Ryder Cup 2018: Express Sport brings you LIVE updates from Le Golf National, Paris (Image: GETTY)
Ryder Cup 2018: Express Sport brings you LIVE updates from Le Golf National, Paris
- Rory McIlroy a/s Justin Thomas, Paul Casey vs Brooks Koepka 1UP
- Justin Rose a/s Webb Simpson, Jon Rahm vs Tiger Woods (11:41)
- Tommy Fleetwood vs Tony Finau (11:53), Ian Poulter vs Dustin Johnson (12:05)
- Thorbjorn Olesen vs Jordan Spieth (12:17), Sergio Garcia vs Rickie Fowler (12:29)
- Francesco Molinari vs Phil Mickelson (12:41), Tyrrell Hatton vs Patrick Reed (12:53)
- Henrik Stenson v Bubba Watson (13:05), Alex Noren vs Bryson DeChambeau (13:17)
EUROPE 10-6 USA | Europe need to claim four and a half points to regain the trophy
Twitter round-up
Barry: The practice swing “wahayers” will hopefully be banned from all public events in future.
Darren: Rory McIlroy needs to show his worth again. He’s the main man and will need to steer this ship home.
Andy: Would love to see one of the Marshall’s holding up the “Quiet please” paddles to break into a spontaneous Icelandic Thunderclap.
Justin Rose vs Webb Simpson
11:35: Justin Rose has arrived! His match against Webb Simpson is underway. It’s the FedEx Cup champion versus the Players champion, in a draw that I think European captain Thomas Bjorn will have chalked down as a win. We shall see…
Paul Casey vs Brooks Koepka 1UP
11:30: And again, US draw first flood in the second match. Paul Casey is so pumped with adrenaline that he’s fired is approach shot miles beyond the pin and straight into the bunker. His recovery shot glides elegantly into the drink.
Ryder Cup 2018: Express Sport brings you LIVE updates from Le Golf National, Paris (Image: REUTERS)
Rory McIlroy a/s Justin Thomas
11:25: It’s a fine response from Rory McIlroy on the terrifying water-plagued par-three second. Justin Thomas sends a nerve-fuelled iron into a bunker while the European sticks it in middle of the green.
Thomas splashes out the sand and has a tidy line but leaves it 12ft beyond the pin. Rory can’t sink the birdie but it doesn’t matter because the American doesn’t clean up. We’re all-square again.
Paul Casey a/s Brooks Koepka
12:20: “Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Paul Casey and Brooks Koepka to the tee,” says the announcer. The spectators oblige with a swift round of “Casey, Casey, Casey.”
Anyway, Koepka arrows a fairly reserved iron to the middle of the fairway before Casey, who was in terrific form yesterday, matches him making sure to stay well away from the drink.
Rory McIlroy vs Justin Thomas 1UP
11:17: Whooaaaa! Start as you mean to continue, Justin. The American holds his nerve and celebrates before it drops – which it eventually did from 12ft. Rory can’t follow suit and pushes it wide from 8ft.
Rory McIlroy vs Justin Thomas
11:13: It’s going to get a bit crazy today, isn’t it? I’m just going to try and appreciate the calm of these two slugging it out on the first.
Bosh! Straight as an arrow from McIlroy, who avoids the water before sticking his wedge to five feet. Thomas is probably double the distance – but it’s still very manageable.
Ryder Cup 2018: Express Sport brings you LIVE updates from Le Golf National, Paris (Image: GETTY)
Rory McIlroy vs Justin Thomas
11:10: What a scene this is. The sun is shining down, the grandstands are packed and there’s a phenomenal Icelandic thunderclap starting every few minutes to send spectators wild – Rory McIlroy is even conducting it!
The pressure of this first tee-shot is just immense, right?
Justin Thomas is roundly booed when his name is announced, but that doesn’t bother him one jot as he takes an iron and sends it long and true onto the centre of the fairway. Time for Rory… beautiful.
We’re off and running!
Rory up first…
11:05: Rory McIlroy admitted he was feeling the pressure of leading Europe’s bid to regain the Ryder Cup.
He’s sent out in the opening singles match for the second contest in succession and was up against one of the United States’ best players, Justin Thomas having won three of his four matches in Paris alongside Jordan Spieth.
“I’m feeling it a bit now, it’s a big responsibility, but once I am on the course I will settle down,” McIlroy told Sky Sports. “As long as I focus on my own game and don’t get dragged into a screaming and shouting match I should be okay.”
Ryder Cup 2018: Express Sport brings you LIVE updates from Le Golf National, Paris (Image: REUTERS)
MORNING…
11:00: Hello everyone and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the singles session of the 42nd Ryder Cup.
I spotted Alan Titchmarsh herding a flock of sheep over London Bridge on the walk to work this morning…
I promise that’s true but isn’t it weird to think that it might NOT be the strangest thing I witness today?
Europe take a 10-6 lead into today’s 12 matches and golfing logic paired with the Ryder Cup record books suggest at some point during the afternoon Europe’s points tally will click past the 14.5 they require to win back the old trophy.
No fuss, no bother… no chance!
Only twice in Ryder Cup history has a team overturned a four-point deficit but Europe’s Miracle in Medinah proves anything can happen in the next seven hours.
Buckle up, we’re ten minutes away from showtime!
Ryder Cup 2018: Express Sport brings you LIVE updates from Le Golf National, Paris (Image: GETTY)
How day two unfolded…
Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari created Ryder Cup history and inflicted yet another demoralising defeat on Tiger Woods to inspire Europe to a 10-6 lead at Le Golf National.
Debutant Fleetwood and Open champion Molinari combined for their fourth win of the contest on Saturday, a feat never previously achieved by a European pair, and a victory for either in Sunday’s singles would complete the first 5-0 record by a European player.
Having brushed aside Woods and Patrick Reed 4&3 in the morning fourballs, Fleetwood and Molinari dispatched Woods and Bryson DeChambeau 5&4 in a foursomes session which was shared 2-2 to maintain the home side’s four-point cushion.
Woods has now lost his last seven foursome or fourball matches in the contest and the 14-time major winner’s total of 20 defeats is just one behind the record of Phil Mickelson, who was left out of the entire day’s play.
Shot of the day
Two down with four holes to play against Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose, Brooks Koepka needed to produce something special and did precisely that with a brilliant approach to the treacherous 15th.
Moment of the day
Rory McIlroy had seemingly been reminded of his debatable putting skills before facing a birdie attempt on third to remain two up on Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, something he did not appreciate.
Statistic of the day
The 10-6 scoreline evoked memories of famous comebacks at Brookline in 1999 and Medinah in 2012, but overall the odds are firmly against a repeat in Paris.
Quote of the day
“All the records are for nothing if we don’t win the cup back” – Molinari after he and Fleetwood became the first European pair to compile a 4-0 record in the Ryder Cup.
Tweet of the day
Francesco’s brother Edoardo was quick to enjoy the morning victory over Tiger Woods and Patrick Reed, who earned the nickname ‘Captain America’ after star performances in the last two contests.