Team Europe lead 3-1 after opening foursomes in Ryder Cup at Bethpage

Team Europe made a strong start in their bid to retain the Ryder Cup as they won the opening session on away soil for the first time since 2004.

The leaderboard was largely blue throughout the morning foursomes, with dominant wins in the opening three matches – the first time Europe has done that on American soil.

Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton won the top match 4&3 against Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas, with Tommy Fleetwood and Rory McIlroy also maintaining their winning record as a partnership from Rome with a 5&4 success over Harris English and Collin Morikawa.

Matt Fitzpatrick sealed his first foursomes point in the Ryder Cup alongside Ludvig Åberg as they stormed to a 5&3 win against World Number One Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley, with the lone success for the hosts a 2 UP triumph by Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay against Viktor Hovland and Robert MacIntyre in the anchor match.

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Europe are targeting their fifth win in the biennial matchplay contest and first since 2012 at Medinah.

In each of the last five editions, whoever has won the Friday foursomes has gone on to win the Ryder Cup.

“Very proud,” said European Captain Luke Donald. “They have come out very strong, we knew the U.S. were going to be tough and they have really thrived in this tough environment.

“It has been loud here, and it is nice to see the boys playing so well.”

FARMINGDALE, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 26: Luke Donald, Captain of Team Europe shakes hands with Ludvig Aberg of Team Europe on the seventh green during the Friday morning foursomes matches of the 2025 Ryder Cup at Black Course at Bethpage State Park Golf Course on September 26, 2025 in Farmingdale, New York. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

After the gates to Bethpage - one of the country's most famous public courses – were opened at 5am local time, the grandstand behind the first tee and 18th green was quickly packed with crowds.

In a deliberate ploy to try and help energise the home crowds, U.S. Captain Keegan Bradley picked DeChambeau and Thomas to lead the hosts, with the pair emerging onto the first tee carrying the American flag.

As expected, there were predictable pantomime boos for the European pairings, with Rahm and career Grand Slam winner McIlroy the subject of most.

With his prodigious length off the tee, DeChambeau hit a booming drive at the first before holing from around 15 feet for a birdie to give the hosts the ideal start, with Bradley watching greenside.

In the second match, Europe’s new pairing of Åberg and Fitzpatrick quietened the American voices with a birdie of their own at the first after a fine approach by the Englishman.

Next up, McIlroy, Europe’s talismanic figure, converted from around four feet for birdie at the first after an expertly judged chip out of the rough by Fleetwood.

Up ahead, Scheffler quickly levelled proceedings in the second match, fist pumping a birdie at the second, while the U.S. Team added red in the anchor match through a birdie by Cantlay from five feet at the second.

But it wasn’t long before the home crowds were subdued, with a hat-trick of birdies between the impressive Åberg and Fitzpatrick - who came into the week on the back of three consecutive top tens on the DP World Tour - lifting them into a 3 UP lead through six holes.

FARMINGDALE, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 26: Matt Fitzpatrick of Team Europe celebrates on the 15th green after defeating Russell Henley and Scottie Scheffler of Team United States 5&3 during the Friday morning foursomes matches of the 2025 Ryder Cup at Black Course at Bethpage State Park Golf Course on September 26, 2025 in Farmingdale, New York. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Over the same three-hole stretch, Fleetwood and McIlroy made a run of birdies of their own to lead by four, with the latter firing on all cylinders in his eighth Ryder Cup appearance.

The lead was briefly 5 UP when McIlroy holed from seven feet at the par-three eighth, before English briefly clawed one back with a birdie at the ninth.

While the two middle matches were one-sided, it was anything but in the top match with Rahm and Hatton – winners of both their foursomes matches in Rome two years ago – battling against the high-energy duo of DeChambeau and Thomas.

But, after missing an opportunity to level the score at the sixth after an exceptional recovery from Rahm out of thick grass by Rahm, Hatton produced a super escape out of the woods to help engineer a win as Thomas missed from around four feet.

The momentum was firmly with the Europeans, and they were soon 1 UP when Rahm holed a ten-footer for birdie at the par-three eighth.

In the bottom match, American duo and good friends Schauffele and Cantlay were offering the sole resistance against Hovland and MacIntyre – the second new pairing in Europe’s foursomes line-up.

While Europe regained parity with a par at the seventh, Schauffele holed birdie putts at the eighth and tenth to help the U.S. Team earn a 2 UP lead, before a three-putt bogey gifted the hosts the 11th.

Further ahead, Europe continued to be the team in control and that was only enhanced in the top match, with Hatton and Rahm birdieing the 12th and 13th respectively to move three clear.

And while DeChambeau sought to get the crowds back involved by holing a birdie putt at the 14th, Rahm matched it to retain their 3 UP advantage, before a missed par putt by Thomas at the 15th handed Europe their first point.

FARMINGDALE, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 26: Bryson DeChambeau of Team United States reacts on the 15th green after being defeated 4&3 by Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton of Team Europe during the Friday morning foursomes matches of the 2025 Ryder Cup at Black Course at Bethpage State Park Golf Course on September 26, 2025 in Farmingdale, New York. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

"We knew the crowd was going to be loud, and well, we are going to need our best," said Rahm. "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.

"This man [Hatton] is a joy to be partnered with. We spend a lot of time together and he can be very, very dependable when things get going difficult. I have full confidence every single time, and just glad we were able to get it done."

The second followed shortly after, with Fleetwood and McIlroy – known as ‘Fleetwood Mac’ – wrapping up a 5&4 win against the demoralised duo of English and Morikawa.

"It's been amazing to be part of another European Ryder Cup Team, to play alongside this guy, he's one of the best players in the world," said McIlroy. "And to know that I have him by my side, it frees me up. I can play with ultimate trust and ultimate freedom, and you know, you saw a little bit of that today. "

It was perhaps fitting that the third point should be sealed by the in-form Fitzpatrick as he rolled in a par putt for a 5&3 success over Scheffler and Henley.

In doing so, it saw Åberg hand out another dominant foursomes victory over World Number One Scheffer in the Ryder Cup, having registered a record 9&7 triumph alongside Hovland in Italy two years ago.

"Obviously I have played well the last few months," said Fitzpatrick. "Ludvig is non-stop playing well since he turned pro. Yeah, 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."

The pressure was on Schauffele and Cantlay – a duo who’d lost both their Ryder Cup matches together at Rome in 2023 – to ensure red was put on the board.

FARMINGDALE, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 26: Xander Schauffele fist bumps teammate Patrick Cantlay of Team United States during the Friday morning foursomes matches of the 2025 Ryder Cup at Black Course at Bethpage State Park Golf Course on September 26, 2025 in Farmingdale, New York. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

But back-to-back birdies at the 12th and 13th reduced the Americans' deficit from three to just one, with five holes to play.

Clearly inspired by the opportunity at helping create history and register a first clean sweep on the road for Europe, Hovland holed from six feet for a hole-winning par at the 15th to draw level.

While Cantlay missed a birdie putt for a win at the 16th, a par for the American pair was enough to win the par-three 17th and they sealed an important win at the last to give the hosts hope ahead of the afternoon four-balls.

"If we're only going to win one point, might as will be the anchor match going into the afternoon," said Schauffele. "Yeah, we need to get some points back on the board here."

Europe need 14 points to retain the Ryder Cup, with the U.S. Team requiring 14½ to regain it.