American Ryder Cup hopes on life support but they have a pulse
Joe LaCava gestures at Rory McIlroy on the 18th green
Just as Ian Poulter did for Europe on the eve of the Miracle at Medinah in 2012, Patrick Cantlay breathed life into a moribund US Ryder Cup challenge in Rome yesterday with one of the most exciting and contentious finishes in Ryder Cup history.
Seven points behind after losing the morning foursomes 3-1, the American birdied the last three holes alongside US Open champion Wyndham Clark to beat Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick one up in the final afternoon fourballs to give the US the session 1-3 and make it 10.5-5.5 with 12 singles to come today.
The match ended after row on the green as Cantlay’s caddie Joe LaCava celebrated in McIlroy’s line and refused to move away when asked by the player.
The row spilled over into the car park later with the Holywood star held back by Shane Lowry and bundled into a car as he remonstrated with Justin Thomas’ caddie Jim Mackay.
European skipper Luke Donald addressed the issue afterwards and insisted it would not affect his singles line up.
True to his word, McIlroy will not face Cantlay but Sam Burns at number four as Europe seek the four points they need to win back the trophy.
New angle of what happened on 18. Le Cava in Rory’s way. pic.twitter.com/u60tvTYX5X
— Stephen Watson (@winkerwatson1) September 30, 2023
The Englishman has top-loaded his order with Jon Rahm taking on world number one Scottie Scheffler and Viktor Hovland facing Collin Morikawa before veteran Justin Rose meets Cantlay at number three.
Matt Fitzpatrick faces the outstanding Max Homa and Tyrrell Hatton takes on Open champion Brian Harman with Ludvig Aberg against Brooks Koepka, Sepp Straka against Justin Thomas, Nicolai Højgaard meeting Xander Schauffele and Shane Lowry tenth in the pecking order should Europe face an early American onslaught.
The Clara man faces tough task against Jordan Spieth before Tommy Fleetwood faces Rickie Fowler and Scottish rookie Bob Macintyre meets Clark in the final match.
All talk in Rome last night was of Europe’s disgust at LaCava’s confrontation with McIlroy, Lowry and Justin Rose on the 18th and McIlroy’s subsequent row with Mackay in the car park.
“Yeah, obviously I was there on 18,” Donald said. “I saw it unfold when Patrick made that putt, Joe was waving his hat. Obviously there was some hat-waving going on throughout the day from the crowd for our players.
“Talked to Rory. He politely asked Joe to move aside. He was in his line of vision. He stood there and didn't move for a while and continued to wave the hat, so I think Rory was upset about that.”
Donald added: “We all want to win, but we want to do it in the right way. You know, from what Rory told me, he did ask Joe to move. He took a long time to move. It was a little off-putting because he still had to putt. And so Rory got upset, and I understand that.”
The US will need to produce the biggest Ryder Cup comeback of all time to win given Europe were only four points behind at Medinah in 2012 and the US were also four back at Brookline in 1999 before storming back to win.
“Hopefully have a ray of light and we can build on this session and try and pull off a big victory tomorrow,” Cantlay said.
But Donald is confident in his troops and their five-point lead.
“Listen, we are in a great position, five points ahead going into the singles at home,” he said. “I like where we are. I like the feelings in the locker room.”
The Americans arrived in Rome as slight favourites to become the first team to win on European soil for 30 years.
But the post-mortems on Zach Johnson’s captaincy will not be written until tonight.
With nine of the 12-man team coming into the event off a five-week break, Johnson has questions to answer about his team’s preparation in the light that 6.5-1.5 shellacking on Friday.
He might have avoided greater scrutiny had his side not lost yesterday morning’s foursome 3-1 to fall seven points behind and go into the fourballs with the biggest three-session deficit since 1975. World number one Scheffler was in tears after suffering a 9&7 humiliation alongside five-time Major winner Koepka at the hands of Hovland and Swedish rookie Aberg — the biggest defeat in any 18-hole match in Ryder Cup history.
Only Homa and Harman could reply for the US, going six-under for seven holes in a 4&2 win over Lowry and Straka.
McIlroy and Fleetwood beat Thomas and Spieth 2&1 in the top match to extend Europe’s lead before the impressive Rahm and Hatton won the 16th and 17th to beat Cantlay and Schauffele 2&1.
The Americans need to win the afternoon fourballs comprehensively to have a chance today and it remains to be seen if they have done enough to inspire a miracle.
Burns and Morikawa defeated foursomes heroes Hovland and Aberg 4&2 and the classy Homa and dogged Harman held off a late fightback from Fleetwood and Hojgaard to win 2&1.
Rose and Scottish rookie Robert MacIntyre won four holes in a six-hole stretch from the ninth to beat Thomas and Spieth 3&2 before Cantlay rewrote the script by making 10-footers at the 16th and 17th and a 43-footer at the last to go from one down to one up.
Johnson now has a lifeline and he believes his team can do it.
“I think momentum, certainly in sports, but specifically in golf, and even more specifically in this tournament, is a pretty lethal deal which can breed confidence and just, like I said, energise within,” he said.
“So a tall task, but a task that these guys welcome and are built for. So I can't wait for tomorrow.”
Singles draw (Irish time)
10:35 Jon Rahm v Scottie Scheffler
10:47 Viktor Hovland v Collin Morikawa
10:59 Justin Rose v Patrick Cantlay
11:11 Rory McIlroy v Sam Burns
11:23 Matt Fitzpatrick v Max Homa
11:35 Tyrrell Hatton v Brian Harman
11:47 Ludvig Åberg v Brooks Koepka
11:59 Sepp Straka v Justin Thomas
12:11 Nicolai Højgaard v Xander Schauffele
12:23 Shane Lowry v Jordan Spieth
12:35 Tommy Fleetwood v Rickie Fowler
12:47 Robert MacIntyre v Wyndham Clark
