KOHLER, United States: The United States flexed their muscle at wind-whipped Whistling Straits Friday, dominating the opening day to take a 6-2 lead over Europe in their quest to regain the Ryder Cup.
Olympic gold medallist Xander Schauffele and world number two Dustin Johnson both put two points on the board for the hosts, who dominated the morning foursomes 3-1 then rode the momentum through a gritty afternoon of four-balls.
Europe lead in three of the four afternoon matches but came up with just one point from two ties as the United States won another two.
Schauffele teamed with US PGA Tour player of the year Patrick Cantlay to beat Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter 5&3 in foursomes.
Then he and Johnson never trailed on the way to a 2&1 victory over Paul Casey and Bernd Wiesberger in four-balls.
"It was a difficult day," Schauffele said. "Birdies were good early and pars were good late."
As the conditions became increasingly difficult along the Lake Michigan shore, Tony Finau was making it look easy as he and Harris English powered to a 4&3 victory over McIlroy and Shane Lowry.
It marked the first time in six Ryder Cup appearances that Northern Ireland star McIlroy lost two matches in a single day.
McIlroy and Lowry were 1-up after a McIlroy rolled in a 30-foot eagle at the par-5 fifth, but it was all USA the rest of the way.
Finau drove the green at the sixth and two-putted from 15 feet for a birdie to tie the match. English birdied eight for a 1-up lead before Finau drained hole-winning putts of five feet, 15 feet and 11 feet at the ninth, 10th and 13th.
"I was able to roll the rock nicely today," Finau said. "I had a great partner in Harris, we put it in play all day."
World number one Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton snatched half a point for Europe in dramatic style, with Hatton's seven-foot birdie at the 18th delivering a tie against Bryson DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler in a match that was tight all the way.
Rahm, who teamed with Sergio Garcia for a 3&1 foursomes win over Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth, birdied the fourth to put Europe ahead.
But DeChambeau belted a 417-yard tee shot at the fifth – cutting the inside corner of the sharp dogleg – then landed his approach four feet from the pin for an eagle that won the hole over Hatton's birdie.
DeChambeau's 21-foot birdie put the US 1-up at the eighth, but Rahm tied it up again with a birdie at the ninth and Scheffler restored the Americans' lead with a birdie at 10.
Rahm had it all-square again with a birdie at 11, but DeChambeau's par at 15 was enough to put the US 1-up, where they stayed until Hatton came through at the last.
Thomas and Cantlay rallied late to tie Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland after the Europeans led 3-up through eight holes.
Thomas's 32-foot birdie at the ninth reduced the deficit and Cantlay birdied the par-three 12th with a tee shot to one foot.
Thomas tied it at the par-5 16th with a 17-foot eagle that would prove enough for the half-point.
All six of the rookies on the US team put something on the scoreboard.
Cantlay, Schauffele, Collin Morikawa and Daniel Berger were a combined 4-0 in foursomes, the fifth time in Ryder Cup history that rookies from either side went 4-0-0 in one session.
Garcia, playing his 10th Ryder Cup, teamed with Rahm in what would prove Europe's only outright win of the day and his 23rd career match win tied the record of Nick Faldo and extended the Spaniard's record for Ryder Cup points to 26.5.
But Europe, winners of nine of the last 12 editions of the biennial match play event, face a tall order in trying to claw back in hostile territory.
Play continues Friday with another four foursomes and four four-balls matches before 12 singles matches on Sunday.--AFP
