2023-09-30 13:40:59
GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy – Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg put Europe in the record books by completing the shortest match in Ryder Cup history, a symbol of its extreme supremacy over the Americans on the Marco Simone course .
The Scandinavian super tandem – FedEx Cup champion Hovland of Norway and Aberg of Sweden, a college graduate just four months ago – crushed Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka to such an extent in a match in “alternating blows” Saturday morning, that the confrontation lasted only two hours 20 minutes.
The victory by a final score of 9-and-7 is the most overwhelming in any match scheduled for 18 holes in Ryder Cup history. The beating was so painful that Scheffler, the number 1 player in the world, could not hold back sobs.
Scottie Scheffler in tears after losing by the biggest margin in Ryder Cup foursome HISTORY…inject it???? #RyderCup #TeamEurope pic.twitter.com/Fp3qqkMpwV
— Dan ☯︎???????????????????????????? (@DanLewis1999)
September 30, 2023
Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood defeated Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas in 17 holes, while Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton produced timely shots in their final two holes to defeat Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay.
These victories helped Team Europe extend their lead to 9.5 points to 2.5 points.
This is the biggest priority for any team after three sessions of play in the current format of the competition.
“Our time has come,” declared Team USA captain Zach Johnson. Perhaps he was referring to a first triumph for his teammates.
British Open champion Brian Harman and Max Homa produced a rare 4-and-2 victory for the United States against the tandem of Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka.
This is a comeback for the Europeans after the confrontation at Whistling Straits two years ago, where the Americans won 19-9, Europe’s worst defeat. Now Team Europe is in a position to inflict an even more bitter setback on the Americans.
The only hope for the American team was to try to stay within striking distance after Saturday afternoon’s duels in a “two balls, better ball” format. No team erased a deficit greater than four points entering Sunday’s individual matches.
Team USA’s goal on Saturday morning was to start the session with confidence. Instead, the scoreboard lit up European blue in every match, but none more staggeringly than the one involving Hovland and Aberg.
Scheffler ranks first in the world rankings. Koepka won this year’s PGA Championship, his fifth career major title. They had no luck, committing two double bogeys over the first three holes and making only one birdie in the entire match.
“We’re playing two great players, the No. 1 in the world and a five-time Grand Slam champion, and we tried not to give them anything,” Hovland said.
“And we played really, really well. Obviously we didn’t play Scottie and Brooks at their best, but we played some really good golf today. »
Scheffler was seen wiping away tears while watching other games alongside his wife.
McIlroy improved to 3-0 this weekend after he and Fleetwood won the first three holes against Thomas and Spieth, who were unable to hit the fairways, onto the greens, or make putts. important.
Spieth came on late and made the duel closer, but McIlroy closed the door. He holed a 20-foot putt for birdie on the 15th hole, giving his team a two-hole lead again. Then, the American tandem blew it on the 17th hole, a par-3, and finally lost.
The only bright spot for the Americans was the performance of Homa and Harman, who never trailed, another first for the United States this weekend.
“We had to achieve something favorable for us,” Homa said. “I felt like we were ready this morning. We were ready to show up and play some great golf, which we did. Someone had to spark a spark, and I’m glad it was us. »
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