Thomas Bjorn wary of United States fightback in Ryder Cup singles
Europe captain stays focused despite 10-6 lead at Le Golf National
Saturday 29 September 2018 19:22, UK
Team Europe captain Thomas Bjorn remains wary of the United States despite seeing his team open up a 10-6 lead after the second day of the Ryder Cup at Le Golf National.
The Dane is aware that Europe fought back from four points down ahead of the singles to win at Medinah in 2012, while the USA did the same at Brookline in 1999.
Europe also nearly threw away a five-point lead after two days at Valderrama in 1997, when the Americans won the singles 8-4 to lose out by a point.
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Bjorn said: "You keep reminding yourself that we had a big lead at Valderrama; we had a big lead at Brookline, and at Valderrama, we won, but only just. At Brookline we lost. At Medinah we were a long way behind and we turned it around.
"So in history, history will show me and everybody on that team that this is not over. That's what it's all about. You go full bore tomorrow. Get out there and do all the right things, and this is not over till you've got the points on the board.
"We have a goal, and that is to try to win this trophy, and that's where the focus stays.
"I've said all along, I focus on the 12 players that are in our side, but we are so well aware of what's standing across on the other side. Very capable and the greatest players in the world.
"We have to regroup and we look to tomorrow, and I would never get ahead of myself in this.
"Tomorrow's a different beast. Tomorrow is the individual performances that come forward, and that is a different thing to do.
"This is the 12 individuals and what they do, every week, as a professional golfer, this is what they have to do, that perspective they have to deliver from tomorrow."
Rory McIlroy will lead off Europe in the singles against Justin Thomas and Bjorn is happy to give him that responsibility.
"There's a lot of reasons to send Rory out first," he said. "He's a fantastic player. He likes to play fast. He doesn't like to be held up. He likes responsibility.
"He feels like he's in a place where he can go into that position and get the best out of himself. And you have conversations with Rory through time, and you know, this is where he is.
"In the end, somebody's got to go there. I have a lot of belief in him, and I trust him as a player, but also trust him very much as a person. So it's a great place for him to be with responsibility."
Bjorn is refusing to make any predictions as to how the singles will pan out but he expects his team to perform.
"I have a strong belief in these 12, and I've had it all week," he said. "I've had it since we got together on Monday, and that's the only thing I can focus on.
"I don't like predicting anything about each match. I don't like to predict anything about how this is going to go tomorrow.
"We stay focused on what's right in front of us, and what's right in front of us is food, drink, sleep, and then we wake up tomorrow and then we go with these 12 players."
