U.S. Falls Behind in Ryder Cup as Europe Dominates Again

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — The U.S. team struggled again on Saturday during the 45th Ryder Cup, losing three out of four foursomes matches, resulting in a significant deficit against the Europeans, who lead 8.5-3.5. With this performance, the Americans face the real possibility of suffering their 11th loss in 15 Ryder Cups.

This historic matchup quickly gained notoriety as the “Bethpage Black Blowout.” The U.S. squad managed to only win one of their three matches, with one barely making it to the 17th hole. The Americans haven’t won a Ryder Cup on home soil since 2012, with Europe achieving a rare feat by winning each of the first three sessions on foreign ground.

“I’m excited with where our team is, and we have to keep the foot down,” Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy said following his match with Tommy Fleetwood, where they defeated the American duo of Harris English and Collin Morikawa 3 and 2.

During the intense third session, the U.S. team briefly flirted with success in their anchor match. Trailing by one with two holes to play, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler had a chance to turn the match around but faltered with a poor shot on the 18th, only to lose by one hole. This leaves Scheffler winless this week, extending his drought to seven Ryder Cup matches.

The lone U.S. victory came from Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Young, who managed to beat Matt Fitzpatrick and Ludvig Åberg 4 and 2. Young, a local from New York, has stood out, winning two out of his two matches so far, showcasing his potential in this elite competition.

As the afternoon matches began, the Europeans quickly regained momentum thanks to McIlroy and Fleetwood’s earlier victory. McIlroy’s pre-shot routine was momentarily disrupted by rowdy fans, prompting him to shout back in frustration, emphasizing the intensity of the competition and the atmosphere. The European team looks poised to capitalize on their strong start in upcoming matches.

“For our country, it was just pedal to the metal,” DeChambeau stated about their session. The U.S. will need a monumental effort to close the gap on the leaderboard as the tournament progresses into the singles matches.

Ryder Cup records indicate only one team has successfully defeated the home side after leading by such a margin. With the next matches approaching, the U.S. must regroup to avoid a historic blowout this weekend.