Ryder Cup 2018 standings and results, Day 1: Europe seal their first ever foursomes clean sweep in history

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Matt Majendie @mattmajendie28 September 2018

Europe produced their first ever foursomes clean sweep of their Ryder Cup history as the hosts wrested back control after a difficult morning.

Starting 3-1 down following the fourballs, the Europeans appeared to be lifted by Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood sneaking a vital point in the final fourball contest.

And from a morning of red, the scoreboard turned blue, the whitewash giving Europe a day-one 5-3 lead that had early looked nigh-on impossible going into day two.

And it was apt that Molinari and Fleetwood, the only successful and repeated European pair from the earlier session, should wrap up that clean sweep as Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas lacked the fluency of their previous outing together.

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To get to that point, the Europeans did not need to play out of their skin, all the American partnerships over par for the round at the end of each contest.

Despite that facet, Thomas Bjorn’s decision to pair the experienced Sergio Garcia with Alex Noren proved perhaps the most inspired, the duo producing six birdies to comfortably oust an out-of-sorts Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau 5&4.

Stenson and Rose had proved a stunning duopoly when put together by Paul McGinley at Gleneagles in 2014, and so it proved in the first match of the afternoon foursomes.

Europe’s $10million dollar man in Rose did not play as he had to win the FedEx Cup, his golf and that of Stenson merely solid than spectacular.

In the end, a par round was enough to win 3&2 as Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler, such a strong pairing in the fourballs, could only muster a three-over round.

Afterwards, Rose admitted a pre-match pep talk from Rory McIlroy had helped lift him. The world No2 said: “Rory told me ‘put some blue on the board and give me Poults something to chase’.”

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McIlroy and Poulter were the second match out but McIlroy, who failed to card a birdie in the morning, continued to struggle. There were nervous European faces following, not least of all captain Thomas Bjorn, as the pair fell two down behind Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson.

But the match turned dramatically on the 6th as McIlroy, seemingly cajoled into form by Poulter, sunk a birdie putt to cut the deficit, the Northern Irishman shushing a contingent of American fans as he did so.

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And in the space of four holes the Europeans went from two down to a three-hole advantage. Like the American pair before them, it proved a second three-over par round for a second 3&2 success.

Standing on the 18th, McIlroy said: “We played well together at Medinah and Gleneagles, and it was nice to get out there and deliver another point.” Poulter, meanwhile, added: “Four years is a long wait. The board is looking so strong. It’s been awesome.”

Garcia and Noren followed moments later and then the whitewash was sealed with a Molinari putt on 14 for a 5&4 win.

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The end-of-day score exonerated Bjorn’s earlier decision to rest three of his wildcards and blood four of five rookies, ensuring everyone got out on the course on the opening day.

Reflecting on the day, he said: “A few guys sitting out that this morning that you’d normally see in the morning session but we’re one team and we do it with all 12. There’s a long way to go but we go home with a good taste in our mouth.”

For Jim Furyk, an evening of head scratching awaits as he mulls over how to fix the American demise and overhaul the European momentum.

Foursome results

  • Stenson & Rose beat Johnson & Fowler 3&2
  • McIlroy & Poulter beat Watson & Simpson 4&2
  • Garcia & Noren beat Mickelson & DeChambeau 5&4
  • Molinari & Fleetwood beat Thomas & Spieth 5&4

Fourball results

  • Koepka & Finau 1UP beat Rose & Rahm
  • Johnson & Fowler beat McIlroy & Olesen 4&2
  • Thomas & Spieth 1UP beat Hatton & Casey 
  • Molinari & Fleetwood beat Woods & Reed 3&1

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