Team Europe are on the brink of a historic Ryder Cup title defence on away soil after overcoming a hostile crowd to build a record-breaking 11.5-4.5 lead over Team USA at Bethpage Black.
Luke Donald’s side have dominated the first two days of a one-sided contest in New York, winning all four sessions – including three of the four matches in the Saturday fourballs – to take the largest lead in Ryder Cup history into the Sunday singles.
The PGA of America were forced to add extra security during the afternoon matches to control growing heckling and abuse towards European players, who responded by winning three more points to move within 2.5 points of retaining the title and three points from victory.
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Rory McIlroy refused to putt while the US crowds shouted out at him on the sixth green during a raucous Ryder Cup clash
Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry overcame a hostile atmosphere to see off Justin Thomas and Cameron Young 2up in the top match, shortly after Tommy Fleetwood won his fourth match of the week by partnering Justin Rose to a 3&2 win over Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau.
Scheffler’s latest defeat makes him the first world No 1 in history to lose his first four matches in a Ryder Cup, with his caddie Ted Scott and DeChambeau’s caddie Greg Bodine embroiled in a heated dispute with the European players and vice-captain Francesco Molinari as tempers boiled over.
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Bryson DeChambeau clashes with Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood, sparking chaos amongst the two teams
The last two matches required final-hole deciders, with the afternoon’s only victorious US pair JJ Spaun and Xander Schauffele edging Jon Rahm and Sepp Straka 1up and Tyrrell Hatton – a late replacement for the injured Viktor Hovland – teaming up with Matt Fitzpatrick to beat Sam Burns and Patrick Cantlay by the same margin.
Fleetwood will have the opportunity on Sunday to join a group of four players to win all five sessions at a Ryder Cup, while Keegan Bradley’s hosts will need to win 10 points on the final day to avoid defeat.
Team Europe on brink of history as New York crowd go too far
McIlroy was booed through a heated afternoon session, where a cry of “f*** you, Rory” disrupted his putt at the fourth before Lowry poured in an eagle and birdied the next to move them two ahead.
The atmosphere turned volatile enough for Thomas to have the crowd to quieten down at the sixth, where McIlroy refused to putt until they did, while Young nailed a long-range birdie at the next and Thomas won the ninth to leave the match tied at the turn.
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Shane Lowry was seen being held back by his caddie as he tried to confront someone heckling Rory McIlroy at the Ryder Cup!
Lowry had to be held back by his caddie after one heckle at the tenth tee, while McIlroy edged them back in front with a birdie at the 14th before the European pair produced a three-birdie finish to close out an impressive victory.
A high-quality second match saw the English pair of Fleetwood and Rose share the first two holes in birdies, before moving ahead with a Rose birdie at the next, only for DeChambeau to post an eagle-birdie run to win the next two and move Team USA ahead.
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Justin Rose made six birdies in just eight holes in his fourball match against Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau
Rose responded by posting back-to-back birdies and Fleetwood added birdies either side of DeChambeau converting from 12 feet at the 11th, before Rose rolled in another at the 14th to put Europe three up with four to play.
An argument between players and caddies followed when DeChambeau holed a birdie putt at the 15th to extend a contest that ended in a European win at the next, with a session sweep remaining a possibility until a late rally from the home side.
Rahm and Straka were one ahead with two to play until Spaun delivered two spectacular late birdies to snatch a point for Team USA, while Fitzpatrick and Hatton produced sensational final-hole birdies to close victory in the bottom match and cap an extraordinary day for Team Europe.
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Matt Fitzpatrick and Tyrrell Hatton hit nearly identical approach shots on the final hole at Bethpage to seal a point for Team Europe.
Donald warns against complacency with history ahead
No team has ever overturned more than a four-point deficit on the final day, Europe’s seven-shot cushion therefore making them overwhelming favourites, although Donald remains focused on competing victory.
“We are trying to get to 14.5 points first and hopefully we can add on to that,” Donald said. “The job is never done until it’s done. So I’m not going to sit here and be complacent.
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Watch the best shots from Friday fourballs at the Ryder Cup.
“I know how strong the US are – they will have plenty of fight in them. They had plenty of fight today. Obviously their job is not done yet, but to have this stand in New York with most of the cheers coming from our side is incredible.
“Just the resiliency and the confidence these guys have in themselves, in their partners, is really, truly incredible. I didn’t really imagine this!”
Bradley, facing a home defeat, added: “Well, I’m seeing what looks to be historical putting. They’re making everything. They’re a great team. They’re great players. They’re a tough team to beat.”
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Matt Fitzpatrick and Tyrrell Hatton hit nearly identical approach shots on the final hole at Bethpage to seal a point for Team Europe.
Sunday singles (all times UK time)
1702 Cameron Young vs Justin Rose (Eng)
1713 Justin Thomas vs Tommy Fleetwood (Eng)
1724 Bryson DeChambeau vs Matt Fitzpatrick (Eng)
1735 Scottie Scheffler vs Rory McIlroy (NIrl)
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Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry reflected on a challenging match against Justin Thomas and Cameron Young at the Ryder Cup.
1746 Patrick Cantlay vs Ludvig Åberg (Swe)
1757 Xander Schauffele vs Jon Rahm (Esp)
1808 JJ Spaun vs Sepp Straka (Aut)
1819 Russell Henley vs Shane Lowry (Ire)
1830 Ben Griffin vs Rasmus Hojgaard (Den)
1841 Collin Morikawa vs Tyrrelll Hatton (Eng)
1852 Sam Burns vs Robert MacIntyre (Sco)
1903 Harris English vs Viktor Hovland (Nor)
Who will win the Ryder Cup? Live coverage of the final day begins from 2pm on Sky Sports Golf, ahead of full coverage at 4.30pm and the opening tee shot at 5.02pm. Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.
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