Stick a fork in ’em, the U.S. isn’t bringing the Ryder Cup home this time either
This is exactly where the United States didn’t want to find itself. After rallying to within a point of the Europeans after a solid morning session in the 40th Ryder Cup, the Americans were nearly blanked in the afternoon session, earning a measly half point – and even that was disappointing.
The result: a 10-6 deficit heading into Sunday’s singles matches.
Oh, it’s guaranteed U.S. captain Tom Watson will remind his boys that the Europeans rallied from the same deficit to win at Medinah two years ago. But telling the story about an epic comeback is a whole lot easier than actually pulling one off, even if the Europeans aren’t quite celebrating yet.
“We know it’s possible,” Rose said of a comeback. “The finish line is nowhere near yet. Still have 4 1/2 points to earn tomorrow. That’s four or five guys that need to go out and play great golf, and that’s nearly half the team. So the way I see it, we have some work to do.”
Maybe just a little. Europe needs only four points to clinch, meaning the U.S. would have to win 8½ points out of a possible 12 available in Sunday’s singles matches. But for the U.S. to pull that off, they’ll have to have some combination of victories against: Rory McIlory, the No. 1 player in the world; Justin Rose, who sunk seemingly every putt he stood over Saturday; Sergio Garcia, who rarely loses in Ryder Cup play; Ian Poulter, one of the greatest players this tournament has ever seen. Or win each of the other eight matches, plus halve one against the aforementioned armada.
So where did it go wrong for the Americans?
The day actually started great for the U.S., winning two matches in the morning and splitting another to erase Friday’s two-point hole. Among those wins, Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed, back in the lineup after curiously being left on the bench Friday afternoon. Hungry to prove their 5&4 win 24 hours earlier was no fluke, the rookie combo throttled Thomas Bjorn and Kaymer by the same 5&4 score.
But the afternoon session was a total reversal. Four matches, three wins for Europe and a halve that probably shouldn’t have been.
Give them credit, for this wasn’t a case of the U.S. blowing it (save one match) so much as it is the Europeans just playing better.
Rose and Stenson birdied 10 straight holes in their morning match, trouncing Bubba Watson and Matt Kuchar, who had nine birdies of their own. Dubuisson and Graeme McDowell carded five birdies vs. no bogies in a 5&4 whooping of Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker in the afternoon.
The killer came when Rose and Martin Kaymer rallied from two holes down to steal a half point against the Spieth/Reed duo that had bulldozed everyone they’d faced to that point. The insult-to-injury moment came when Reed missed a two-footer on 16 to keep the Europeans’ hopes alive, which they took advantage of, winning the 18th to halve the match.
To say this Ryder Cup is over would be unfair; but to think it’s not is wishful thinking.
The U.S. hasn’t won on foreign soil since 1993, hasn’t hoisted the Cup since 2008. There’s a reason for that: the Europeans are a formidable opponent, and they showed as much Saturday afternoon.
They will be celebrating again Sunday night. If they’re not, it will be because of an even more epic comeback than the one they pulled off two years ago in suburban Chicago.
