Here are some takeaways from the morning:<\/p>\n
\u2022 The Europeans are 10-2 in their last three foursomes sessions, dating to the Rome Ryder Cup. Only two of the morning pairings (Jon Rahm\/Tyrrell Hatton; Rory McIlroy\/Tommy Fleetwood) were the same as in 2023.<\/p>\n
\u2022 U.S. captain Keegan Bradley\u2019s opening gamble didn\u2019t pay off. With Bradley opting to use the electrifying Bryson DeChambeau in foursomes for the first time since 2018, the big basher nearly drove the first green but otherwise didn\u2019t muster much excitement for a crowd desperate for something to cheer about. DeChambeau and Justin Thomas made just three birdies, with Thomas struggling mightily on the greens (-2.36 SG, by far the worst of the morning players), and failed to keep pace with Rahm and Hatton. Rahm is a perfect 5-0 in his foursomes career, forming a formidable duo with his LIV Golf teammate.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Bradley said his pairings for both Friday sessions were established well in advance of Ryder Cup week, perhaps the reason that he once again sent out Thomas in the afternoon despite his subpar play in the morning. Thomas ranks third on the PGA Tour in birdie average, at 4.46 per round, and will need to get hot in better-ball alongside new partner Cameron Young. He\u2019s 5-1-2 all-time in fourballs.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Data Golf had the U.S. pairing of Collin Morikawa and Harris English as the 132nd-best partnership out of 132nd possibilities. Maybe it was on to something. The Americans got routed, 5 and 4, by the European duo of Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood. Perhaps no pairing would have stood much of a chance against two of the best players in the world; the strong match-play performers were also a combined 11-5-1 in the alternate-shot format. But it flat-out didn\u2019t work. In explaining his rationale for the first-time pairing, Bradley said that Morikawa and English\u2019s games \u201ccomplemented each other,\u201d with Morikawa\u2019s superb iron play and English\u2019s sublime putting, and that they \u201crelish the opportunity to play together.\u201d After this disaster, it\u2019ll be interesting to see if either player has their number called Saturday morning.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Matt Fitzpatrick, who was 0-5 on American soil and 1-7 overall in his Ryder Cup career \u2013 the worst won-lost percentage of any player \u2013 appeared on his way to redeeming himself with a dominant performance on Friday morning. Fitzpatrick gained more than four strokes overall, pairing with Ludvig Aberg for the first time in what became a 5-and-3 victory over world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley, what was thought to be the Americans\u2019 strongest alternate-shot duo.<\/p>\n
\u2022 The Europeans\u2019 two best players from the morning session (Fitzpatrick and Hatton) were benched for the afternoon.<\/p>\n
\u2022 No player, on either side, sat both sessions on Friday.<\/p>\n