FARMINGDALE, New York (Reuters) -The reliable duo of Tommy Fleetwood and Rory McIlroy - known to fans as "Fleetwood Mac" - helped power Team Europe to the top of the charts again, as they claimed a lopsided win in the Ryder Cup Friday foursomes matches at Bethpage Black.
Loud, passionate home fans on Long Island gave the U.S. team a warm welcome as the competition kicked off but Fleetwood and McIlroy cut through the noise with a 5&4 victory over Americans Collin Morikawa and Harris English.
It was the third win in their third Ryder Cup foursome, setting a familiar scene to two years ago when they helped power Europe to victory in Rome and Fleetwood sealed the winning point.
"When you've got a partner like Tommy you can play with so much freedom and so much trust in your game because you know you have someone that's going to back you up," said McIlroy.
"Knowing I have this man beside me, to bail me out if I do hit a bad shot, that's very comforting to know."
The holders were up 3-1 after the morning foursomes and the competition continues with a quartet of fourball matches in the afternoon.
The English and Northern Irish duo entered the three-day competition after a satisfying 2025 season, where Fleetwood claimed his first PGA Tour win at the Tour Championship and McIlroy completed a career Grand Slam at Augusta.
McIlroy said he had looked forward to his "Fleetwood Mac" reunion concert "since that last putt dropped in Rome."
"He's one of the best players in the world. And to know that I have him by my side, it frees me up," said McIlroy. "I can play with ultimate trust and ultimate freedom."
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in Farmingdale, New York, additional reporting by Frank Pingue; Editing by Ken Ferris)
