Team USA Take Historic Lead Into Ryder Cup Weekend

The American side dominated the first day of the Ryder Cup, taking a 6-2 lead into the weekend.

Team USA Take Historic Lead Into Ryder Cup Weekend

After claiming a 3-1 win in the foursomes this morning, team USA would replicate it, dominating the first day proceedings and taking the largest American lead into the weekend since the Ryder Cup switched to include Europe in 1979.

Early indications showed that the fourballs would be a lot closer than the foursomes, with all four pairs staying relatively close throughout the front nine.

That was until Dustin Johnson and Xander Schauffele picked up back-to-back wins on the 10th and 11th to move to 3-up over Paul Casey and Ryder Cup debutant Bernd Wiesberger.

Schauffele and Johnson kept their 100% records intact. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

With four consecutive holes halved, the Europeans did birdie the 16th to move to dormie two, but the American pair would close out the match with a par at 17th enough for a 2&1 win.

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The victory meant that Johnson and Schauffele remained undefeated at Whistling Straits, after both secured comfortable victories in the morning foursomes.

Not long after, Tony Finau and Harris English dispatched Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry 4&3, with Finau making eight 3’s in 15 holes!

An eagle three for McIlroy at the 5th had put the pair in front, but the Americans controlled the remainder of the contest, claiming five of the next 10 holes to move Team USA in to a 5-1 lead.

With defeat, it’s the first time that McIlroy has lost two Ryder Cup matches on the same day, with Harrington being left a tough decision for tomorrow’s play.

McIlroy lost 5&3 and 4&3 (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Related: What Next For Rory McIlroy?

There was a slight glimmer of hope for Team Europe, as Tyrrell Hatton and Jon Rahm secured half a point over the pair of Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau.

The match included some incredible moments, with the standout being a 417-yard drive from DeChambeau on the par-5 5th.

But it was Hatton who held his nerve, with two stunning shots on the 18th leading to a clutch birdie and Europe’s first points in the afternoon fourballs.

In the final match, we saw yet another halve, with Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland rueing a costly back nine.

The European Team had been 3-up through 8 holes, but the American pair of Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay came firing back, with a majestic eagle from Thomas on the 16th a highlight.

Cantlay and Thomas bump fists on the 17th tee. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

Despite four good drives down the last, none of them could capitalise, with pars sharing the spoils and leaving USA 6-2 ahead going in to the weekend.

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