2023 Ryder Cup: Day 1 Review

Like last Friday at the Solheim Cup, golf fans gathered in darkness to make sure that they got the perfect vantage point for the start of the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club.

It looked like the start of a marathon but it was a sprint to the first tee grandstand when the crowd was let loose onto the course.

With a stand five times the size of the one I was by at Finca Cortesin, the atmosphere was electric as the sun rose and the teams took to the tee.

Ryder Cup fans are a lot less cordial than those at Solheim, with all American players and their Captain being booed as they entered the Roman amphitheatre of sorts.

The gladiatorial combat was ready to begin.

Friday morning foursomes

Team Europe came out of the blocks fast, with Viktor Hovland in the second match really setting the tone with a chip in from the fringe of the green on the first hole.

Sublime golf from the European team compared to the more subdued and inconsistent golf from the Americans.

Friday morning foursomes results:

Match 1 - Scottie Scheffler & Sam Burns v Jon Rahm & Tyrrell Hatton - EUROPE WIN 4&3
Match 2 - Max Homa & Brian Harman v Viktor Hovland & Ludvig Aberg - EUROPE WIN 4&3
Match 3 - Rickie Fowler & Collin Morikawa v Shane Lowry & Sepp Straka - EUROPE WIN 2&1
Match 4 - Xander Schauffele & Patrick Cantlay v Rory McIlroy & Tommy Fleetwood - EUROPE WIN 2&1

The first point on the board came from Match 1 with Rahm and Hatton winning 4&3, the momentum was with them from the start as they were 2up after five holes. The Americans gained their only hole with a birdie on the par 4 sixth hole. How did Europe respond? Rahm's tee shot lipped out, missing out on the hole in one, but winning the hole. The Spaniard chipped in on 10 which helped to halve the hole. A birdie on 11 and eagle on 12 gave the Europeans two more holes. Team USA just could not break through and the match was finished on the 15th.

Europe also claimed the second point with the exciting pairing of Hovland and Aberg. Hovland who is probably the most in form player of both teams and Aberg, who like Rose Zhang, only turned pro in June were looking to make their mark. That's exactly what they did, the chip in from Hovland on the first set the tone for the whole match. They were 2up after two holes but back to all square by the fifth tee. Whilst Team USA may have had hope, Europe turned it up a gear and owned three of the next five holes. A birdie at the par 4 14th hole got the Europeans to 4up, with the match being won on the next hole 4&3.

Match three started with a couple of nervy tee shots from both Morikawa and Straka. Rookie Straka was paired with Lowry who was playing in his second Ryder Cup but his first appearance in the foursomes. After a steady start, they won two holes in a row. USA gained one back but it was the newest formidable duo that won another three holes as they made the turn. Confidence was high for the Europeans but Morikawa and Fowler made a comeback after Europe found water on the 10th, they also won holes 13 and 16. Straka's drive on 17 to get to 28ft sealed the victory and his first point as part of Team Europe.

The final match nearly went all the way to the final hole. A match that seemed more even on paper with only two birdies between the teams on the front nine. Europe made the turn 1up. Europe remained ahead throughout but Schauffele holed out for birdie on 14, it seemed that a 4-0 lead for Europe may not be guaranteed. Europe gained a hole straight back but with Fleetwood's ball nearly finding water on 16, they lost the hole. With a clean sweep in their sites, McIlroy nailed his drive on the 206 yard par 3 17th to 2ft, which proved too good. Schauffele unable to hole the American's 19ft putt for biridie. Another 2&1 victory for Europe.

Another week another 4-0 whitewash but this time to Team Europe. Of particular note was the fact that this was the first time that Team Europe had won the Friday morning foursomes 4-0.

Friday afternoon fourballs

Now it's Team USA that need to fight back, but without the advantage of being on home soil. Here's who playing in the afternoon fourballs:

Friday afternoon fourball results:

Match 5 - Justin Thomas & Jordan Spieth v Viktor Hovalnd & Tyrrell Hatton - TIED
Match 6 - Scottie Scheffler & Brooks Koepka v Jon Rahm & Nicolai Hojgaard - TIED
Match 7 - Max Homa & Wyndham Clark v Robert MacIntyre & Justin Rose - TIED
Match 8 - Collin Morikawa & Xander Schauffele v Rory McIlroy & Matthew Fitzpatrick - EUROPE 5&3

It may have only been a half point, but it was much needed for Team USA after losing all four morning foursomes. It came from the first match of the afternoon where formidable duo Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth took on Viktor Hovland and Tyrrell Hatton.

There was no chip-in from Hovland on the first but a birdie from Hatton was enough to win the hole. Birdies on four and six from Spieth and Thomas, saw the Americans go into the lead, a lead which was very short-lived as Hovland birdied the par 3 seventh. Neither team was able to take charge until the 12th hole where the Americans broke the deadlock. Back-to-back birdies moved them to 2up with five to play. Step forward Hatton, who used the frustrations with his game to channel into some fantastic golf, which included a chance for eagle 16 after Spieth found water. A birdie was enough to win the hole and add to his birdie on 14 to tie the match heading to 17.

As with two other matches on Friday, it came down to 18 and Hovland finished as he started holing a 25ft par to tie the hole. Match halved, with USA gaining their first (half) point on the board.

The only match not to make 18 was the final match on the course. Matt Fitzpatrick came in rested from the morning and it showed, going birdie, birdie, birdie, eagle, birdie from holes two to six to give Europe a 5up advantage. All McIlroy could do was watch on, until he added a birdie of his own to win the seventh hole. Six up after seven holes! As they made the turn, the European duo faltered slightly and let the Americans back in on the 11th and 12th.

Whilst Fitzpatrick's spark fizzled out a little, it was McIlroy who sealed Team USA's fate with a birdie on 15. A convincing 5&3 victory which gave Fitzpatrick his very first Ryder Cup point after losing all five matches he had played in in his two previous appearances.

The battle of the big guns

Match six featured rookie Hojgaard with Rahm and World Number one Scottie Scheffler with Brooks Koepka. Like in the match above, it was a game of two halves with Hojaard bursting onto the scene on the front nine whilst Rahm showed why he is one of the top players in the world on the back nine.

At the turn, Europe were 1up after winning three holes to USA's two. Whilst Koepka did not seem his usual bullish self, a par from Scheffler on 10 was enough to draw the match level. The match was still tied heading down the 15th, where Koepka was able to convert a 27ft putt for birdie.

This was the fuel that Rahm needed to bring him into the match. He unleashed it on the driveable par 4 16th, getting the ball to 21ft and then holing the putt for eagle. Back to all square.

Step up Scheffler who responded instantly with a sensational shot to six feet on the par 3 17th after Koepka found water. There were fist pumps and chest pumps all round as the American sank the putt. 1up heading to the last.

The drama on the final few holes was unbelievable, it will probably go down as one of the best first days of golf in Ryder Cup history. With both Americans not making the green in two, it was Rahm who looked to take advantage. And take advantage he did with a 33ft putt that was drilled into the back of the hole for eagle. Koepka could only look on and step forward to shake Rahm's hand whilst Shane Lowry jumped his way down the side of the fairway in celebration.

Another tied match, USA 1 versus Europe's 6.

The final match to finish was Match 8 which featured rookies on both sides Wyndham Clark, Max Homa and Robert MacIntyre. Clark definitely looked more at ease with the enormity of the arena they were playing in, helping the USA team make the turn 2up. Maybe it was just me, but this match did not have as much spark as the other three matches. That was until the 15th, with USA till 2up.

Justin Rose used his vast Ryder Cup experience to dig deep and gain one hole back with a par on 15. The response was instant from USA with birdies on 16. Two up with two to play, USA looking to get their first full point on the boards.

Rose was so steady whilst MacIntyre and his opponents faltered. A par was all that was need to take the match to the final hole. Rose got unlucky with his drive as it rolled into a fairway bunker. Initially, he wanted to go for the green but made the sensible decision to play it safe. The 546 yards 18th is the longest hole on the course. Keeping his composure Rose then got up and down for birdie, after Homa was unable to convert his birdie attempt. Rose shouting and pumping his arms after coming back from the jaws of defeat.

What an opening day at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club. The drama, the spectacle and the stage were all unbelievable. Who knows what will be said in the Team USA room tonight but one thing is for sure they need to muster all their gladiatorial spirit on Saturday to avoid a potential colossal loss with Europe now only needing eight points from a possible 20 points remaining.

View live scoring from the 2023 Ryder Cup here.