Europe dominated the hosts in the morning foursomes session on the first day of the Ryder Cup 2025 to take a 3-0 lead, extending their winning streak from two years ago in Rome. The European team showed aggressive play from the start in the tournament held on the challenging Bethpage Black Course in New York, but their team is struggling to make a comeback.
The Ryder Cup 2025 has started badly for the hosts. After a two-year wait, the most prestigious team event in golf has finally begun and the European team has put their players under immense pressure in the very first session. The European pairs showed excellent team play in the morning foursomes session, giving their team no chance of a comeback. Despite playing on home turf, their players struggled in the morning session.
Europe dominates foursome session
The first day of the Ryder Cup began with the foursome (alternate shot) format, where two players from a team play the same ball alternately. In this format, team coordination and strategy are very important, and the European team won it.
Match 1: The first match of the day saw the European pair of John Rahm and Tyrell Hatton defeat their teammate Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas 4 and 3. Notably, their pair had started well by winning the first hole and had raised hopes. But then Rahm and Hatton took complete control of the match and won the match on the 15th hole to give Europe its first point.
Match 2: Ludwig Aberg and Matt Fitzpatrick defeated their teammate Scotty Scheffler and Russell Henley, who were ranked number one in the world, by a huge margin of 5 and 3. The combination between Aberg and Fitzpatrick was excellent and they did not give their experienced pair any chance to respond. The defeat was a major blow for the home team.
Match 3: The biggest win for Europe came from the experienced pair of Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood. They defeated their teammate Colin Morikawa and Harris English 5 and 4. McIlroy and Fleetwood are renowned for their Ryder Cup partnership and they proved their worth once again. The win extended Europe’s lead to 3-0, which put a lot of pressure on our team.
A ray of hope for our team
The only ray of hope for us in the morning session was the pair of Patrick Cantley and Xander Schaufele. They fought hard against the European pair of Robert McIntyre and Victor Hovland. They were 1-up up until the 13th hole, which gave them a chance to add a point to their account. It was crucial for our team to win this match to avoid falling completely behind in the morning session and to gain confidence for the afternoon session. The play of Cantley and Schauffele created some excitement among the home crowd.
Bethpage Black: A historic and challenging ground
This year’s Ryder Cup is being played at the famous Bethpage Black course on Long Island, New York. This is the first time that the Ryder Cup is being held on this course. Bethpage Black is known for its level of difficulty and is considered a big challenge even for professional golfers. The popularity of the tournament is such that ticket prices have skyrocketed. Security has been tightened as former President Donald Trump is also expected to attend the high-profile event.
Ryder Cup format and broadcast
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf tournament between our team and Europe, which lasts for three days. It features foursomes, four-ball (best ball) and singles matches.
Friday Schedule:
Foursomes (morning): Starts at 7:10 a.m.
Four-Ball (afternoon): Starts at 12:25 p.m.
How to watch:
The Ryder Cup is available on NBC and USA Network all weekend.
Friday, September 26: USA Network (7 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
Saturday, September 27: NBC (7 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
Sunday, September 28: NBC (12 p.m. to 6 p.m.)
Overall, the first day of the 2025 Ryder Cup has been a challenging start for the home team. The 3-0 lead that Team Europe has taken could prove crucial for the rest of the tournament. Now our team will have to make a strong comeback in the afternoon Four-Ball session, or Team Europe could take a big leap towards the title and suffer a humiliating defeat on home soil. The players and captain will have to devise a new strategy for the afternoon session.