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Ahead of the singles, Owen from Brighton asks: “Does the home team pick who plays who? Are they randomly generated or do Europe as the hometown decide who Rory or Jon play against? Genuine question I can’t find an answer to.” Both captains will put their order of 12 players in later this evening. They’ll be trying to second guess what each other are doing, and may be pleasantly or unpleasantly surprised when the two lists are matched up and announced.
Once the 16th green clears of celebrating Europeans, Fitzpatrick clacks his tee shot over a bunker at the back. That may be ugly. McIlroy responds by sending a fade into the heart of the green. Glorious. Not so much Clark’s effort, hooked hysterically deep into the gallery on the left. Finally Cantlay, who finds the bunker back left. Not the worst place to be: Rose just got up and down from there after all. But this is advantage Europe, with McIlroy putting for eagle from 35 feet or so.
1UP Fitzpatrick/McIlroy v Cantlay/Clark (15)
Europe 10½-4½ USA
Europe 10½-4½ USA
Nope! Rose rattles in his right-to-left birdie slider from 15 feet, and that’s the match wrapped up with the minimum of fuss! Rose sealed the deal, but hats off to MacIntyre as well; he’d been struggling until he made a couple of big contributions after the turn. That’ll give the debutant a huge boost ahead of tomorrow’s singles … from which Europe now need just four points to win the trophy. Justin Rose and Robert MacIntyre beat Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth 3&2.
3&2 Rose/MacIntyre v Thomas/Spieth (F)
1UP Fitzpatrick/McIlroy v Cantlay/Clark (15)
Europe 10½-4½ USA
Cantlay nearly holes his chip from the back of 15, a brave effort. But realistically this is over to Clark, who can’t make his mid-range birdie putt. Never looked like dropping. The hole is tied. Meanwhile up on 16, Spieth wedges his third reasonably close, Rose splashes out from sand to 15 feet, and Thomas punches out of the cabbage to ten feet. The latter sitting two. Nothing certain there. Over to MacIntyre, whose route to the hole is compromised by a shoulder of greenside rough. He opts to chip, and is reasonably heavy handed, leaving himself a 12-footer. Putting contest coming up. Can Rose or MacIntyre finish the US pair off? Can Thomas make the birdie that may take this match up 17?
Back on 15, Cantlay’s second goes just off the back, while Clark knocks his into the heart of the green. Nobody particularly close; Rory in the sand. McIlroy does the necessary by splashing out to a couple of feet; it’s just as well, because instead of putting, Fitzpatrick strangely opts to chip, and blades a daft one miles past the flag. Pressure does funny things.
Up on the driveable 16th, MacIntyre sends a gentle draw onto the fringe. Rose finds greenside sand. Thomas powers his tee shot over the green and into the thick rough. Spieth then after a long deliberation decides to lay up … only to carve one onto the bank to the front-right of the green, his ball pitching into the water. Spieth has served up some absurd nonsense this week – wedging into the pond at 18 yesterday, for example – but that tops the lot. Europe very close to their first point of the afternoon now.
Coming behind once the green is cleared, Fitzpatrick sends his second into Thomas Country. McIlroy dunks his in a greenside bunker, and the door’s ajar for the USA.
A poor misread by Justin Rose, his par putt sliding off to the left almost immediately. Rose cheekily tries to take the bogey putt, even though he’s already out of the hole; Spieth quickly gives him it, to ensure he doesn’t give MacIntyre the line. Spieth smiles warmly, Rose does too, they enjoyed that moment. But it’s only Rose who enjoys this one: MacIntyre rolls in the par putt, and Europe are dormie three.
3UP Rose/MacIntyre v Thomas/Spieth (15)
1UP Fitzpatrick/McIlroy v Cantlay/Clark (14)
Europe 9½-4½ USA
Spieth and Rose on 15 in three. Thomas in regulation, MacIntyre in the bunker. But Thomas will go first, because though he’s on the green, he’s further way than MacIntyre. A 60-footer for his birdie. He rolls a wonderful effort to six inches, and that’s the birdie secured. Spieth picks up, and the old pals wait to see if MacIntyre can get up and down from sand, or if Rose can make the reasonably straight 15-footer he’s left himself.
3UP Rose/MacIntyre v Thomas/Spieth (14)
1UP Fitzpatrick/McIlroy v Cantlay/Clark (14)
Europe 9½-4½ USA
Europe 9½-4½ USA
Fleetwood’s tee shot at 17 is no good. The drama of 16 addling his mind perhaps. But he gets a lucky bounce off the grassy bank to the right, his ball ending up in the swale. Homa plays the percentages, aiming for the heart of the green, from where he’ll hope to take two putts to almost certainly seal the deal. But he races his long birdie putt six feet past! Fleetwood nearly drains his birdie effort from off the side of the green – he’s one dimple wide on the high side – and then Homa, who has been superb all afternoon, quite rightly has the honour of holing out and claiming the point. What a match that turned out to be! Max Homa and Brian Harman beat Tommy Fleetwood and Nicolai Hojgaard 2&1.
Fleetwood/Hojgaard v Homa/Harman 2&1 (F)
3UP Rose/MacIntyre v Thomas/Spieth (14)
1UP Fitzpatrick/McIlroy v Cantlay/Clark (14)
Europe 9½-4½ USA
Back to the Cantlay-McIlroy shootout at 14. Cantlay finds the green in regulation, but McIlroy responds by sending his approach to eight feet. He pours in the putt and screams a cathartic COME ON! Another of those BIG HOURS coming up in the Ryder Cup!
Fleetwood/Hojgaard v Homa/Harman 2UP (16)
3UP Rose/MacIntyre v Thomas/Spieth (14)
1UP Fitzpatrick/McIlroy v Cantlay/Clark (14)
Europe 9½-3½ USA
Farcical scenes on the 14th tee, as Clark then Fitzpatrick take turns to carve their drive towards the cart path down the right. One bound off it, and that’s OB. That’ll be Cantlay v McIlroy. Meanwhile up the hole, Thomas, having been left to fight alone by Spieth can only make bogey, spooked into missing a ten footer after Justin Rose had made a 15-footer of his own for par. Europe go three up!
Fleetwood/Hojgaard v Homa/Harman 2UP (16)
3UP Rose/MacIntyre v Thomas/Spieth (14)
Fitzpatrick/McIlroy A/S Cantlay/Clark (13)
Europe 9½-3½ USA
All hail Tommy Fleetwood! That’s the vaguely Eric Cantona versus Sunderland pose he strikes – just the chest, not the arms – as he turns slowly, calmly, almost without expression, to celebrate a chip-in for eagle on 16! He does so before the ball drops, as it’s obviously heading in. What a dude. That is a sensational shot, a firm yet delicate swish through thick rough, landing just a couple of yards in front on the fringe, then rolling out on its inexorable journey to the hole! Enough for the win, and anything Max Homa can do, Tommy can do even better! Pure theatre!
Fleetwood/Hojgaard v Homa/Harman 2UP (16)
2UP Rose/MacIntyre v Thomas/Spieth (13)
Fitzpatrick/McIlroy A/S Cantlay/Clark (13)
Europe 9½-3½ USA
Matt Fitzpatrick rakes a 25-foot birdie putt across 13 and celebrates wildly. It’s a celebration of relief rather than joy, because Wyndham Clark had knocked his tee shot to six feet, and he makes his birdie as expected. The match remains tied.
Fleetwood/Hojgaard v Homa/Harman 3UP (15)
2UP Rose/MacIntyre v Thomas/Spieth (13)
Fitzpatrick/McIlroy A/S Cantlay/Clark (13)
Europe 9½-3½ USA
“Did you see that thing?!” screams an incredulous Jordan Spieth as he slices his tee shot out of bounds on 14. On Sky, Paul McGinley speculates that someone’s shadow might have moved across his line on the downswing. He’s not happy, anyway. Or maybe he’s just not happy with himself, carving OB as he just did.
Nicolai Hojgaard hits one of the shots of the week on the driveable par-five 15th! A high fade with driver that lands softly in the centre of the green and rolls to ten feet! Incredible! With both Max Homa and Brian Harman missing the green, and in thick rough, this is serious advantage to Europe.
A dramatic back and forth on 15! Max Homa chunks his chip from near the cart path. Tommy Fleetwood then leaves his long birdie putt six feet short. Homa then lights the fuse by chipping in from a tricky position by to the side of a bunker! He screams and prods in the direction of someone, anyone, with real that’s-what-I’m-talking-about verve. Suddenly Fleetwood, who had been hoping to chip further into the US lead, has to make the putt to stay in the match! He rolls it in, but the USA are dormie three now.
Fleetwood/Hojgaard v Homa/Harman 3UP (15)
2UP Rose/MacIntyre v Thomas/Spieth (13)
Fitzpatrick/McIlroy A/S Cantlay/Clark (12)
Europe 9½-3½ USA
Bob MacIntyre has struggled a wee bit this week. He delivers big here, though! Jordan Spieth’s 12-foot birdie putt stops one turn short, and the door is open. It’s a tricky downhill tickler, but he steers it in, right to left, and Europe have a cushion in the third match!
Fleetwood/Hojgaard v Homa/Harman 3UP (14)
2UP Rose/MacIntyre v Thomas/Spieth (13)
Fitzpatrick/McIlroy A/S Cantlay/Clark (12)
Europe 9½-3½ USA
Advantage Europe on 15. Everyone misses the fairway bar Tommy Fleetwood. For the first time this afternoon, Max Homa looks a little agitated as he sends his drive off into trouble down the left. Fleetwood finds the green in regulation, but he’ll have a long two-putts for his par. He’s the only one to get there, though. Homa squirts his second across the fairway towards a cart path, while Harman finds himself at the bottom of the false front guarding the green. Meanwhile back on 13, Bob MacIntyre lands his tee shot on the ridge running across the green, the slope bringing his ball back to four feet. Huge advantage for Europe with neither Jordan Spieth nor Justin Thomas going particularly close.
Every hour at the Ryder Cup is big … but some hours are bigger than others, and the one coming up … oh my. Scenes erupt around the 12th as first Justin Rose, then Jordan Spieth, then finally Bob MacIntyre miss eight-feet birdie putts. Huge chances for both teams passed up there.
Europe aren’t of a mind to give up the second match easily either. Nicolai Hojgaard rakes a 30-footer for birdie across 14; neither Brian Harman nor Max Homa (for once) can respond, and the USA’s lead is cut to three. But some blue turns to white at the bottom of the board. Rory McIlroy, having flayed his drive up a bank to the side of 11 then chipped down delightfully to ten feet, misses his right-to-left curling birdie putt, allowing Patrick Cantlay to make one from half the distance.
Fleetwood/Hojgaard v Homa/Harman 3UP (14)
1UP Rose/MacIntyre v Thomas/Spieth (11)
Fitzpatrick/McIlroy A/S Cantlay/Clark (11)
Europe 9½-3½ USA
Europe 9½-3½ USA
Yep. Aberg’s uphill putt is always missing on the right, and he cocks his head back in disappointment. Sam Burns tidies up for par, and that’s it. But what an effort. If nothing else, the brilliant young Swedish debutant has kept the scoreline respectable, given himself and Viktor Hovland something to take away from an otherwise difficult afternoon, and perhaps planted a couple of seeds of doubt in Collin Morikawa’s mind. Sam Burns and Collin Morikawa beat Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg 4&3.
Hovland/Aberg v Burns/Morikawa 4&3 (F)
Fleetwood/Hojgaard v Homa/Harman 4UP (13)
1UP Rose/MacIntyre v Thomas/Spieth (11)
1UP Fitzpatrick/McIlroy v Cantlay/Clark (10)
Europe 9½-3½ USA
Sam Burns gives his chip from the back of 15 a good go. But it’s always staying out on the right. Over to Collin Morikawa, who has his third chance to close this match out. However this one’s from 40 feet. He does very well to roll up to a couple of feet. Viktor Hovland nearly holes out from the bunker, but a fantastic effort skirts the left-hand side of the hole. So it’s going to be up to Ludvig Aberg to keep this match alive for the third hole in a row. Too much to ask?
Ludvig Aberg is some talent. Europe have to go for it at every hole in the lead match, but that’s easier said than done, and from 180 yards he takes on the greenside bunkers guarding the pin on the right. He lands his ball ten feet from the flag. By contrast, Collin Morikawa, hardly a slouch with the irons himself, can only find the middle portion of the green. Sam Burns sends a flyer over it. The door’s not fully open, exactly, but it is ajar. Unless one of the Americans does something sensational with their next shot, Aberg will be putting to extend again.
Tommy Fleetwood pours one in from 15 feet for birdie at 13. But there’s no stopping the irrepressible Max Homa, who walks in a birdie of his own from similar distance, then points theatrically into the cup while staring at the gallery. To be fair, he might be celebrating with his own fans, rather than baiting Europe’s. There are a fair few Americans enjoying themselves vocally right now. And why not.
Hovland/Aberg v Burns/Morikawa 4UP (14)
Fleetwood/Hojgaard v Homa/Harman 4UP (13)
1UP Rose/MacIntyre v Thomas/Spieth (11)
1UP Fitzpatrick/McIlroy v Cantlay/Clark (10)
Europe 9½-2½ USA
… Morikawa misses another chance to close out the match from close range! This one nervously pushed wide right. History has indeed repeated itself, and in short order, dormie six is now dormie four. To repeat, this is almost certainly simply the delay of the inevitable, but whatever happens now, it’ll have built up a little scar tissue on Collin Morikawa’s soul ahead of tomorrow’s singles.
Hovland/Aberg v Burns/Morikawa 4UP (14)
Fleetwood/Hojgaard v Homa/Harman 4UP (12)
1UP Rose/MacIntyre v Thomas/Spieth (10)
1UP Fitzpatrick/McIlroy v Cantlay/Clark (10)
Europe 9½-2½ USA
Aberg pours in his birdie putt! It’s his third birdie in a row, a serious case of too much, too late, right? Because Morikawa steps up, and …
History starts to repeat itself on 14. Collin Morikawa creams a long iron to five feet. All over? Well, again, probably. But there’s a chance that Ludwig Aberg will ask the question again, because he fires in to similar range. Will Morikawa hold his nerve to convert the win this time? Before we find out, as expected, Homa’s glorious second into 12 puts the USA up in match two.
Max Homa is completely on top of his game this afternoon. Having nearly spun his wedge in for eagle at 11, he’s set himself up for a tap-in eagle at the par-five 12th. A 3-iron pearled from 240 yards to a couple of feet! Outstanding. He and Brian Harman will most likely be going four up in a couple of minutes.
Well, well, well. Sam Burns’ putt lips out. It shouldn’t matter, with Morikawa a couple of feet away. But he shoves a nervy one left, and that one lips out too! It’s surely just delaying the inevitable, but that’ll give the young Scandinavian duo succour ahead of the singles tomorrow after what still looks like being a diminuendo end to their genuinely weird day. Meanwhile another birdie for Justin Rose, this time at 10, and he’s turned match three around in short order!
Hovland/Aberg v Burns/Morikawa 5UP (13)
Fleetwood/Hojgaard v Homa/Harman 3UP (11)
1UP Rose/MacIntyre v Thomas/Spieth (10)
1UP Fitzpatrick/McIlroy v Cantlay/Clark (9)
Europe 9½-2½ USA
The lead game will surely be all over in a minute. Sam Burns knocks his tee shot at the short par-three 13th pin high to 15 feet. Not bad. But then Collin Morikawa sends his tee shot over the flag, using the ridge across the green as a backstop that brings the ball back to a couple of feet. Almost a certain birdie … but he’ll have to make that putt, because Ludvig Aberg replicates Morikawa’s shot, and goes even closer! He’ll have a pick-up birdie. What a pair of shots! Too little, too late, but if you’re going to go out, you may as well go out in style.
Ludwig Aberg lobs elegantly down from the grassy mound to the right of 12. He sets up a good chance for birdie … but before he can take it, Collin Morikawa walks in his short eagle putt – he’d creamed a glorious second from 220 yards to ten feet – and the USA are indeed dormie six in the lead match! Meanwhile Nicolai Hojgaard steers in an eight-foot right-to-left curler for birdie at 11. Only problem for Europe is, Max Homa had nearly backspun his wedge into the cup, and he tidies up for an easy birdie of his own.
Hovland/Aberg v Burns/Morikawa 6UP (12)
Fleetwood/Hojgaard v Homa/Harman 3UP (11)
Rose/MacIntyre A/S Thomas/Spieth (9)
1UP Fitzpatrick/McIlroy v Cantlay/Clark (9)
Europe 9½-2½ USA
Sam Burns and Collin Morikawa could be dormie six soon. Morikawa is on the par-five 12th in 2, while Viktor Hovland has driven into a bunker, and Ludwig Aberg has sent his approach up the grassy bank to the right of the green. Should it happen, it won’t be quite as jaw-dropping as the dormie eight their opponents Hovland and Aberg put up this morning against Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka, en route to a 9&7 win, but on pretty much any other day in Ryder Cup history it’d be the lead story! Quite the turnaround in fortunes for the Scandinavians.
Justin Rose is just short of the par-five 9th in two. A chip and a putt, and birdie ties the match again with Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas making a short-game hames of it. The only fortysomething in the entire tournament is making his presence felt this afternoon; that’s Rose’s second win of the match so far and he’s single-handedly keeping Team Europe in contention.
Hovland/Aberg v Burns/Morikawa 5UP (11)
Fleetwood/Hojgaard v Homa/Harman 3UP (10)
Rose/MacIntyre A/S Thomas/Spieth (9)
1UP Fitzpatrick/McIlroy v Cantlay/Clark (8)
Europe 9½-2½ USA
Play has slowed down this afternoon. A real grind. The first match has just ticked past the three-hour mark and they’re only through 11 holes. Not that Team USA will care at all; they’ve just gone five up, so the pace is fine by them. Collin Morikawa doesn’t take a shy for the driveable par-four green, instead laying up to his favoured wedging distance, spinning to eight feet, and walking in the putt. The lead game is as good as over. But there’s life in match two, as Tommy Fleetwood sends his approach to ten feet, then makes the birdie putt to reduce Europe’s arrears to three.
Hovland/Aberg v Burns/Morikawa 5UP (11)
Fleetwood/Hojgaard v Homa/Harman 3UP (10)
Rose/MacIntyre v Thomas/Spieth 1UP (8)
1UP Fitzpatrick/McIlroy v Cantlay/Clark (8)
Europe 9½-2½ USA
Matt Fitzpatrick and Rory McIlroy both miss mid-range birdie efforts on 8. Patrick Cantlay still has a five-footer for his par … but he’s never missing it, rattling it with supreme confidence into the middle of the cup. Never touching the sides. Europe have had their chances recently in the bottom two matches, but they’re not taking them. The ruthlessness of the first three sessions has all but evaporated.
Hovland/Aberg v Burns/Morikawa 4UP (10)
Fleetwood/Hojgaard v Homa/Harman 4UP (9)
Rose/MacIntyre v Thomas/Spieth 1UP (8)
1UP Fitzpatrick/McIlroy v Cantlay/Clark (8)
Europe 9½-2½ USA
Viktor Hovland takes the flag out at 10 and chips in for par. It’s only good enough for a half, but that’s got the gallery going at least, and maybe it’ll give the young European duo some succour as they attempt to stage an unlikely fightback.
Hovland/Aberg v Burns/Morikawa 4UP (10)
Fleetwood/Hojgaard v Homa/Harman 4UP (9)
Rose/MacIntyre v Thomas/Spieth 1UP (8)
1UP Fitzpatrick/McIlroy v Cantlay/Clark (7)
Europe 9½-2½ USA
JT hits a fat one out of the rough at 8 and finds the drink. He and his partner are past masters in dovetailing, though, and Jordan Spieth artfully sends a long bunker shot to three feet, and cleans up for the hole-saving par. Meanwhile up on 9, Tommy Fleetwood is always out of position after driving into the rough, Nicolai Hojgaard pulls his approach into the creek, and when Brian Harman finds the putting surface in two, the jig is effectively up. Unless something very strange happens from here, the USA will be winning the first two fourballs. They’re four holes up in both matches.
Hovland/Aberg v Burns/Morikawa 4UP (9)
Fleetwood/Hojgaard v Homa/Harman 4UP (9)
Rose/MacIntyre v Thomas/Spieth 1UP (8)
1UP Fitzpatrick/McIlroy v Cantlay/Clark (7)
Europe 9½-2½ USA
Matt Fitzpatrick was draining everything yesterday. Today, not so much. He’s got a straight putt across 7 to win the hole, but the 25-footer is pulled a tad to the left. Hole tied but Europe remain one up. “I find that the best way to avoid the ‘jam side down’ problem, Scott, is to drop the bread on the floor first, then spread the jam. Works every time, in fact.” Our old pal Simon McMahon with some expert preserve-application advice there. Well, he is from Dundee.
Hovland/Aberg v Burns/Morikawa 4UP (9)
Fleetwood/Hojgaard v Homa/Harman 3UP (8)
Rose/MacIntyre v Thomas/Spieth 1UP (7)
1UP Fitzpatrick/McIlroy v Cantlay/Clark (7)
Europe 9½-2½ USA
Birdie for Collin Morikawa at the par-five 9th, and the USA are romping away with the lead match. Viktor Hovland and Ludwig Aberg rewrote the record book this morning with their 9&7 victory over Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka; the boot is firmly on the other foot this afternoon, and it’s tap-dancing on Europe’s pain.
Hovland/Aberg v Burns/Morikawa 4UP (9)
Fleetwood/Hojgaard v Homa/Harman 3UP (8)
Rose/MacIntyre v Thomas/Spieth 1UP (7)
1UP Fitzpatrick/McIlroy v Cantlay/Clark (6)
Europe 9½-2½ USA
A huge stroke of luck for Justin Thomas at 7. He carves his tee shot towards the grassy bank to the right of the green, only to take an outrageous 90-degree left-turn bounce out of the thick rough. The ball rolls through a swale, then onto the green, and ends up five feet from the cup! That’s rattled Bob MacIntyre, whose tee shot I undersold: he’s just six feet away. But he doesn’t give his birdie putt enough on the high side, and it curls away apologetically to the right. Lucky JT … but then he grabbed his opportunity with both hands, while MacIntyre let his chance slip through his fingers. The USA are up in three matches again!
Hovland/Aberg v Burns/Morikawa 3UP (8)
Fleetwood/Hojgaard v Homa/Harman 3UP (8)
Rose/MacIntyre v Thomas/Spieth 1UP (7)
1UP Fitzpatrick/McIlroy v Cantlay/Clark (6)
Europe 9½-2½ USA
Ewan Murray is in Rome. Here’s his report on Jon Rahm coming right back at Brooks Koepka.
… but does it matter? Not this time! Justin Rose drains a 30-footer in for birdie, and match three is tied again when Jordan Spieth leaves his 15-footer well short of the hole. Bob MacIntyre then turns up the heat a little by sending his tee shot at 7 straight at the pin. No clatter this time and it rolls 12 feet past. He’ll have a good look at birdie, and the Scottish debutant’s last couple of shots suggests he might be getting his eye in at long last.
Hovland/Aberg v Burns/Morikawa 3UP (8)
Fleetwood/Hojgaard v Homa/Harman 3UP (7)
Rose/MacIntyre A/S Thomas/Spieth (6)
1UP Fitzpatrick/McIlroy v Cantlay/Clark (5)
Europe 9½-2½ USA
Bob MacIntyre’s wedge into 6 clatters into the flagstick and flies ten feet away. Had the ball been allowed to go about its business without intervention, it could well have stuck a couple of feet from the flag. Up until this session, Europe had enjoyed nearly all of the rub of the green; now the bread is occasionally falling jam side down.