Friday foursomes | Match recaps

Advantage Team Europe.

After the build-up, play got under way on Friday in the 45th Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.

Bidding to win for the first time on the road since Medinah in 2012, Europe - led by Luke Donald for the second edition running - made a strong start with a 3-1 victory in the morning foursomes session on Friday.

Here, we run through how all four matches played out:

Day 1 Morning Foursomes

Match 1: Jon Rahm & Tyrrell Hatton bt Bryson DeChambeau & Justin Thomas 4&3

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After much debate among experts, not only was DeChambeau playing in foursomes – a format he lost in both his outings on his Ryder Cup debut in 2018 – but he was given the honour of the opening tee shot for the hosts alongside Thomas. The tactic initally paid dividends for U.S. Captain Keegan Bradley, with DeChambeau increasing the noise levels in the grandstand by hitting a ferocious drive and then holing from around 15 feet or so for an opening birdie to send the hosts' pair into an early lead. That could have been doubled as soon as the second, with Thomas unable to capitalise on a good approach from fellow two-time Major winner DeChambeau to nine feet. At the sixth, an opportunity to level proceedings was passed up by the Europeans, with Hatton unable to make the most of a brilliant escape out of thick grass by Rahm. The Europeans again seemed against it off the tee at the seventh, but Hatton first produced an excellent recovery out of the woods to help ensure a par, before Thomas missed from four feet to level up proceedings. A hole later, and Europe were out in front for the first time in the match as Rahm walked in a birdie putt at the eighth. A brace of birdies at the 12th and 13th - first holed by Hatton and then by Rahm - saw Europe take command. And while DeChambeau tried to inject some energy back into the subdued U.S. crowds with a birdie at the par-three 14th, Rahm held his nerve to also make a two and maintain Europe's command. Victory was sewn up at the 15th when Thomas missed a par putt from inside of seven feet.

"We were aware it was going to be a tough day," said Rahm. "Two of their better players up there, two of the crowd favorites. We knew the crowd was going to be loud, and well, we are going to need our best. And even though we didn't have our best start during the first seven holes, we battled, we stayed in it and from then on we started hitting good shots and getting really positive vibes."

Hatton added: "Really happy with how we dug in. We knew it was going to be a difficult start, and obviously the atmosphere was pretty intense but it was good fun. Yeah, really happy to win our point this morning."

Match 2: Ludvig Åberg & Matt Fitzpatrick bt Scottie Scheffler & Russell Henley 5&3

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A surprise new partnership for the Europeans, featuring two players known for their calm temperaments. Åberg converted from a few feet for an early win after a stunning approach from his English team-mate at the first. The lead was immediately eradicated though when Scheffler sank a birdie putt at the second, before a two-putt birdie for the Europeans at the par-five fourth saw the visitors regain their slender early advantage. Birdies at the fifth and sixth extended the advantage to three shots against their much-fancied opponents. Europe put the hammer down with a birdie at the ninth to extend the lead to four. Fitzpatrick, in-form after a run of three top tens coming into the week on the DP World Tour, made the sixth birdie between the European pairing at the 12th to move 4UP against the increasingly resigned Scheffler and Henley. There was momentary respite with a birdie by the World Number One at the par five 13th. But Europe sealed the deal at the 15th with a par by Fitzpatrick, who was left to celebrate his first point in foursomes at his fourth Ryder Cup.

"I had a great partner," said Åberg of Fitzpatrick. "We came out of the gates early, birdied number one, which is nice, and then we played good golf. We hit a lot of nice shots, and yeah, made it hard for them today, which was good."

Fitzpatrick added: "Obviously, it was a nice mix of tee-to-green and good putting, as well, and obviously I felt like we showed that on certainly those first seven holes."

Match 3: Rory McIlroy & Tommy Fleetwood bt Collin Morikawa & Harris English 5&4

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With two wins from two on their debut as a partnership in Rome, McIlroy and Fleetwood were always likely to reunite and they made a strong statement of intent as an expertly judged chip from the rough by Fleetwood ensured McIlroy had the simplest of tasks for a birdie start to put blue quickly on the board at the first. A nerveless seven-foot par putt at the third from McIlroy maintained their advantage, before the European duo made a hat-trick of bridies from the fourth to take complete control against their shellshocked opponents. McIlroy, clearly revelling in his role as the talisman of the European side, rolled in a seven-footer for birdie at eigth after a stellar tee shot by Fleetwood. Morikawa set up English for an easy birdie at the ninth to briefly reduce the advantage to four, but they were never able to mount any sort of fightback. A par at the 12th extended the European team's lead back to five, and they wrapped up a point - one which extends McIlroy and Fleetwood's winning Ryder Cup record in foursomes to a third match - at the 14th.

"I think when you've got a partner like Tommy you can play with so much freedom and so much trust in your game because you know you have someone that's going to back you up," said McIlroy. "That's the way I felt the two times we played in Rome and then today; foursomes can be a tough format."

Fleetwood added: "I think we're all enjoying the process of this Ryder Cup so much, and we've all been so excited to play, even knowing how difficult it might be. But like I say, one step at a time and we'll just keep going all together and we'll see where we can get to."

Match 4: Xander Schauffele & Patrick Cantlay bt Viktor Hovland & Robert MacIntyre 2 UP

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None of the top three matches made it past the 16th and it looked like it could be the same way in the anchor as the United States took control after the turn. But as we have seen so many times in Ryder Cup history, a brilliant comeback was staged only to fall just short and the hosts had some oxygen and momentum to take into the afternoon. It was all with the United States in the early stages as the tried and tested U.S. partnership took on Luke Donald’s fresh duo. A wonderful Schauffele approach into the second helped send the U.S. 1 UP and it was nip and tuck until the seventh when the Europeans took advantage of some ragged home play to win the hole with a par. Cantlay and Hovland both hit smart tee-shots into the par-three next but it was Schauffele who made his putt and the U.S. were soon 3 UP as Europe bogeyed the tenth and 11th, the latter after a sloppy three-putt. It felt like the Americans were in total control but a brilliant approach from the rough from MacIntyre on the 12th followed before Team Europe made the most of the par-five next to trim the gap. MacIntyre missed a golden opportunity to tie things up on the 14th but parity was not far away as both pairs were left with par putts from around six feet and while Hovland found the cup, Cantlay could not. It felt like momentum was now with the visitors but on the 17th MacIntyre found sand off the tee to allow the Americans to win with a par and a poor Hovland tee shot essentially handed the hosts the last and victory.

“We needed that point,” said Cantlay. “I think Xander and I have been in this spot a bunch of times and he hit a bunch of great shots coming down the stretch. It's nice to get that point on the board going into four-ball.”

Schauffele added: “We've had big leads, we've lost big leads, we've kept big leads. We've kind of done it all in alternate shot. I was leaning on him all day, and he was able to pick me up. It was nice to be able to hit some nice iron shots coming in and make it as stress-free as possible.”