Euros punch Americans in the mouth Day 1 of the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black

Bethpage Black was supposed to be a Ryder Cup fortress for Team USA, but instead it turned into a European showcase from the opening tee shot on Friday.

Europe walked into hostile territory, set the tone early, and never let go, finishing Day 1 with a commanding 5.5–2.5 lead.

It marked the first time since 2004 that Europe ended Friday ahead on U.S. soil, a fact that should send chills down the spine of every American fan banking on home-crowd advantage to carry the week.

The morning foursomes set the tone in brutal fashion. Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton smoked Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas 4&3. Ludvig Åberg and Matt Fitzpatrick embarrassed Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley 5&3.

Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood rolled Harris English and Collin Morikawa 5&4. By the time Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay finally grabbed a point for the Americans with a 2-up win over Robert MacIntyre and Viktor Hovland, the damage was already heavy.

Europe walked away from the morning with a 3–1 lead, and the scoreboard was drowning in blue.

The afternoon didn’t bring much relief.

Rahm teamed with Sepp Straka and continued his Ryder Cup dominance, beating Scheffler and JJ Spaun 3&2 to move his career team record to a staggering 7-0-2 in his last nine matches. Fleetwood doubled down with Justin Rose in a tight 1-up win over DeChambeau and Ben Griffin.

The only real spark for the Americans came when Cameron Young and Justin Thomas demolished Åberg and Nicolai Højgaard 6&5, but that lopsided win was more of an anomaly than a sign of life. Rory and Shane Lowry halved with Cantlay and Sam Burns to close out the session, and Europe padded its cushion with another 2.5–1.5 advantage.

Ryder Cup struggles for Team USA weren’t just on the scoreboard

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler went 0-2, the first top-ranked player to lose both Friday matches since Tiger Woods in 2002, dropping his Ryder Cup record to 2-4-3. Bryson DeChambeau matched the futility with his own 0-2 day, now sitting at a career record of 2-5-1, and somehow looking worse than the numbers suggest.

Thomas at least salvaged something in the afternoon after a morning disaster, but Henley never recovered, and English might as well have stayed home.

Europe, meanwhile, looked locked in from the start. Rahm continues to play like an unstoppable force who can win alongside anyone. Fleetwood’s Ryder Cup reputation only grew as he delivered points in both sessions.

McIlroy did his part in the morning blowout and kept things steady in the afternoon with a half. Even the rookies like Åberg and Højgaard showed flashes, though they got caught in the one American runaway.

At the end of the day, the scoreboard told the story

Europe landed every punch early, built a cushion, and turned Bethpage into a European-friendly environment despite the New York crowd doing everything it could to rally the U.S. With a three-point lead heading into Saturday, Luke Donald’s squad is positioned to slam the door, while Keegan Bradley is left scrambling to find answers for stars who looked flat, uninspired, and overwhelmed.

Bethpage Black was supposed to be a proving ground for American dominance. Instead, it felt like Europe came in, planted their flag, and reminded everyone that when it comes to Ryder Cup team golf, the U.S. still has a long way to go.

Ryder Cup: Session 1 — Foursomes

Match	Europe	Score	United States
1	Jon Rahm & Tyrrell Hatton	⬅️ 4&3	Bryson DeChambeau & Justin Thomas
2	Ludvig Åberg & Matt Fitzpatrick	⬅️ 5&3	Scottie Scheffler & Russell Henley
3	Rory McIlroy & Tommy Fleetwood	⬅️ 5&4	Collin Morikawa & Harris English
4	Robert MacIntyre & Viktor Hovland	2 UP ➡️	Xander Schauffele & Patrick Cantlay

Ryder Cup: Session 2 — Four-ball

Match	Europe	Score	United States
5	Jon Rahm & Sepp Straka	⬅️ 3&2	Scottie Scheffler & J.J. Spaun
6	Tommy Fleetwood & Justin Rose	⬅️ 1 UP	Ben Griffin & Bryson DeChambeau
7	Ludvig Åberg & Rasmus Højgaard	6&5 ➡️	Cameron Young & Justin Thomas
8	Rory McIlroy & Shane Lowry	TIED	Sam Burns & Patrick Cantlay

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