Europe suffered their worst opening morning in the Ryder Cup since the event changed format in 1979 and the United States their best since the late Arnold Palmer was captain with an overwhelming foursomes whitewash at Hazeltine.
Darren Clarke’s team were up against the ropes against a fiery American team and their ferociously loud and partisan crowd but for long periods in the misty Minnesota morning it looked like they might be able to come out of a difficult session with a share of the points.
Instead, late collapses from winning positions by Rory McIlroy and Andy Sullivan and the duo of Sergio Garcia and Martin Kaymer allowed the US to get off to a glorious start as the sunshine finally broke through around lunchtime.
Earlier the US lead duo of Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed maintained their own unbeaten record as a pairing and consigned Europe’s previously unbeaten partnership Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson to their first loss 3 and 2.
Darren Clarke’s decision to blood rookie Thomas Pieters with the experienced Lee Westwood backfired with the Englishman having a desperate morning as they lost to Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar 5 and 4.
The USA last swept the opening morning session back in 1975, when Palmer skippered the team at Laurel Valley. The golf legend, who died at the weekend at 87, was honoured again with his bag from those matches left sitting on the first tee.
US captain Davis Love III said “little things” had made his side bond well and he felt this was reflected in their performance on the first morning.
“It’s been an emotional trip, but there’s still a long way to go,” he said. “There’s a lot more points out there, we have to keep doing the same thing session after session.”
Darren Clarke said the score after the first session “reflected the way games went and how we played.”
“This afternoon the roles will be reversed and we will make some putts and get some momentum,” he said, but the European captain was left putting out two of his remaining rookies in the afternoon fourballs session after getting nothing from the foursomes format that is usually Europe’s strength.
The Europeans managed just eight birdies between them in the morning format, with the vaunted pairing of Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose managing just one in their loss to Spieth and Reed.
The captain was also let down by flat performances from some of his veterans, particularly Westwood.
“I’ll take responsibility, I played poorly,” said the most experienced European team member. “Thomas played well and he showed some balls out there.
“Giving holes away, you just can’t afford to do that in foursomes. But it’s only the first morning, and anything can happen in the Ryder Cup. It’s freaky like that.”
The huge crowds at Hazeltine battled through traffic jams for a noisy and boisterous first tee, the few Europeans in the crowd shouted down at almost every opportunity.
The noise levels barely abated throughout the first morning with every European missed putt being cheered to the treetops.
