Ryder Cup Day 2 proves to be another American embarrassment

Bethpage Black was built for the people, for their backyard, for the golfers with modest budgets, willing to sleep in their cars to secure tee times. 

America’s best don’t belong. 

Following another morning of embarrassment for Team USA, the European conquest of Long Island is nearly complete, stripping all suspense from the final day of the 45th Ryder Cup, with the Americans trailing 11½ to 4 1/2. 

With 12 singles matches remaining, Europe needs 14 points to retain the trophy and 14.5 points to claim the first road win in the event since 2012. No team has ever overcome a final-day deficit of more than four points. No American team has ever lost by more than nine points. 

Europe, which opened the event by winning the first three foursomes matches on foreign soil for the first time in the 98-year history of the Ryder Cup, earned another three wins in the alternate-shot format — becoming just the second road team to win each of the Ryder Cup’s first three sessions — then claimed the afternoon four-ball session, too. 

Since the start of the 2023 Ryder Cup, the U.S. is 3-13 in foursomes play, including an 0-4 mark from world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. Europe also won cumulative four-ball play for the first time since 2010 and has the most points by any team through two days since 1979. 

In the most recent Ryder Cup in the States (2021 at Whistling Straits), the U.S. recorded the biggest blowout win (19-9) of the modern format (since 1979), but the 50,000 or so fans expected to visit the state park Sunday could be witnesses to American infamy. 

“Anything can happen,” Bryson DeChambeau said. “I know it’s quite lopsided, but it would make for a great comeback story.” 

Unlike Friday, the Americans opened strong, with Young — the first American rookie to win his first two career Ryder Cup matches — and DeChambeau defeating Ludvig Åberg and Matt Fitzpatrick (4 & 2). Europe’s lead was trimmed to two points, but there was little for U.S. captain Keegan Bradley to celebrate given blue’s advantages in the remaining three matches. 

Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood convincingly defeated Collin Morikawa and Harris English (3 & 2) for the second straight day. McIlroy improved to 7-1-1 in his past nine Ryder Cup matches, while Fleetwood remained perfect (7-0-0) in foursomes.

“You need your superstars to perform at their highest,” Donald said. “And they certainly have done that.” 

Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele — Team USA’s only winning pairing in Friday’s foursomes — fell to Tyrrell Hatton and Jon Rahm (3 & 2), failing to claim a hole after Rahm broke a tie on the par-3 eighth with a miraculous 49-foot chip from the rough while standing in a bunker. 

“It was an incredible moment,” said Rahm, who improved to 7-0-0 all-time in foursomes. “It came out absolutely perfect. It’s a bit of luck involved, but at least the ball was lying well and I got really decent contact on it.” 

Following the shock of Friday’s disaster, the Long Island crowd was far more boisterous, hoping to will the Americans to an improbable comeback. The well-lubricated fans were also significantly more obscene — McIlroy was the top target, repeatedly showered with four-letter taunts — prompting Team USA’s players to ask for silence during untimely and off-color remarks. 

Outside of a verbal altercation between Justin Rose and DeChambeau, the Europeans were unflappable, with McIlroy and Shane Lowry blowing kisses to the crowd. The pressure was not on them but the Americans, giving away the edge that’s enabled five straight hosts to prevail. 

Scheffler’s play improved from the previous day, often resembling the form of the world’s best, but Ryder Cup rookie Russell Henley’s putting issues continued. Viktor Hovland and Bob MacIntyre — Europe’s only unsuccessful foursomes pairing the previous day — held a 1-up lead, entering the penultimate hole of the anchor matchup, when Scheffler drilled a tee shot 12 feet from the 17th pin to keep the coffin door ajar after Hovland’s errant shot sailed 90 feet wide. The hecklers hurled insults and puffed out their chests, sensing a tie and a deciding final hole was minutes away. 

But Henley missed his chance to win the hole and Hovland patiently lined up his putt — the crowd counted past 50 — burying the 13-footer and unleashing the Europeans’ most emotional celebration (“Let’s f–king go!”) of the day. 

“That was pure instinct,” Hovland said. “I think I went blackout there for a couple seconds. You understood how much it meant.” 

By the afternoon, tickets for Sunday’s matches were available for just over half the price of their $750 face value. 

There is little to look forward to — but the 2027 rematch in Ireland.