(Rome) Europe increased its lead against the United States in the 44e edition of the Ryder Cup and now leads by seven points after Saturday’s morning session.
The Europeans, who led by five points after the first day, won three of the four duels in the morning to bring the score to 9.5 points to 2.5.
The first team to reach 14.5 points will win one of the most prestigious trophies in sport.
This is the largest gap in the history of the event, created in 1927, after a third session.
The previous “record” dated from 2021 and was held by the United States who led 9 to 3 after Saturday’s morning session.
This 44e edition turns into a correction for the United States, title holders, who hope to impose themselves on European soil for the first time since 1993.
Saturday began with a demonstration by the Norwegian Viktor Hovland and the Swede Ludvig Aberg who signed the largest victory in the history of the Ryder Cup, against the Americans Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka, respectively world No.1 and winner of five Grand Slam tournaments.
Hovland, 26, and Aberg, 23, won 9 & 7, meaning they led by nine holes or points with seven holes remaining. Their game therefore stopped after hole N.11.
The United States ended up winning their first duel, thanks to Max Homa and Brian Harman who dominated Ireland’s Shane Lowry and Austria’s Sepp Straka 4 & 2.
PHOTO CARL RECINE, REUTERS
Max Homa and Brian Harman won the Americans’ first match.
But Europe won the last two games, thanks in particular to the Spaniard Jon Rahm who, associated with the Englishman Tyrrell Hatton, disgusted Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele who nevertheless erased a three-hole delay, before bow 2 & 1.
Four games are on the program for Saturday afternoon’s session which will be played in “four balls”, while each player plays his own ball, the best of the four players competing wins the point for his team.