It was an amazing day at the Ryder Cup as Team USA and Team Europe battled it out over a Hazeltine course packed with 45,000 rabid fans.
The European Team won the morning foursomes 2 ½ points to 1 ½ points featuring a huge meltdown from the super pairing of Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed.
The Americans squandered a 4 Up lead over Sergio Garcia and Rafa Cabrera Bello. The Europeans won four of the last six holes to scratch out half a point that left the Americans wondering what the hell had happened.
But Team USA regrouped at lunch and Captain Love wasn’t hesitant about sending out Spieth and Reed again. Playing in the final match Reed caught fire on the front nine and single handedly beat the Euro Super team of Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson.
Starting at the fifth hole Reed went birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie and two more birds at fourteen and fifteen. His par at seventeen closed out the 2 & 1 win but this day was more then numbers on a scoreboard.
Reed has positioned himself as the emotional heart of the American Team. It may have started with the “shush” moment at Gleneagles but with his birdies and especially the holed out eagle Reed ignited an emotional run that carried his partner and his team to victory.
There was spectacular play by both teams today with Garcia, Cabrera, Rose, Stenson, Thomas Pieters, Danny Willett, Martin Kaymer and even Lee Westwood.
But Westwood’s day, which was filled with pure, crisp iron shots and a few long holed putts will be remembered for a horrible day inside five feet. He missed four short putts and his last missed three footer at eighteen gave the Americans a full point. It was a tough day for the ten time Ryder Cup veteran.
The Americans were led by Reed’s superb play and his cheerleading but Phil Mickelson, Matt Kuchar and JB Holmes all contributed to their victories. Jordan Spieth and Ryan Moore seemed to disappear at times and the powerhouse team of Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka were steam rolled by McIlroy and Pieters early and could never recover.
The overall play today was outstanding but it wasn’t a day with out issues. It seems that while most of the fans surrounding each hole are knowledgeable, well behaved golf fans there were many instances of inappropriate heckling directed mainly at two players: McIlroy and Garcia.
It got to the point were many fans were removed from the course for their obnoxious behavior as well they should. While both players handled it well the fans had to see that with each instance McIlroy just played better and better. As the fans berated him, he and his partner Pieters just put an ass whipping on the Americans.
It’s a shame that such a glorious day for the Ryder Cup had to be marred by a few over-zealous, over served, mooks.
Hats off to McIlroy and Garcia and Reed not only for their fine play but for showing just how much they are committed to this “exhibition.”
Reed and McIlroy have become the emotional leaders of their respective teams and it’s a joy to watch.
It’s the Ryder Cup and there is nothing like it.
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