No magic potion. A flick of a switch, that's all it took; the sort of trick the magician Dynamo, who'd entertained Europe's players in the run-up to this shindig, might produce from nowhere. And as raucous as the home galleries had been in a gloriously one-sided first session of foursomes for the United States, the shoe was firmly put on the other foot in the fourballs as Europe refused to stand idly by, quietened the crowd and fought the good fight to leave this 41st edition of the Ryder Cup all to play for.
What was it Martin Luther King once said? “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”
And as despairing a situation as a wounded Europe team found themselves in after being humiliated and white-washed in the four foursomes, eating what must have seemed like a tasteless lunch akin to bread and water such was their plight, the second session of fourballs brought a revival and a sign of their fighting spirit.
Where the match seemed dead almost before it had started after the USA sensationally grabbed a 4-0 lead from the foursomes, Europe’s response in the fourballs was as impressive as the morning play had been insipid. The United States fans, packed into the grandstands and forced to stand on tip-toe, had roared ‘til hoarse on the delirium of that alternate shot play only to be quietened by the serious comeback that came in the better ball format to claim the fourballs 3-1. It gave the USA a 5-3 overnight lead, and a chorus of Ole Oles around the course as the shadows lengthened.
In truth, the contrast – impossible in so many ways to comprehend – only served to underline the magical appeal of the man-to-man competition of matchplay, made even more intoxicating by the team element with Europe seeking a historic fourth straight win.
Zach Johnson summed up their foursomes dominance. “I think we’re not shocked by the morning outcome. However, if it didn’t end up like that, trust wouldn’t have wavered. Faith wouldn’t have wavered. You know, we would have got back out and fought. But that momentum is big in golf, and it’s substantial in team events.”
If there was an assumption that the USA would simply carry that momentum into the fourballs, it was to prove presumptive. Europe rolled up their sleeves.
After the foursomes, Europe’s captain Darren Clarke had remained calm. “This afternoon the roles may be reversed and the Europeans will go out and make some putts and get some momentum,” the Northern Irishman had opined. The words were sincerely spoken but, on the evidence of what had unfolded in the morning where his men had been so comprehensively played, they seemed more in hope.
While Davis Love III utilised all 12 players from his team on the first day, Clarke opted to leave Chris Wood and Matt Fitzpatrick on the sidelines unused.
After taking a bad beating in the foursomes at the hands of Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed, the top European pairing of Olympic champion Justin Rose and British Open champion Henrik Stenson turned their games around completely in the fourballs. The Englishman and the Swede had failed to get beyond the 16th green in the morning matches but were transformed in playing their own balls and, after losing the opening hole, turned matters around to turn two up and never took their foot off the pedal for a 5 &4 win.
“We didn’t really put a foot wrong tee-to-green, but we didn’t make any putts this morning. But this afternoon, brilliant. We obviously got running and dovetailed really well,” said Rose of the improvement.
Where Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal in past-Ryder Cups had formed the so-called Spanish Armada, a brand new Spanish pairing was unleashed in an effort to revive Europe’s efforts. It worked a treat, as Garcia – almost as if trying to prove a point – combined with debutant Rafa Cabrera Bello to produce a masterclass in their fourballs with JB Holmes and Ryan Moore.
There was flair, as demonstrated by Bello’s par save on the seventh – where he’d driven in the creek down the left but got up and down from 140 yards after taking a penalty drop – and there was bravado, epitomised by Garcia’s chip-in for birdie from greenside rough on the ninth hole which gave them a 4 holes advantage over Holmes and Moore at the turn. Rather cheekily, Garcia put his hand to his ear after holing a left-to-right breaking birdie to halve the 10th. But that gesture demonstrated just how much European confidence had grown since their morning mauling and the match finished in fitting fashion with a birdie on the 17th from Garcia that gave the Spanish duo a 3 and 2 win.
“I love it. I love golf, playing every week. Obviously this is very special for us. And to play with this guy, I mean, he was a rock out there. He gave me so much confidence to be able to go for shots and go for putts and things like that,” said Garcia.
They weren’t alone in taking the fight to the Americans. Rory McIlroy and Thomas Pieters – another brand new pairing – dove-tailed wonderfully sharing five birdies in successive from the third to the seventh in building up a 4 holes lead over Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar and the match was alive until McIlroy – as he does – brought his X-Factor to the big stage.
On the Par 5 15th in two, McIlroy emphatically rolled in a 15 footer downhill for a finishing eagle to win the match 3 and 2. He bowed, and then punched the air in delight.
