Ryder Cup 2025: Team Europe build commanding 5.5-2.5 lead over Team USA as Luke Donald's side impress at Bethpage Black
President Donald Trump attended the afternoon session and walked to the first tee with Bryson DeChambeau; Team Europe won 2.5 points in the afternoon session to extend their lead over Team USA; Watch live on Saturday from 9am on Sky Sports Golf (first tee 12.10pm)
Saturday 27 September 2025 07:47, UK
Team Europe secured an opening-day lead in an away Ryder Cup for the first time since 2004 after building an impressive 5.5-2.5 advantage over Team USA at Bethpage Black.
Luke Donald's side held a 3-1 lead after the morning foursomes, Europe's largest opening-session advantage on away soil in 21 years, then added 2.5 points - in front of an increasingly raucous New York crowd - later in the day.
Jon Rahm claimed his second win of the event by partnering Sepp Straka to a 3&2 success over JJ Spaun and world No 1 Scottie Scheffler, who was beaten in both of Friday's sessions.
Ryder Cup 2025 scores, results, tee times
Got Sky? Watch the Ryder Cup LIVE on your phone
Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream no contract 📺
Cam Young made the dream start to his Ryder Cup debut when he teamed up with Justin Thomas to thrash Ludvig Åberg and debutant Rasmus Hojgaard 6&5 and claim the Americans' only win of the afternoon fourballs, while the other two matches delivered closer finishes.
Justin Rose delivered a final-hole birdie to secure him and Tommy Fleetwood a 1up win over Bryson DeChambeau, who was walked to the tee by President Donald Trump, and Ben Griffin, before Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry finish tied with Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns in a thrilling final match.
"Obviously right now, disappointed I didn't hole out for a full point," McIlroy said. "But it's been a great day for Europe. We have come out of the gates really strong like we wanted to. We should be really proud of ourselves."
The last five teams to be leading the Ryder Cup after the opening day have gone on to win the trophy, with Donald's team off a dream start to their bid for a historic title defence on American soil.
How Europe built historic lead in New York
Spaun opened his Ryder Cup debut with a close-range birdie alongside an out-of-sorts Scheffler but quickly fell behind against the European pair, who won the next two holes before Rahm extended their lead with birdies at the eighth and 11th.
Straka holed from 30 feet to match Spaun's birdie at the 14th and Rahm converted from long-range to join Scheffler in birdieing the next, with Europe getting their first point of the session when Straka rolled in a birdie at the 16th.
It restored the two-point cushion for Team Europe, having seen Young and Thomas register the biggest American fourballs victory this century. The American pair claimed four holes in a five-hole stretch to wrap up victory with five holes to spare.
DeChambeau almost drove the opening green - in front of President Trump - and edged his pairing ahead with a birdie at the fifth, while Rose had to hole from 40 feet at the seventh to match the sensational birdie from Griffin and avoid falling further behind.
Fleetwood responded by following birdies at the 11th and 14th with another at the 16th, putting the European pair two ahead with two to play, only for DeChambeau to birdie the next and take the contest to the par-four last.
Rose responded by firing his approach to 10 feet and slotted in the winning birdie, extending Fleetwood's 100 per cent start and moving Europe 5-2 up, before the final match also went to a final-hole decider.
A topsy-turvy contest saw McIlroy and Lowry recover from losing the opening hole to build a two-shot lead with seven holes to play, only for Cantlay to birdie the 12th and pull level when McIlroy lipped out from five feet at the next.
Cantlay squandered his own close-range chance at the next but birdie the 16th to put pressure on McIlroy, who converted from 10 feet and then matched Burns' birdie at the par-three next.
Both European players found the green in regulation and McIlroy had a putt for victory when Griffin missed his birdie try, but the world No 2 was unable to convert his effort and missed out on extending Europe's commanding cushion.
Donald proud of 'incredible day' as Bradley keeps the faith in Team USA
Team Europe captain Luke Donald:
"Incredible day. To win this morning was huge for us and we all know how important it is to get off to a good start. We know how strong the United States were in foursomes.
"3-1 was a great start, and the top two especially were such good momentum and inspiration for our boys. The guys grinded to win the session again this afternoon. That's another tick in our box, and I'm very happy where we are."
Team USA captain Keegan Bradley:
"The boys played really good this afternoon. Europe made a lot of putts. Happy with the way we're playing. Hopefully it'll turn and our putts will go in tomorrow.
"We've only played 28 per cent of the points. This is first quarter. We've still got three quarters to go. I've got a lot of faith in my boys."
Europe stick with winning partnerships for Saturday foursomes
Matt Fitzpatrick and Åberg have been sent out first by Team Europe on Saturday morning, Donald sticking with the same four pairings as the opening session but putting them in a different order.
Fitzpatrick and Åberg thrashed Scheffler and Russell Henley on Friday morning and will now go out first at 7.10am local time (12.10pm UK time) on Saturday, with the European pair taking on DeChambeau and New York native Young.
1210 Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Young vs Matt Fitzpatrick (Eng) and Ludvig Åberg (Swe)
1226 Harris English and Collin Morikawa vs Rory McIlroy (NIrl) and Tommy Fleetwood (Eng)
1242 Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay vs Jon Rahm (Esp) and Tyrrell Hatton (Eng)
1258 Russell Henley and Scottie Scheffler vs Robert MacIntyre (Sco) and Viktor Hovland (Nor)
Who will win the Ryder Cup? Watch throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues Saturday with build-up from 9am on Sky Sports Golf, ahead of full coverage at midday and the opening tee shot at 12.10pm. Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.
Get the best prices and book a round at one of 1,700 courses across the UK & Ireland
