The 47th Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black heads into Saturday with Europe holding a commanding 5.5–2.5 lead after a dominant opening day. Friday’s sessions showcased Europe’s foursomes strength, consistent pairings, and U.S. struggles—particularly from World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.
Friday Foursomes: Early European Control
Captain Keegan Bradley leaned on experience, sending out Thomas, Henley, English, and Morikawa. The gamble backfired. Europe seized momentum with a 3–1 morning advantage, stretching the overall score to 3.5–0.5 at lunch. Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood shone, dispatching Thomas/Morikawa 3&2. Fleetwood remains unbeaten in Ryder Cup foursomes (5-0-0). Hovland/MacIntyre dominated Scheffler/Henley 5&3, while Fitzpatrick/Åberg added a 4&3 victory. Only Cantlay/Burns managed a half.
Friday Fourballs: Europe Extends Lead
In the afternoon, Rahm and Sepp Straka beat Scheffler/Spaun 3&2. McIlroy/Fleetwood added a second win, defeating Cantlay/Burns 2&1. Åberg/Fitzpatrick halved with Schauffele/English, while DeChambeau/Thomas salvaged a U.S. point with a 4&3 win over Hovland/MacIntyre. Europe closed the day 5.5–2.5 ahead.
Scheffler’s Struggles
Scheffler’s double loss defined the day. A 5&3 foursomes defeat with Henley was followed by a 3&2 fourballs loss with Spaun. He joins Tiger Woods (1999, 2002) and Ian Woosnam (1991) as world No. 1s to lose twice on opening day. He is winless in his last six Ryder Cup matches.
Saturday Morning Foursomes Lineup
Play resumes at 7:05 a.m. ET (13:05 CEST) with these pairings:
Bradley reshuffled his team, injecting DeChambeau and Spaun while reuniting Morikawa with Schauffele. Scheffler, under pressure, partners Spaun in hopes of sparking a turnaround.
Atmosphere and Fans
Bethpage’s first tee mixed grandeur with chaos. DJs, flyovers, and comedians struggled to ignite the crowd, though noise still peaked at 100 dB. Fans targeted McIlroy with chants of “F*** you, Rory,” answered by birdies and fist pumps. Lowry saluted after a perfect iron, adding to the theatre. Shuttle failures from Farmingdale forced fans to walk half an hour, and $750 ticket prices tempered rowdiness, though beer tents kept “USA! USA!” alive.
VIPs and Security
Donald Trump attended Friday, greeting Bryson DeChambeau on the first tee. His visit required TSA-style screenings, drones, and Secret Service patrols but ran smoothly. Michael Jordan, Eli Manning, and Colin Jost added star power, while Tiger Woods remains a rumored behind-the-scenes advisor.
Weather and Broadcast
Saturday brings partly cloudy skies, highs of 21°C (70°F), light winds, and cool evenings. Coverage: USA (7 a.m.–Noon ET, foursomes; Noon–6 p.m. ET, fourballs, NBC/USA/Peacock), Germany (13:00–00:00 CEST, Sky Sports Golf).
Outlook
Europe’s partnerships and early composure have them in control. For the U.S., Saturday morning is critical. Another strong European session could all but decide the Cup, while a home rally would reopen the contest heading into Sunday’s singles.
Current Score: Europe 5.5 – USA 2.5.
