29 September 2023 , 11:32
574
0
Gary Lineker claimed "it's a long time since I've enjoyed foursomes this much" after Team Europe made a superb start to the Ryder Cup.
Luke Donald's men won all four of Friday morning's foursomes against Team USA to storm into a 4-0 lead at the Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome. The Europeans will now try to consolidate their tremendous position during Friday afternoon's four-balls.
Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton defeated Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns 4&3, while Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg achieved the same result against Max Homa and Brian Harman. Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka overcame Rickie Fowler and Collin Morikawa 2&1, with Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood also beating Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay 2&1.
It's the first time Team Europe have won the first session of a Ryder Cup 4-0, leaving fans ecstatic. Keen golfer Lineker was among those watching and shared his thoughts on X with an X-rated reference (if you'll pardon the alliteration).
McIlroy, who played in the final foursomes match of the morning, expressed his delight at Team Europe's start to the BBC. He said: "When you see the first three matches, we are up quite a lot and you're in the last match, you don't want to let the side down.
Golf star rants over Patrick Reed tree shot and says LIV rebel 'f****** cheated'
"We felt like we were in control all day. The 15th was obviously a huge moment in the match when Tommy made a huge putt and Xander missed his. It was a great match against two really tough competitors but we are happy to get another blue point on the board."
McIlroy played the shot of the morning when his approach on the 17th all but secured another point. He added: "I have been fortunate enough to hit lot of good shots in my career and to hit a shot like that when I needed to, it gives me a ton of confidence."
The Europeans were joyous on Friday morning (Getty Images)What do you make of Gary Lineker's joke? Let us know in the comments below!
Fleetwood said: "We played very, very well. I enjoyed being out on the course with him so much... The team has done an unbelievable job and we were just riding on their coattails. To finish it off and have clean sweep really feels great."
Team Europe will now be confident of regaining the Ryder Cup - avenging their humiliation at Whistling Straits two years ago. The Americans recorded a thumping 19-9 victory on home soil, achieving the largest margin of victory in the Ryder Cup since 1967.
Yet the hosts won't get carried away in Rome. There are still four more sessions of golf and 24 points to play for, with Team USA boasting some of the best golfers on the planet - including 2023 major winners Brooks Kopeka, Wyndham Clark and Brian Harman.