Finau’s big break carries United States to early lead in Ryder Cup

The grandstands around the first tee at Le Golf National hold almost 7,000 people. Furyk said on the eve of the matches.

Europe tries to reclaim the trophy with a ninth win in 12 attempts, while the Americans seek their first win on European soil since 1993.

Now it’s time to play.

“I think that probably, to be totally honest, is one of the reasons why the vice-captains and the captain chose to have me on the team, not only for what I can bring on the golf course, but what I can bring outside”. We see a guy like Ian Poulter, he makes these insane putts.

The Ryder Cup veteran missed the last one in Hazeltine in 2016, when the United States romped to a comfortable 17-11 triumph. “When we started to really work together to succeed in the Ryder Cup, I think we realised that we both have a lot more in common than we thought and we both have really come to appreciate working together to achieve things”. That’s what the pressure of the Ryder Cup is about: the guys who can knock in the putts. As daunting as it can be, I mean, come on, it’s not a chore to be playing in The Ryder Cup. Golf is such a solitary pursuit – so often just the hole, the ball, the club and the player – that even its most triumphant occasions are normally celebrated in solitude.

They play against British Open champion Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood.

Ryder Cup rookie Tommy Fleetwood will hope a message of motivation from Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola can spur him on to success for Team Europe at Le Golf National this week.

“Those events in America with Celia being killed playing golf is something that’s hit everybody in the golf family, and obviously our two Spanish players [Rahm and Sergio Garcia] very much”. It brings a lot of excitement to the game. He and Brooks Koepka were 1 down to Justin Rose and Jon Rahm on the par-3 16th when Finau’s 8-iron appeared headed for the water.

Friday morning, Woods will begin competing in his eighth Ryder Cup. Another session of foursomes follow Friday afternoon, and neither was willing to guarantee that everyone will have played by the end of the day.

“This is the one time when Europe is united”, Bjorn said.

Asked on Wednesday about the chances of pairing his two hyper-experienced wild-cards, Furyk said: “You know, I won’t ever say it wouldn’t happen, but it’s probably not too likely”.

“What would surprise me?” he added.

“I’m addressing what we are in that European team room”, he explained.

Watson in 2012 at Medinah was the first player to encourage the massive crowd around the first tee to keep yelling as he was teeing off.

Thousands of fans, some of whom managed to get a seat for the opening tee shot in the grandstand that holds just under 7,000 surrounding the first tee, left Le Golf National chanting, cheering and singing over this wild turn of events. The other four times it was Tiger Woods in 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2010. Thomas and Jordan Spieth have been close since they were 14 and picked to represent the USA at the Evian Junior Masters – in France, no less.

Woods was still in high school.

Patterson – Justin Rose: There’s no way Justin Rose is going to all of the sudden lose the finest form of his career, in Europe, at the site of the French Open. Woods’s body and game were in such a state a year ago that Furyk named Woods a vice captain, too, a role he enjoyed in 2016, when the Americans won a thrilling competition at Hazeltine.