Golf - The 2023 Ryder Cup - Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, Rome, Italy - September 29, 2023 Team Europe's Jon Rahm hits his putt on the 15th green during the Foursomes REUTERS/Carl Recine
ROME (Reuters) - Europe made a dream start in their bid to regain the Ryder Cup with a record-breaking morning romp and then withstood an American fightback to end day one with a commanding 6-1/2 to 1-1/2 lead at a sun-drenched Marco Simone Country Club on Friday.
Roared on by massive galleries, Luke Donald's team were unstoppable in the opening foursomes, sweeping a 4-0 'bluewash' to begin their quest to regain the cup after a 2021 drubbing.
It was the first time in the competition's history that a European team has won an opening session 4-0. But Zach Johnson's Americans found some fight in the later fourballs to retain a modicum of hope heading into the weekend.
A thrilling fourballs session was going the way of the Americans as they led in three matches deep into the back nine. But Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm and veteran Justin Rose ensured Europe won it 2-1/2 to 1-1/2, with three matches that went all the way to the 18th.
The U.S. have not won in Europe for 30 years and need only a draw (14 points) to hang on to the trophy but after failing to win a single match in a day for the first time ever, they face a Herculean task.
"Sensational -- dream start for us," Donald said after a breathless climax to the day.
"This morning was an amazing performance by the guys and this afternoon was tough. The U.S. came back, we knew they would. The momentum was turning their way but man, did we turn it back. Putts by Viktor, Jon and Rosie make a huge difference."
Spaniard Rahm, who had earlier lit the touchpaper with a superlative display alongside Tyrell Hatton in the foursomes, ended the day in incredible fashion, making two eagles in his last three holes to deny five-time major champion Brooks Koepka and world number one Scottie Scheffler a win.
Norway's Hovland sunk a monster putt at the 18th to earn a tie alongside Hatton against Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas. When Rose drained a birdie on 18 to deny Max Homa and Wyndham Clark victory, bedlam erupted around the jam-packed green with the roars probably audible in St Peter's Square.
"That was my moment there on the 18th -- I've made us a lot of points but I haven't had many moments like that so that was immense," Rose, playing his sixth Ryder Cup, said.
Donald opted to play the foursomes first rather than fourballs as had been the case in Europe since 1997 in a bid to make a fast start. It proved a masterstroke.
WILD SCENES
A day that began in a blaze of colour and a deafening din turned ugly for the Americans whose captain Johnson received criticism on social media for leaving four major winners out of his foursomes selections, including Spieth and Thomas.
From the moment Hovland, playing alongside Swedish rookie Ludvig Aberg, chipped in at the first on the way to a 4&3 defeat of British Open winner Brian Harman and Max Homa, Europe rode the wave and the Americans were powerless to resist.
Wild scenes greeted the first match soon after the sun rose on the Roman countryside and Scheffler was heckled with "You stink Scottie" before he hit the opening shot of the day in front of 5,000 fans packed into the huge grandstand.
Playing alongside nervous rookie Sam Burns, Scheffler struggled and when Rahm holed a putt from off the green to give him and Hatton the lead and sunk a short birdie putt to win the fifth the tome was set.
Masters champion Rahm almost aced the scenic par-three seventh and when he chipped in to save the 10th it was a body blow to the misfiring Americans who were shaking hands, defeated 4&3, on the 15th green.
Hovland was majestic as he and Aberg, the first Ryder Cup player not to contest a major, proved too hot for Homa and Harman to handle in match two.
Shane Lowry and Austrian debutant Sepp Straka raced into a four-shot lead after nine holes against Collin Morikawa and Rickie Fowler with barrage of birdies and were never threatened.
The blows kept raining down on the Americans and Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood -- nicknamed Fleetwood Mac -- made it a perfect morning for Europe with a 2&1 victory over Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele.
Europe's foursomes dominance was such that they won 22 holes to the 10 of a crestfallen U.S.
Both captains shuffled their pairings in the fourballs and the Americans finally put some red on the scoreboard. They got their first half point although it was bittersweet for Spieth and Thomas as Hovland's heroics ensured a tie for he and Hatton.
Koepka and Scheffler looked set for victory over Rahm and Danish rookie Nicolai Hojgaard but Rahm had other ideas, chipping in at the 16th and sinking another eagle at 18.
Matt Fitzpatrick, playing with McIlroy, earned his first Ryder Cup point in stunning fashion with four birdies and an eagle in an early blitz that Morikawa and Schauffele never recovered from, losing 5&3.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Toby Davis and Pritha Sarkar)
