Rory McIlroy in action as Donald Trump is expected on-site – The Irish Times

Stunning shot by Morikawa on the 9th! He looked to be in trouble with trees overhanging in front of him but he draws a boomerang around the branches and stops it two feet from the hole. Fleetwood has an easier shot but there’s a big premium on it after that – and he flights one in to eight feet. Rory will have to hole it or it’s one back for the US.

Europe have a chance to draw level in the bottom match here. MacIntyre will have a putt from 20 feet for his birdie, while Schauffele is in the bunker and splashes out to seven feet. Cantlay needs to hole that… but he misses! That means there’s no red on the board! Europe are up in three and all square in the other.

DeChambeau/Thomas v Rahm/Hatton 1UP (10)

Scheffler/Henley v Fitzpatrick/Aberg 4Up (9)

English/Morikawa v McIlroy/Fleetwood 5Up (8)

AS Cantlay/Schauffele v MacIntyre/Hovland AS (7)

The top match walk off the difficult 10th with a half, both teams getting down in two from around 45 feet.

DeChambeau/Thomas v Rahm/Hatton 1UP (10)

Scheffler/Henley v Fitzpatrick/Aberg 4Up (9)

English/Morikawa v McIlroy/Fleetwood 5Up (8)

1UP Cantlay/Schauffele v MacIntyre/Hovland (6)

Boom boom for Europe! Aberg holes out on nine and that means he and Fotzpatrick hit the turn four up on Scheffler and Henley. Back on the eighth, McIlroy polishes off Fleetwood’s brilliant tee shot and th puts them five up. This couldn’t be going much better for Luke Donald’s side.

DeChambeau/Thomas v Rahm/Hatton 1UP (9)

Scheffler/Henley v Fitzpatrick/Aberg 4Up (9)

English/Morikawa v McIlroy/Fleetwood 5Up (8)

1UP Cantlay/Schauffele v MacIntyre/Hovland (6)

That’s another great chance lost for USA in the bottom match. Cantlay had a putt to go 2Up and it hit maybe the worst stroke we’ve seen all day from anyone. He left it short from 12 feet and Europe sprint off the green knowing they got away with one there. The course is so quiet you can hear the grass grow.

DeChambeau/Thomas v Rahm/Hatton 1UP (9)

Scheffler/Henley v Fitzpatrick/Aberg 3Up (8)

English/Morikawa v McIlroy/Fleetwood 4Up (7)

1UP Cantlay/Schauffele v MacIntyre/Hovland (6)

Fleetwood and McIlroy are relentless. On the short 8th, Tommy has speared one into four feet. Morikawa’s shot isn’t bad but it’s 18 feet away on the fringe. Advantage Europe again.

Where is the American comeback going to come from? Scheffler is the obvious hope for them. He takes charge on the ninth holes, whizzing a fantastic shot into 10 feet. But Fitzpatrick isn’t one bit cowed by playing against the best payer in the world and he leaves his 12 feet from the holes. Nothing between them.

In the top match, Justin Thomas is stinking the place out. From the middle of the fairway on 9, he leaves his approach short and right in the rough. Hatton meanwhile stitches his in to 12 feet. The European pair are fizzing here and have a chance to go 2Up. DeChambeau chips it up to two feet but Rahm’s put slides inches by. That’s a let-off for the USA.

DeChambeau/Thomas v Rahm/Hatton 1UP (9)

Scheffler/Henley v Fitzpatrick/Aberg 3Up (8)

English/Morikawa v McIlroy/Fleetwood 4Up (7)

1UP Cantlay/Schauffele v MacIntyre/Hovland (5)

In the top match, Justin Thomas is stinking the place out. From the middle of the fairway on 9, he leaves his approach short and right in the rough. Hatton meanwhile stitches his in to 12 feet. The European pair are fizzing here and have a chance to go 2Up. DeChambeau chips it up to two feet but Rahm’s put slides inches by. That’s a let-off for the USA.

DeChambeau/Thomas v Rahm/Hatton 1UP (9)

Scheffler/Henley v Fitzpatrick/Aberg 3Up (8)

English/Morikawa v McIlroy/Fleetwood 4Up (6)

1UP Cantlay/Schauffele v MacIntyre/Hovland (5)

Says it all…

The American team need to get something back here quickly. But everything is going Europe’s way. MacIntyre hits the pin on the 5th, leaving Hovland just three feet to tie the hole. And the Norwegian takes care of it. That was a great chance for USA to go 2Up in the bottom match but there was nothing doing.

DeChambeau/Thomas v Rahm/Hatton 1UP (8)

Scheffler/Henley v Fitzpatrick/Aberg 3Up (8)

English/Morikawa v McIlroy/Fleetwood 4Up (6)

1UP Cantlay/Schauffele v MacIntyre/Hovland (5)

And a thoroughly unlikely turnaround comes on the 8th, where DeChambeau misses and Hatton makes. Rahm and Hatton haven’t played well AT ALL and yet they go to the 9th a hole up. So much silence out on the course now. Gotta love the Ryder Cup.

DeChambeau/Thomas v Rahm/Hatton 1UP (8)

Scheffler/Henley v Fitzpatrick/Aberg 3Up (7)

English/Morikawa v McIlroy/Fleetwood 4Up (6)

1UP Cantlay/Schauffele v MacIntyre/Hovland (4)

RORY! An absolute pearler from McIlroy on the 6th, leaves Fleetwood no more than a couple of feet from the hole. He will surely be given that. Europe could go four up here. English needs to hole from 18 feet – and he slides by. Brilliant start from Fleetwood Mac.

AS DeChambeau/Thomas v Rahm/Hatton AS (7)

Scheffler/Henley v Fitzpatrick/Aberg 3Up (7)

English/Morikawa v McIlroy/Fleetwood 4Up (6)

1UP Cantlay/Schauffele v MacIntyre/Hovland (4)

Europe are riding a wave here. McIlroy drains another one on the fifth and that puts him and Fleetwood 3Up against English and Morikawa.

AS DeChambeau/Thomas v Rahm/Hatton AS (7)

Scheffler/Henley v Fitzpatrick/Aberg 3Up (6)

English/Morikawa v McIlroy/Fleetwood 3Up (5)

1UP Cantlay/Schauffele v MacIntyre/Hovland (4)

Well now! Bryson splashed out to five feet but Thomas missed the putt! Europe got down in two and it’s all square. Sky reporter Wayne Riley reports from the course that the referee sasy the ball oscillated but didn’t move from its spot – meaning that Europe don’t get a penalty. They’ve won the hole!

AS DeChambeau/Thomas v Rahm/Hatton AS (7)

Scheffler/Henley v Fitzpatrick/Aberg 3Up (6)

English/Morikawa v McIlroy/Fleetwood 2Up (4)

1UP Cantlay/Schauffele v MacIntyre/Hovland (3)

On the seveth, there could be a bit of controversy bubbling. Rahm’s tee shot went a mile right and came to rest near a stick, which he or Hatton may or may not have moved a dimple when inspecting it. Hatton has played a brilliant second shot to 30 feet, while the Yanks are in the bunker. Will there be a row over this?

McIlroy has a chance to put Europe 2Up in the third match and he nails it from seven feet! Harris English misses from a similar distance and that’s phenomenal stuff from Europe.

1Up DeChambeau/Thomas v Rahm/Hatton (6)

Scheffler/Henley v Fitzpatrick/Aberg 3Up (6)

English/Morikawa v McIlroy/Fleetwood 2Up (4)

1UP Cantlay/Schauffele v MacIntyre/Hovland (3)

Another brilliant intervention from Fitzpatrick. He holes out from 15 feet on the sitxh, meaning Scheffler has to follow him in to tie the hole. And he doesn’t! Europe go 3Up against the world number one.

1Up DeChambeau/Thomas v Rahm/Hatton (6)

Scheffler/Henley v Fitzpatrick/Aberg 3Up (6)

English/Morikawa v McIlroy/Fleetwood 2Up (4)

1UP Cantlay/Schauffele v MacIntyre/Hovland (3)

The drama continues in the top match. Thomas missed his putt by a little and it was conceded. Hatton missed his by a little more than a little and it was not. Rahm finishes off from two feet and the hole is tied. It’s getting a teensy bit niggly between these two.

1Up DeChambeau/Thomas v Rahm/Hatton (6)

Scheffler/Henley v Fitzpatrick/Aberg 2Up (5)

English/Morikawa v McIlroy/Fleetwood 1Up (4)

1UP Cantlay/Schauffele v MacIntyre/Hovland (3)

Matt Fitzpatrick is the star of the show for Europe this morning. He’s playing as if it’s not Scottie Scheffler on the other side and that’s another hole won for Europe. Fitzpatrick whipped a stunning approach to two feet to set up a simple birdie for Aberg. Scheffler’s wasn’t quite as good but it was still only six feet away. Sadly for the US, Henley isn’t having a good morning and that’s a bad miss. Europe have the first 2Up lead of the 2025 Ryder Cup.

1Up DeChambeau/Thomas v Rahm/Hatton (5)

Scheffler/Henley v Fitzpatrick/Aberg 2Up (5)

English/Morikawa v McIlroy/Fleetwood 1Up (3)

1UP Cantlay/Schauffele v MacIntyre/Hovland (2)

What a shot from Jon Rahm! That’s incredible strength from the hay on the left and he’s closer that Bryson was with his. Who makes and who misses?

1Up DeChambeau/Thomas v Rahm/Hatton (5)

Scheffler/Henley v Fitzpatrick/Aberg 1Up (4)

English/Morikawa v McIlroy/Fleetwood 1Up (2)

1UP Cantlay/Schauffele v MacIntyre/Hovland (2)

In the final match, Cantlay holes out tidily from Schauffele’s brilliant approach. That’s a win for the US and now they’re up in two and Europe are up in two. Finely poised.

1Up DeChambeau/Thomas v Rahm/Hatton (5)

Scheffler/Henley v Fitzpatrick/Aberg 1Up (4)

English/Morikawa v McIlroy/Fleetwood 1Up (2)

1UP Cantlay/Schauffele v MacIntyre/Hovland (2)

Big trouble for Europe in the top match. Hatton has sprayed his drive a mile to the left and has found the only deep rough we’ve seen on any hole so far. Rahm will be a miracle worker to get anything good out of this. DeChambeau has a much easier task from the (very light) right rough.

Rahm and DeChambeau are staring each other down here, wondering who is going first. Bryson is getting a big annoyed at the confusion. But he hits a stunner into 10 feet and walks away chuntering.

In the final match, Schauffele has nailed his second shot to the second. He leaves Cantlay with six feet for birdie. MacIntyre’s shot would have looked good in the air but it grabbed a huge amount of spin and Hovland will have closer to 25 feet from the fringe for his birdie.

Things aren’t going well for them on the 3rd though – McIlroy pulled his tee shot on the par three and Fleetwood’s chip scuttle through. Rory need to hole a 10-footer to get away with it – and he does! Big save for Europe there.

1Up DeChambeau/Thomas v Rahm/Hatton (5)

Scheffler/Henley v Fitzpatrick/Aberg 1Up (4)

English/Morikawa v McIlroy/Fleetwood 1Up (3)

Cantlay/Schauffele AS v MacIntyre/Hovland AS (1)

Oh, that’s a bit of a shocker from Henley on the fourth. He ahd 10 feet for birdie but he made a mess of it. Aberg was left with a handy five-footer to win the hole and duly did so. Europe up in two matches now.

1Up DeChambeau/Thomas v Rahm/Hatton (5)

Scheffler/Henley v Fitzpatrick/Aberg 1Up (4)

English/Morikawa v McIlroy/Fleetwood 1Up (2)

Cantlay/Schauffele AS v MacIntyre/Hovland AS (1)

Big chance for USA in the top match – DeChambeau has 20 feet to win the hole. But it just slides by. Europe aren’t out of the woods yet though – Hatton needs to hole from six feet to tie the hole. But he’s rock steady. Never in doubt.

1Up DeChambeau/Thomas v Rahm/Hatton (5)

Scheffler/Henley AS v Fitzpatrick/Aberg AS (3)

English/Morikawa v McIlroy/Fleetwood 1Up (2)

Cantlay/Schauffele AS v MacIntyre/Hovland AS (1)

MacIntyre hits a decent lag putt on the first and that’sa four. Let’s see what Schauffele can do… he misses it! Big let-off for Europe in the final match.

1Up DeChambeau/Thomas v Rahm/Hatton (4)

Scheffler/Henley AS v Fitzpatrick/Aberg AS (3)

English/Morikawa v McIlroy/Fleetwood 1Up (2)

Cantlay/Schauffele AS v MacIntyre/Hovland AS (1)

Fleetwood and Morikawa both missed on the second and that’s a tie.

1Up DeChambeau/Thomas v Rahm/Hatton (4)

Scheffler/Henley AS v Fitzpatrick/Aberg AS (3)

English/Morikawa v McIlroy/Fleetwood 1Up (2)

The final match is on the course now. Bob MacIntyre whipped a decent drive down the left for Europe, which Viktor Hovland has lasered into the middle of the green. His partner will have about 30 feet for birdie there. For the Yanks, Xander Schauffele went straight at the green and left it 60 yards short in the rough, down around where Fleetwood was. Cantlay stitches it to seven feet. Advantage USA.

1Up DeChambeau/Thomas v Rahm/Hatton (4)

Scheffler/Henley AS v Fitzpatrick/Aberg AS (3)

English/Morikawa v McIlroy/Fleetwood 1Up (2)

On the second, McIlroy has spun a lovely approach pin high to 15 feet. English’s spun back a little further and he’s left Morikawa around 18 feet. Putting contest ahoy.

1Up DeChambeau/Thomas v Rahm/Hatton (4)

Scheffler/Henley AS v Fitzpatrick/Aberg AS (3)

English/Morikawa v McIlroy/Fleetwood 1Up (1)

One thing that is clear so far is that the rough by nowhere near as penalising as we’ve been used to over the years at Bethpage. Matt Fitzpatrick just hit the most gorgeous chip from what looked like pretty deep stuff to the left fo the third – it wasn’t a bother to him. Hole tied.

1Up DeChambeau/Thomas v Rahm/Hatton (4)

Scheffler/Henley AS v Fitzpatrick/Aberg AS (3)

English/Morikawa v McIlroy/Fleetwood 1Up (1)

In the top match, Europe are definitely closer to the hole but it might not count for much. Thomas has played a lovely third for the US, dribbling up to foot away and that will be a four. Hatton has a 30-footer to win the hole. He just misses and that’s a tie.

1Up DeChambeau/Thomas v Rahm/Hatton (4)

Scheffler/Henley AS v Fitzpatrick/Aberg AS (3)

English/Morikawa v McIlroy/Fleetwood 1Up (1)

On the first, Morikawa is out by no more than three feet, skittering through into the greenside fringe. It’s stilla good chance for the US team. But what a shot from Tommy Fleetwood! Buried in the rough short of the green, he chunked out a stunning bump and run.

Great chance for McIlroy from three feet. And he makes it! Europe go one up.

1Up DeChambeau/Thomas v Rahm/Hatton (3)

Scheffler/Henley AS v Fitzpatrick/Aberg AS (2)

English/Morikawa v McIlroy/Fleetwood 1Up (1)

In the second match, Henley has redeemed himself with a stylish approach to 10 feet. Aberg has left his partner a good bit further away, finding the middle of the green around 30 feet from the hole. Fitzpatrick cosies it up to a foot but now Scheffler has this to draw level… And he does!

DeChambeau/Thomas 1Up v Rahm/Hatton (3)

Scheffler/Henley AS v Fitzpatrick/Aberg AS (2)

Up on the third, DeChambeau tidies up from eight feet to halve the hole after Hatton left his second stone dead.

DeChambeau/Thomas 1Up v Rahm/Hatton (3)

Scheffler/Henley v Fitzpatrick/Aberg 1Up (1)

Rory time. He stands up to the first tee, with boos raining down from the stands. And his drive is pretty good – in the rough just short of the green. If Tommy Fleetwood has good lie, that should be no problem. Harris English steps up and doesn’t try to cut the corner, leaving Collin Morikawa a straightforward iron shot for his second.

In the top match, both Rahm and DeChambeau have pulled their teee shots into the bunker on the left of the green. Down to Hatton and JT to fight it out from the sand. Thomas splashes out to eight feet.

DeChambeau/Thomas 1Up v Rahm/Hatton (2)

Scheffler/Henley v Fitzpatrick/Aberg 1Up (1)

This is the face of a man who was up at 3am…

1st tee Bethpage….an attempted chorus of Rory, Rory breaks out. NY crowd not having it. USA USA. (and some not so polite) ..long day ahead for McIlroy. pic.twitter.com/27jLZn0lQI

— Philip Reid (@philreidgolf) September 26, 2025

Henley leaves his attempt three feet short on the first and so now Aberg can put Europe ahead if he holes his five-footer. And he does! Perfect start for Europe there.

DeChambeau/Thomas 1Up v Rahm/Hatton (2)

Scheffler/Henley v Fitzpatrick/Aberg 1Up (1)

On the second, Justin Thomas doesn’t capitalise on Bryson’s brilliant approach, his 10-footer sliding by. Hatton got his putt to gimme range for Europe and the hole is tied.

DeChambeau/Thomas 1Up on Rahm/Hatton (2)

USA up in 1

Scheffler has 148 yards to the pin out of the left rough – and he finds the middle of the green, a good 40 yards away. Matt Fitzpatrick has a much easier shot from the middle of the fairway and stitches it to four feet. Big chance for Europe in the second match.

DeChambeau/Thomas 1Up on Rahm/Hatton (1)

USA up in 1

Up on the second, DeChambeau has is playing beautifully. He’s hit a gorgeous second shot to 10 feet, whereas Rahm’s appraoch has spun back to 27 feet. Europe with work to do.

DeChambeau/Thomas 1Up on Rahm/Hatton (1)

USA up in 1

Perfect start for Team USA. They’ve made a slightly weird choice with the second match though, leaving Russell Henley to take the tee shot ahead of Scottie Scheffler. He pulls one left into the rough. For Europe, Ludvig Aberg has hit a brilliant drive down to the area where Bryson his his. Possible dvantage Europe here.

DeChambeau/Thomas 1Up on Rahm/Hatton (1)

USA up in 1

Rahm leaves his a foot short. Chance for DeChambeau. If he holes this, the place will go ballistic. It’s around 18 feet, more or less on the line that Rahm just hit his… And he drains it!

DeChambeau/Thomas 1Up on Rahm/Hatton (1)

USA up in 1

Hatton will actually have a decent line to the pin from over on the right, it just depends on what the lie is like. If the ball sits up for him, he can get this close.

He caught it a bit thick so it landed on the fringe of the green and didn’t really roll out. Leaves Rahm with a 20-footer for birdie.

Thomas has a much easier shot but he makes a bit of a mess of it, leaving it a good 15 feet short of the hole. It’s a putting competition now to see who takes the hole – Rahm v Bryson.

Jon Rahm will hit the opening tee shot. And it’s a nervy one, carved away into the right hand rough. Greeted by a huge roar from the crowd.

Now DeChambeau – and he hits a stunner! Finds the fairway about 30 yards shot of the green. Advantage USA.

Bryson and JT walk out of the tunnel draped in the stars and stripes. Eyeroll, eyeroll, eyeroll…

Jon Rah and Tyrrell Hatton walk out to the usual chorus of boos. They don’t seem overly perturbed. Nearly there now.

European crowd: [Here is a clever song we made up serenading our lads and poking cheeky fun at the boys from the U.S. of A, whom we delight in subtly tormenting.]

American Crowd:
🎵F— you, Rory! 🎵
🎵F— you, Rory! 🎵
🎵F— you, Rory! 🎵

— Kevin Van Valkenburg (@KVanValkenburg) September 26, 2025

Rough start to the morning for Philip Reid in New York, who sends us this dispatch…

“Well, the day can only get better. The fire alarm in the hotel went off at 3am which meant there was not fear of missing the 4.30am shuttle out to Bethpage Black – just over an hour away – for the first session of the Ryder Cup.

“The scene is quite surreal in many ways, with the players involved in the opening session of foursomes all preparing under floodlights on the driving range and on the putting green.

“Already, the grandstands beside the 1st and which also overlook the 18th green are packed . . . . and a sea of red – chants of USA, USA already underway – comes as little surprise for what is expected to be a wild, boisterous opening day.

“President Trump is due here after the foursomes get under way. He is scheduled to arrive shortly after 11am and will be by the first tee for the afternoon session of fourballs.

“The USA are favourites but there is a sense within the European team that this is their time to break the duck of home wins. The last European team to win was at Medinah in 2012 and Jon Rahm – in the first foursomes pairing away with Tyrrell Hatton against Justin Thomas and Bryson DeChambeau – for one is convinced there is room for a second miracle, as he put it.

“DeChambeau has proven to a real showman in the build-up and it will come as no surprise that data shows he has hit more balls on the range this week than anyone. Bryson has hit 507 balls with Viktor Hovland – searching for his swing – hitting the next highest, some 356. The lowest amount of balls hit? That would be Justin Rose, just 84.

“So, we’re nearly set to get underway…”

Opening tee shots are just 15 minutes away.

And so here we are. The longest week in golf is almost at an end and the Friday of the Ryder Cup is here.

We’ll be with you all weekend, starting with opening series of foursomes matches. The first balls will be in the air at 12.10 Irish time.

Key Reads

The first tee on the first morning of the Ryder Cup has become a law onto itself over the years. The tension is hilariously off-the-scale at times, with players the most nervous they’ve ever been. This particular first tee shot is one that will tempt players into shots they might not be that comfortable playing – it’s a dog-leg right but if they overcut it, they’ll put their partner in the trees.

Already, you can feel the atmosphere building.

Europe won the opening session 4-0 in Rome last time out. It ended a run of four Ryder Cups in a row where the US took the opening session. Both sides would be happy enough to go 2-2 here, I’d imagine.

Our man on the ground at Bethpage Philip Reid has just been on to say that the word is Donald Trump is going to park himself on the first tee for the afternoon matches later on. They’re due to start at 5.25 Irish time. As if the whole thing wasn’t enough of a circus already.

Okay, so the first tee shots are about an hour away. It looks almost certain that Bryson DeChambeau will hit the first shot of the 2025 Ryder Cup. He’s paired with Justin Thomas and the way Bethpage plays, the odd-numbered holes favour the bombers off the tee. So it will be a huge surprise if Bryson isn’t the first man up – and possibly even a bigger one if he doesn’t try to cut the corner and drive the green. That’s the Ryder Cup – drama from the first time a peg goes in the ground.

Here’s the foursomes line-up for the opening session. All times are Irish.

Match 1 (12.10): Bryson DeChambeau & Justin Thomas (USA) v Jon Rahm & Tyrrell Hatton (Europe)

Match 2 (12.26): Scottie Scheffler & Russell Henley (USA) v Ludvig Aberg & Matt Fitzpatrick (Europe)

Match 3 (12.42): Collin Morikawa & Harris English (USA) v Rory McIlroy & Tommy Fleetwood (Europe)

Match 4 (12.58): Xander Schauffele & Patrick Cantlay (USA) v Robert MacIntyre & Viktor Hovland (Europe)