Europe bounce back against USA in fourballs to leave Ryder Cup finely poised after opening day
Darren Clarke's side stage a brilliant fightback in the fourballs
By Raz Mirza
Last Updated: 01/10/16 1:30am
Team Europe bounced back strongly from their foursomes whitewash to leave them trailing USA 5-3 heading into the second day of the Ryder Cup.
Getting out of the day two points down represents something of a triumph for the visitors after the foursomes which saw Henrik Stenson and Rory McIlroy lead by example.
After a rip-roaring morning, where the USA whitewashed Europe in the foursomes, a hush had fallen over the Hazeltine crowd during the afternoon session where the emboldened Europeans got their swagger back in three of the four matches to leave the contest finely poised.
Here's the best and worst of the action and a look at how each individual match unfolded...
Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson beat Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed 5&4
Darren Clarke's star pairing gave the European captain what he needed by combining for six birdies in the first eight holes, having managed just one in their 3&2 morning defeat against the same opposition.
Stenson was responsible for three of those in succession from the sixth and was inches away from a hole-in-one on the eighth to move two up. They birdied eight of 13 holes to lead 4 up going to the 14th and it was Rose who grabbed the glory to gain a vital blue point.
Shot of the day
After Stenson and Rose surrendered their unbeaten record to Spieth and Reed in the morning foursomes, they hit back in style against the same opposition.
At the 8th hole, the 40-year-old Swede reproduced the kind of iron play with which he carded a stunning closing 63 to win The Open at Troon.
He rifled an eight iron to within inches of the flag on the 186-yard par three, the ball threatening to find the cup for a hole-in-one before drifting across the hole at the last second.
Sergio Garcia and Rafa Cabrera-Bello beat JB Holmes and Ryan Moore 3&2
Spain's Cabrera-Bello started his Ryder Cup career with a birdie on the first alongside compatriot Garcia and also birdied the sixth as the European pair went three up on Moore and Holmes.
Garcia got in on the act by chipping in on the ninth and kept the European pair four up by following Moore and then Holmes in for birdies on the 10th and 11th where he raised his hand to his ear, playfully mocking the humbled fan base.
Birdies from Moore on the 14th and 15th set up a nervy finish, but Garcia's birdie on the par-five 16th sealed the win.
It was a case of muy bien señor from Cabrera-Bello to Garcia in the end despite the late fightback.
Did you know...
The USA have lost the Ryder Cup at home just four times since it began in 1927, and are bidding to end a run of three successive defeats in the competition.
Brandt Snedeker and Brooks Koepka beat Martin Kaymer and Danny Willett 5&4
US rookie Koepka and Snedeker ripped through two-time major winner Kaymer and reigning Masters champion Willett to partisan galleries at ultra-long Hazeltine.
After moving four up through seven holes, they took a commanding lead with two more birdie putts out of the next three.
Willett holed another lengthy birdie putt at the ninth to get one back but two out-of-form players could not stem the
bleeding and a heavy defeat was never in doubt.
In fact, the European pair won only one hole during the entire round with the match done and dusted on the 14th.
Willett heckled
Willett teed off to a stream of catcalls from hecklers upset over his brother's insults to American golf fans.
There was a chorus of boos from home fans when he was introduced on the first tee. Others yelled "mashed potatoes" and "buy you a hotdog" followed by chants of his brother Peter's name.
Englishman Willett did his best to tune out the background noise and despite the jeers and boos coming from the jammed grandstand, Willett calmly stepped up to the opening tee box and blasted his first drive down the middle of the fairway. He then silenced the crowd around the green when he drained a 30-foot putt on his first hole for an opening birdie.
Rory McIlroy and Thomas Pieters beat Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar 3&2
World No 3 McIIroy inspired Belgian rookie Pieters as the deadly duo brushed aside the challenge of US Open champion Johnson and Kuchar to end the opening day on a high for Team Europe.
They won an impressive five holes on the front nine and it was left to McIIroy, fresh from Tour Championship and FedEx Cup titles, to end the match in style after the Americans had fought back to trail by just two, sinking a 20-foot eagle putt at the par-five 16th before bowing to the crowd.
What a stud
McIlroy sealed the win with a stunning eagle on the 16th, and then told Sky Sports: "I lost myself a little in the middle and thankfully redeemed myself at the end but all the credit has to go to this guy (Pieters).
"He has been incredible all day. He is a stud."
Caddie fail
Watch the moment when Thomas Pieters' caddie was having a snack by the side of the green when it suddenly dawned on him that his player might need his putter...
