Farmingdale (United States) (AFP) – As much as Europe captain Luke Donald enjoyed the domination his players showed against the United States on Friday’s first day of the Ryder Cup, he was just as pleased with how they handled the hecklers. Europe seized a 5.5-2.5 lead at Bethpage Black, winning both the foursomes and four-ball sessions over a United States squad with 12 of the world’s 23 top-ranked golfers. The visitors, however, also handled the pressure of a New York crowd with mental toughness that showed the benefits of preparation.
“A lot of mental resilience,” said Donald. “You just look at some of the putts these guys holed when it mattered, it’s pretty gratifying for a captain. It gets loud, and the guys handled it with absolute class and poise. To be prepared for an away Ryder Cup you have to deal with that. I thought they dealt with it amazing.”
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Europe’s missed putts and errant tee shots were jeered, but Europe’s shot-making success kept American supporters somewhat chastened. Donald said he was unaware of an obscene gesture McIlroy appeared to make leaving the 11th green that was posted on social media. The captain was aware his team won the first three matches for the first time on US soil, but cautioned against too much celebrating.
“To create a little bit of history with the three matches and how they were won was great. History is nice to accomplish,” Donald said. “It doesn’t mean anything unless we get 14.5 points on Sunday. Only thing people remember is who is the winner on Sunday. That’s our goal.”
Spain’s Jon Rahm and second-ranked McIlroy, who completed a career Grand Slam by winning April’s Masters, were “massive” in unbeaten showings, Donald said. “Jon is looking to always just help in any way he can to contribute to the team, but he has a good track record of going out first. He likes to lead,” Donald said of his two first-match session wins. “He’s someone that he wants to do a lot of his talking with his golf clubs, and that’s what he brings to our team. People, all our teammates, really respect that. He’s an incredible leader for us on and off the course.”
McIlroy delivered a win and a draw, missing an 11-foot birdie putt on the last hole that would have won. “Rory has talked about what the Ryder Cup means and the disappointments we saw in Wisconsin (at Whistling Straits in 2021) and how much he relishes Ryder Cups. He has made it quite clear that one of his big goals was to win an away Ryder Cup again. He played fantastic golf today.”
Also 2-0 was England’s Tommy Fleetwood, who took his first US PGA Tour title in last month’s Tour Championship after years of near misses. “He’s a world-class player that’s won a bunch around the world,” Donald said. “Yeah, it took him a little time (to win on the PGA Tour)… but he reframes it in such a positive way.”
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