left. But Cantlay hits a big pressure iron to close and great birdie chance here. McIlroy from down the left hits a magical chip, fizzes and spins to stone dead. Unbelievable short game shot as good as it gets! Fitzpatrick shakes his head. But Cantlay holes the putt for birdie and it’s all square up the last!
Clark from the top of the hill, tough pitch and someone shouts “Get in the water!”, not great. Cantlay’s bunker shot is better and chance for birdie. Fitzpatrick doesn’t make birdie, now time for Rory. Magnificent effort by Rory with the long putt for eagle, just shaves the hole but easy birdie. Great effort by Clark but just misses by an inch. Cantlay now to avoid the match going to dormie 2. He gets it and Europe stay 1 ahead.
Robert MacIntyre: “Today Justin was brilliant again and I was just happy to help him out. You have the nerves but you have to embrace it. You just got to trust what you do.”
Justin Rose: “I felt we got our noses just in front there. There’s 20 minutes here, we have to get a stranglehold on the game. These two are slippery. I was barking at him we need to do this. And we did.”
Just one match left on the course. Fitzpatrick with the driver is in the sand. McIlroy lines it up and gives it a lash. Right into the middle of the green with the 3-wood! America step up, Clark goes way left. Cantlay into the bunker with Fitzpatrick.
Match 3: Justin Rose makes it! Birdie and Europe win key match 3&2 against Thomas and Spieth.
Result: Bob MacIntyre and Justin Rose win 3&2 over Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth
Zach Johnson getting some flak on that hole. But they would have needed an eagle to keep that match alive.
Match 4: Fitzpatrick takes out a wedge on the green, bold choice and then makes a bit of a mess of it. Rory’s bunker shot is good though and should get a par. Clark makes par and that hole is halved.
Match 3: Thomas hits a good pitch from a difficult spot and a chance of a birdie. But two putts now for MacIntyre to win the match. He chooses to chip it over a ridge but goes too far and not as close as he’d like.
Match 4: Rory from 192 yards hits a high draw but it doesn’t come back and it’s in the bunker on the right. Two American balls on the green, Fitzpatrick with a long putt.
Match 3: Big fade by MacIntyre at the 16th and he’s just off the green, fine shot. Rose into the sand. Spieth takes out a fairway wood and then hits it in the water after a seeming intervention from Zach Johnson. Serious questions to be asked why he played both sessions today given his horrible long game at the moment.
Match 3: Very good putt by Thomas to gimme distance. Up to Europe to get a 4 out of this to half and MacIntyre hits a superb bunker shot. He’ll have to putt it out but no more than 5 feet.. and he gets it! That’s dormie 3.
Match 3: Spieth with a 7-iron from the middle of the fairway to miles right on the 15th. His game is out of sorts. Thomas hits the middle of the green but not realistic birdie chance from there. MacIntyre in the front bunker and Rose has to lay up.
Match 4: Lovely drive by Rory with a fairway wood. Clark goes for a big one and carries the bunker with his driver. Here’s Rory birdie to win the previous hole:
Match 2: Fleetwood actually didn’t end up too badly, jumped off the rough with the tee shot and going for it with the putter and inches away! Homa holes the putt and USA win the match.
Result: Homa-Harman win 2&1 over Fleetwood-Hojgaard
Match 4: Rory’s drive at 14 is a ridiculous 367 yards. His short iron gets past the ridge and good birdie chance coming up. Cantlay misses his birdie putt so chance for Rory to go ahead. And he makes it! Big birdie at the 14th, they’re 1 up!
Match 2: Max Homa hits to the back of the green. Two putts for the win, unless Europe pull off some crazy short game moments again. Harman with some nice short game touch with the putter. Homa’s putt isn’t great, 5 or 6 feet left for par. Great effort by Hojgaard with the tough lie and just brushes past the hole.
Match 2: Fleetwood full of adrenaline sort of skies his tee shot at the par 3 17th. And Hojgaard is plugged in the bunker. Anything on the green should be good for the Americans to win that. Harman misses to the left but on the fairway.
Match 3: Another clutch putt by Justin Rose for par. He’s really great from that 10-15 foot range this week. Justin Thomas misses to tie and America is 3 down!
Match 4: Oh my. Rory hits it over everything, cuts the corner at the 14th, should be a short iron in from there.
Match 3: Thomas from the middle of the fairway hits it in the bunker. Bad mistake. MacIntyre with a good pitch to set up a chance of a par. Rose’s bunker shot is no closer than MacIntyre’s.
Match 2: Harman doesn’t hit a great chip, long putt left for birdie. Homa leaves his birdie putt short. Fleetwood from just off the green, a seemingly impossible chip and he hits it perfectly and it rolls and rolls into the back of the cup for an eagle! Back to 2 down with two to go. Fighting hard. Fleetwood turns around as if to say, are you not entertained?
Match 4: Two bad drives by Clark and Fitzpatrick, way right into trouble at 14.
Here is Bob MacIntyre’s important birdie:
Match 4: Clark with a good approach on the par 3 13th. Fitzpatrick and Cantlay with decent shots but outside birdie chances. Rory doesn’t like his approach and it’s the farthest away. Fitzpatrick makes it though! Fantastic putt. Cantlay misses his one, down to Clark to halve the hole, which he does.
Match 3: MacIntyre into some heavy rough on the 14th off the tee. Rose with a smooth wood down the middle. Big drive by Thomas over the bunker. Spieth with a horrible drive into the hedge on the right.
Match 2: Dormie 3 in this one. Driveable par 4. Fleetwood flushes the drive but into the rough. Hojgaard with a sensational fade into the middle of the green and great eagle chance! Homa and Harman miss the green.
Match 3: Americans miss their birdie chances. MacIntyre with a chance now to win the hole and go 2 up and he gets it! Relieved look and the crowd goes wild.
Match 2: Homa is all over the place on the hole, Harman’s chip isn’t great so two putts for Fleetwood could bring that within 2. Or not! Homa pitches in from the rough for par out of nowhere! Another big moment for Homa. All of a sudden Fleetwood has a tricky putt to keep the match alive, which he does.
Match 4: Cantlay goes for the green on the par 5 but hits it short of the green. McIlroy on the back of the green. He puts the eagle putt a good bit past.
Match 3: MacIntyre with a great approach, spins it down the slope and good birdie chance. Rose below the hole a similar distance. Spieth is pin high but to the right of the green and Thomas is well left.
Match 2: Fleetwood to the edge of the green but a long putt coming at the 15th. Homa from the hay is way right.
Match 2: Long birdie putt holed by Hojgaard on the 14th puts the pressure on Homa and Harman. Homa misses to the left. Harman doesn’t make it either, so USA back to 3 up there.
Match 4: McIlroy hits a great recovery shot from the back left of the green but misses the putt for birdie. Cantlay with a birdie putt and he makes it! USA back to A/S there. The chance of America sweeping this session is still on.
Sam Burns: “Awesome team effort today. So fun to play with Collin, he’s never out of the hole, his ball is always at the flagstick. We just kept fighting and happy to put a point on board for our team. We’re all positive and we know what we’re capable of. We’re excited for it.”
Match 1: Burns chips it well from the back of the green and has a chance for par. Morikawa has a long putt for birdie, 40 feet, and lags it up well. Hovland from the bunker has a terrific effort and threatens the hole. All on Aberg then to keep the match alive. A 15-footer up the hill then. Aberg... misses to the right! Four feet for Sam Burns and that’s the game. Point on the board for USA.
Result: Burns-Morikawa win 4&3 over Hovland-Aberg
Match 1: Aberg, can he birdie again? 188 yards and another brilliant iron shot. Nothing to lose and going for everything! Burns airmails the green. Hovland in the bunker.
Match 4: Rory goes for the green on the 11th and misses to the left, in no-man’s land. Europe’s strategy of going for that green hasn’t been too successful today, whereas USA have favoured laying up.
Rose’s great putt from earlier:
Match 2: Birdie for Tommy Fleetwood keeps the match from falling away completely. But of course Homa holes for yet another birdie. Stays at 4 down.
Match 3: A bad chip by MacIntyre over the green. Justin Thomas with a birdie putt but leaves it short and it’s a half.
Match 2: America put the foot down again, Harman to close on the short par 3 13th and they’re 4 up.
Match 1: Hovland misses his putt but Aberg makes for his second birdie in a row! Morikawa forced to putt again to seal the match... and he misses again. Wow, dormie 4 now.
Match 1: Another iron masterclass from in the zone Morikawa to quite close on the tough 14th. Something special needed from the Europeans. Hovland hits a good shot but long putt for it. Aberg had a massive tee shot and great iron to give a good chance of a birdie.
Match 2: USA go 4 up as Homa’s eagle is conceded.
Match 4: A clumsy chip by Rory gives up the chance to go 2 up for the Europeans.
Match 2: Fleetwood hits off the slope and squeezes onto the green at the par 5 12th. But Homa with another spectacular shot! Long iron to gimme range for eagle! Homa the star of the US team this week.
Match 1: The Scandinavians are still in it by the skin of their teeth and Aberg is on the fairway still battling. Burns into the rough with his drive. Morikawa out a bit right but safely on the fairway.
Match 3: Rose goes for it at the short par 4 but pulls it left of the green.
Match 1: This match is more or less done. Another magical iron by Morikawa at dormie 6 to close range. Aberg’s shot is even better but Morikawa should get his putt. Whoops, he shunts it into the lip and that’s not over yet.
Match 3: Justin Rose again! Birdie at the 10th with another big putt. They’re 1 up and back to more blue on the board.
Match 2: Nice approach by Hojgaard gives them a chance of a birdie to match the Americans. Fleetwood farther away and misses. Hojgaard... gets it! Should tie the hole.
Match 1: Aberg looks like he’s wilting and can’t match Morikawa’s approach, they could go 6 down there. Great chip though sets up a birdie. Morikawa’s eagle putt is right in the middle! 6 up, what a performance by him and Burns.
Match 4: McIlroy goes for the eagle but leaves it short to tap-in range. All on Cantlay for the eagle. Good effort, but just fades away at the end and it’s a halved hole.
Match 3: Another big performance by Rose today, he’s -4 for his first nine and somewhat carrying MacIntyre. He makes another birdie at the 9th and that game is back to all square.
Match 4: Cantlay with a brilliant shot at the par 5 9th and is on the green in two. McIlroy is greenside to the right. Fitzpatrick chips to stone dead for birdie so McIlroy can go for it.
Match 2: Homa almost holes his wedge shot! Should be a birdie there for USA. Harman also hits a good wedge, not quite as close.
Match 1: Morikawa turning the screw. Hits another great iron to set up an eagle chance on 12.
Match 1: Morikawa holes his putt, another birdie for the top American group! Hovland needs to make his to tie but he pulls it left. After thrashing Scheffler and Koepka earlier, they are being thrashed themselves in the afternoon. They are 5 down.
Match 2: Homa misses his birdie so chance for Fleetwood. And gets it! Big roar from the crowd, back to 3 down.
Match 2: Another fine iron shot by Max Homa, but Fleetwood responds by hitting it inside him at 10! Harman hits it right into the bunker.
Match 1: Morikawa lays up and hits a tasty wedge all over the pin, a tad too much spin though. Burns overhits the wedge, would have liked to have been closer. Hovland hits another good pitch, inside Morikawa for birdie. Aberg’s bunker shot is tricky and isn’t great, similar distance to Burns, and he misses the putt.
Match 3: MacIntyre hits two good shots greenside at the par 5 but not a great chip.
Match 1: Burns and Hovland fail to make the green from the bunker, leaving it down to the other two players. Morikawa’s putt isn’t too inspiring but is conceded for par. Hovland then chips in for par to tie the hole! How much has that part of his game improved? Once seen as a weakness, he has used chipping as a strength this week. At the next hole, Burns lays up, while Hovland goes for it but is short. Aberg is in the bunker off the tee.
Match 4: Fitzpatrick with a fine iron shot to the heart of the green at the tough 8th. Rory from the rough didn’t seem to have much of a shot after Thomas’s shot from a similar position but he’s middle of the green as well. Clark has been all over the place and out of the hole. Cantlay putts for birdie and leaves it well short so that won’t be conceded. Fitzpatrick misses the putt and so does Rory. Cantlay safely makes the par.
Match 1: Burns in the bunker from the fairway. Aberg also misses the green, just to right into the rough. Morikawa with a lovely iron to 20 feet. Hovland beside Burns in the bunker. Advantage USA there.
Match 2: Harman eases his eagle putt up to the hole and USA go 4 up. Nicely played hole by the Open champion.
Match 3: Spieth safely gets his par and USA stay 1 up there.
Match 2: Harman cuts one in from 265 yards to the middle of the green on the par 5. Nice shot. Hojgaard goes for it but into the water on the left. Homa lays up but good wedge to within 10 feet will give Harman a chance to go for it.
Match 3: On 8 from 200 yards from the rough, Thomas tries to go over the water and straight into the water. Great bunker shot though from Spieth on his ball and good chance for par.
Match 3: MacIntyre misses his putt for birdie and Justin Thomas takes advantage of his luck and straight in the middle of the cup, back in front.
Match 1: Morikawa gets a birdie and USA go 4 up in the opening match. Quite a surprise that one and great recovery by Burns after his opening match.
Match 4: Weak shot by Rory at the 7th, work to do to save par. Or not. Great bunker shot to gimme range. “Rory, Rory!” chants from the fans. Fitzpatrick for birdie from the middle of the green misses.
Match 1: Aberg and Hovland go for the green but both miss at the 9th and have to get up and down. Burns lays up and leaves it 10-15 feet.
Match 3: Justin Thomas with the kick of the century off the heavy rough, off a slope and perfectly up to the flag to 5 feet. The sort of luck the Americans have been missing.
Match 3: Justin Rose has really turned up in the fourballs this Ryder Cup so far and holes a big birdie putt at the 6th to get Europe back all square. Spieth misses the birdie putt to tie the hole. MacIntyre on the next hole then hits a superb shot right at the flag. Could be a big change there.
Here was Rory’s great drive at the 5th:
Some news that reverberated this morning from Sky Sports’ Jamie Weir about the fractures in the US team and Patrick Cantlay:
Cantlay is a part of the only USA team down in their match today, with Clark they’re 1 down to Rory and Fitzpatrick. Rory hit the green in one on the short par 4 5th hole and has a good eagle chance. McIlroy is playing great, a far cry from the lows he felt at Whistling Straits last time out. He misses that eagle putt though from about 10 feet, straight right, missed opportunity.
The Americans are playing well this session though, Homa and previously maligned Sam Burns in particular. Scottie Scheffler was dropped for the final session, a big call by captain Zach Johnson.
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Saturday fourballs at the Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome. It has been a shambles for the United States team so far, culminating in a truly shocking 9&7 loss for world number one Scottie Scheffler and PGA champion Brooks Koepka in foursomes to Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg. But there is a different atmosphere this afternoon as USA fight back and lead in three matches in the early stages of the foursome. Nothing short of USA domination is needed for the afternoon to make a game of it.
Rory McIlroy was on the board for his third win in three games this morning and is playing this afternoon with Matt Fitzpatrick. He birdied the fourth hole to go ahead of Wyndham Clark and Patrick Cantlay. Shane Lowry lost his match earlier with Sepp Straka to in-form Max Homa and Brian Harman, who are currently 3 up this afternoon also.
The scores:
Europe 9.5 USA 2.5
Hovland-Aberg 3 down Burns-Morikawa (7 holes played)
Fleetwood-Hojgaard 3 down Homa-Harman (6)
Rose-MacIntyre 1 down Spieth-Thomas (5)
Fitzpatrick-McIlroy 1 up Cantlay-Clark (4)
The scores in the earlier foursomes:
McIlroy-Fleetwood won 2&1 over Spieth-Thomas
Hovland-Aberg won 9&7 over Koepka-Scheffler
Lowry-Straka lost 4&2 to Homa-Harman
Rahm-Hatton won 2&1 to Cantlay-Schauffele
