FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Two days into what is proving to be a bloodletting at previously indomitable Bethpage Black, the United States Ryder Cup team sits 7 points in the negative (11.5 to 4.5) necessitating quite literally the greatest comeback in the history of the event in order to avoid its most embarrassing performance out of 45 iterations of this grand, biennial golf celebration, which dates back to 1927.Â
Barring something miraculous (for the Americans) and/or calamitous (for the Europeans), this Ryder Cup is a wrap. Europe has won the Ryder Cup just four times on U.S. soil (1987, 1995, 2004, 2012), but a fifth conquest appears inevitable.Â
Sunday may well amount to a six-hour celebratory strut for Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm, Justin Rose, Shawn Lowry, captain Luke Donald and the rest of his visiting side.
Attendance on Sunday may sag as a result; plenty of ticket holders made sure to hoof their way off the premises early Saturday after it was clear that Europe would do what it had done in each of the prior three sessions this weekend on Long Island: increase its lead and sap the United States’ spirit in the process.
That early fan exodus led to some cheeky chants from the on-site European backers. One well-meaning taunt came — “Is – There – a – Fire – Drill?!” — rang out just after 5 p.m. ET, well over an hour before Saturday’s matches were formally done.Â
Europe deserves as much as praise as the U.S. deserves blame for getting bowled over. The Europeans’ outrageous iron play and putting prowess has been exquisite, while the Americans have, well, no-showed. As Europe drained putt after putt from beyond 15 feet, the U.S. saw its short sticks go cold from deep on all except a few shots.Â
If not for all of the red, white and blue — and American accents dominating the grounds — one would think the Ryder Cup was being held on European soil. Donald’s team has looked comfortable since sunrise on Friday, and it’s because his side understood the assignment: show up ready, don’t fear the course, have your putters aglow, embrace the team mentality, trust in one another and don’t give the American fans reason to get energized.
Through two days, Europe has played near-perfect team golf. Fleetwood doesn’t require the “near” qualifier as the 34-year-old Englishman is playing his way into all-time Ryder Cup status. He’s flawless through four matches, his 4 points catalyzed merely a half-point fewer than all 12 United States golfers have posted, combined.
What a mow-over — on State Park grounds, no less. There’s dominance and then there’s holding a lead for 76 holes across Saturday’s eight matches. How many did the United States lead? Six.
Why is the consensus that Sunday is all but a formality? Because Europe has all the momentum after constantly playing from a position of confidence, dominance and control.Â
“I didn’t imagine this,” said Donald. “Every time the Americans came at us, we came back. The resiliency and confidence they have is really, truly incredible.”
Big picture: Europe is putting on and pacing toward its best performance in a Ryder Cup since the continent was allowed to field a team starting in 1979. This is historic, and to happen in New York — where expectations were firmly held that the United States would show up and show out in front of its rowdiest fan base — makes it all the more astounding.
Let’s not gloss over that facet of this Ryder Cup because it has been ugly for the United States beyond what’s happened inside the ropes.
On Friday, as is the case in every session of the Ryder Cup no matter the nation in which its held, there was expected jeering and heckling. Walking with Jon Rahm and Sepp Straka for more than half their four-ball match against Scottie Scheffler and J.J. Spaun, the Europeans took some real, pointed insults (fat shaming, above all else).
The crowd Saturday devolved to the point where New York State Police wound up lining the inside of the ropes, seemingly as much as credentialed media — primarily as McIlroy and Lowry battled Justin Thomas and Cameron Young.
Boozed-up up fans started berating Mclroy and Lowry — taking personal shots against their physical appearances and their families, according to multiple reporters within earshot. That prompted the presence of at least two dozen officers, which successfully calmed some of the boorish behavior. (Credit to Thomas, in particular, for actively attempting to quiet the crowd in a show of sportsmanship to his European peers.)
McIlroy got so annoyed at one point during his morning foursomes match — fans were not only crude, they were regularly yelling in his backswing, a faux pas in golf (even at the Ryder Cup) — he literally walked away from his ball on his second shot at No. 16 and yelled, “Shut the f— up!”
Then he dropped his ensuing shot within 6 feet of the pin.
The more aggressive the fans got, the better McIlroy seemed to play. As he approached the 15th tee, he looked up at the huge videoboard and observed that all four European teams were leading in their respective matches. He pointed at the board, looked back to the majority of Americans (with a gleefully noisy Euro minority chanting mixed in) and fist-pumped as he walked up to the tee box.Â
“When you play an away Ryder Cup, it’s really, really challenging,” McIlroy told NBC. “It’s not for me to say — people can be their own judge with whether they took it too far or not, I’m just proud of us for being able to win today with what we had to go through.”
The crowd was aching find a reason to cheer its side, to believe this Ryder Cup could be somewhat competitive — potentially even successful — for the United States. Instead, the dashed hope for positive led to predictable negativity toward the European competitors.Â
That only made the visitors play better.
Not only has Europe invaded New York, it appears ready to claim New York as its own territory by the conclusion of play Sunday.
This was supposed to be one of the most competitive and liveliest Ryder Cups in history. Instead, we’re in the midst of an all-time blowout that may be historic in its own right.
After all, Europe’s 7-point advantage is the largest the Ryder Cup has seen entering the final 12 matches since the event’s 1979 change in format.