Tommy Fleetwood once again proves to be a chipping master. In the singles matches of the 2023 Ryder Cup, the Englishman turned the match against Rickie Fowler, which had been tied until then, into a lead for Europe on hole 9. He holed out of the bunker on the par 4 for a birdie and won the hole.
"Tommy Fleetwood strikes again!"#TeamEurope | #RyderCup pic.twitter.com/L22xOwHBPp
— Ryder Cup Europe (@RyderCupEurope) October 1, 2023
Max Homa and Brian Harman secured the first full point for Team USA in their 2023 Ryder Cup match against Sepp Straka and Shane Lowry. While both Teams were on equal footing on the front nine, Harman and Homa gained the upper hand on the back nine with two birdies and an eagle in a row.
Q. Many congratulations, the first full point for Team USA. How big, how special does this moment feel?
MAX HOMA: It’s good. We needed something to go our way. I felt like we were ready this morning. We were ready to come out and play some great golf which we did. Somebody had to start a spark, so I’m just glad it was us.
Q. How fired up were you?
BRIAN HARMAN: Yeah, Ludvig has been playing so well, making so many putts, chipping in, so it was good to come out and at least put red up on the board.
Q. Describe the vibe in the U.S. camp? What was the intensity level heading out?
MAX HOMA: Great. We know how good we are. Everybody knows how good the man to my left is. We obviously are in a big hole but we have the right guys to dig ourselves out of it.
Q. Can this give the team the spark you need?
BRIAN HARMAN: Hope so. We are going to rest up and get ready for this afternoon.
Jon Rahm and Nicolai Hojgaard battled Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Kopeka in the fourballs at the 2023 Ryder Cup. Despite eight birdies and two eagles, the Europeans only got half a point out of the incredible match, that had more than one highlight.
Q. Many, many congratulations on an incredible match. You chipped in at 16 to make eagle at the last. How is it possible for you guys to produce these kind of things under this sort of pressure?
JON RAHM: I don’t know. I don’t know. You know, it’s the intention of the moment, right, and then the fact that something happens is truly unique. I’ve got to give Nicolai props because over here on 18, he gave me the freedom to basically go at it, and he told me to hit a putt, try to make it. And he said, “What would Seve do,” right, “do it for Seve.” I don’t know if he would have quite made it like that, but I’m sure glad that it went in.
Q. Your first experience at Ryder Cup, just describe that experience from your point of view, obviously playing with the world No. 3 in a match that was incredibly thrilling?
NICOLAI HØJGAARD: Yeah, it was a good match out there today. We hung in there on the front nine, played some good golf, Rahmbo took over the last few holes. Yeah, it’s pretty cool to share the stage with Rahmbo. He’s a great player, great person, and yeah, it’s a special week so far.
Q. How I am interprets pressed with your rookie Ryder Cup here, different type of pressure and you’ve handled it so beautifully?
JON RAHM: We wouldn’t have had a chance if it wasn’t for him on the front nine. I got that up-and-down on 5, which he might have made it himself and kind of road his back the rest of the front nine, his four birdies, and the chances I had, I didn’t really take advantage of.
I mean, he says I took over, but he did his part, right. He made the crucial shots when he needed to and to give us a chance. It’s a partnership and he did 50 per cent and I tried to do my part on the last 50 per cent.
Q. What’s it like to be part of that team room? The atmosphere is incredible, I’m sure?
NICOLAI HØJGAARD: Yeah, it is. I love team golf. I’ve played it my whole life, and to be part of this, the best golf event, being part of Team Europe, being part of these great players and great guys, it’s very special. I can’t wait to get out there tomorrow.
In a tight match at the 2023 Ryder Cup against Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, Viktor Hovland and Tyrrell Hatton secured half a point, after going 2 Down on the back nine. They were paired together on Friday afternoon in the fourballs.
Q. Try to describe for us what goes through your mind and your body when you hole such a crucial putt on the 18th in front of this enormous crowd?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: It was about time the ball went in. I felt like we played some really good golf today, and the Americans played some great golf as well and they kept pushing us and yeah, — to make a putt like that on the last hole that was huge for the team.
Q. 2 DOWN and five to play; Tyrrell, how deep did you have to dig against such a formidable pairing? They have never been beaten in four-ball.
TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, it was always going to be a tough task. But we both played great today. And like he said, it was nice to finally see a putt go in there on the last. It was a tough match but we just kept plugging away, gave ourselves opportunities and yeah, ultimately by the end we’re happy with half a point.
VIKTOR HOVLAND: I thought one of us needed to make the putt and to make that one was really cool. Put a little bit more pressure on J.T. there.
Q. Both of you won your matches this morning. How much does it mean to still contribute something this afternoon?
TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, the team went out this afternoon in a good mood. Although we found ourselves 2 DOWN through, what is it, 13? We feel like we played decent and putts weren’t really dropping for us.
So yeah, obviously Viktor to hole the putt on the last was amazing. I think I almost corkscrewed into the ground fist-pumping. Yeah, they might need to prepare that one before anyone has that putt.
VIKTOR HOVLAND!!! ????#TeamEurope | #RyderCup pic.twitter.com/KCe0pWZn5Y
— Ryder Cup Europe (@RyderCupEurope) September 29, 2023
Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood kept the momentum going and completed the European clean sweep in the Friday Foursomes at the 2023 Ryder Cup. The finished their match against Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay 2&1, after the Americans gave them a fight on the final holes.
Q. Rory, you’ve just beaten a pair that were previously 5-0 in foursomes play to complete a clean sweep for Europe. How special is this moment?
RORY McILROY: It’s been an unbelievable session. We switched the format this year to go foursomes first because statistically that’s our better session. And all week, all we’ve been talking about is getting off to fast starts. Playing three-hole matches in practise, three holes, go again, three holes, go again, something that Luke’s drilled into us. We were ready to go from the first tee shot as obviously as you can see in how everyone played.
I’m so proud of this man alongside me. He can play with anyone. I’m just so happy that he’s my partner this week and so happy to get a point on the board for Europe.
Q. There are always turning points and you’re playing 15, looked like you were going to lose it. You turned it into a victory. The adrenaline rush when the putt went in?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Waiting for a moment like that all today to be honest. Especially the start of the back nine where we were playing so well, I felt like I had two or three chances that I let go by. So I kept them in it, really. You’re not going to hole more unless you have a really good day.
Was due one. Felt really good over it. It’s just one of those Ryder Cup moments, really, and that’s what we’re playing for. It’s really cool. Rory is an unbelievable golfer.
Q. Talk us through that shot, the match was very tense, 1 up, two holes to play. Magnificent shot you hit. Tell us about your point of view?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, if anything, my poor shot recently has been a right shot. So I kept it simple: Keep a strong clubface going back, and fully release it on the way through, aim at the target and it never left the flag.
Q. That was the closest of four, you just pulled out the fourth straight blue point. You spoke about how determined you are to play differently and perform differently as a team as you did at Whistling Straits. How satisfying is this morning’s performance?
RORY McILROY: Amazing to sweep a session. I can’t remember the last time Europe has done that. We can’t get complacent at all. This is an unbelievably long American Team. Last week the American girls went up 4-0 in the first session there and Europe were able to come back, so we are not taking anything for granted here. It’s a great start but we need to keep our foot on the pedal and keep winning points.
Q. You’re undefeated in foursomes the in the Ryder Cup. How does Fleetwood Mac compare to Mollywood?
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: Just keep picking your partners, that’s the secret. Obviously playing with Rory is a dream for anybody, and I was the one that got to do that this morning.
Yeah, we’ve known we are going to play together for a while and just getting out there, felt like we actually played very, very good and felt like we were in control all the way. Obviously there are turning points and we needed one towards the end but yeah, just pleased to play with another great partner.
Q. Xander and Patrick were doing everything they could to get a halve, how clutch was your response on the tee at 17?
RORY McILROY: I have hit a lot of good shots in my time. That’s right up there. I didn’t know how close Patrick had hit his but I just wanted to give Tommy a chance to at least stay 1 UP going down the last. I was pretty certain we weren’t going to go down the last, but if I keep hitting iron shots like that, then I’m going to have a pretty good week.
The Scandinavian duo Ludvig Aberg and Viktor Hovland proved a success in Friday morning at the 2023 Ryder Cup. Against Max Homa and Brian Harman they brought home a 4&3 victory, making the second point for Team Europe. The Europeans secured all four possible points in the foursome matches.
Q. Is the Ryder Cup as incredible as you thought it would be?
LUDVIG ÅBERG: I think so. The crowds were unbelievable here today, and we could really feel that support and that’s what we need to keep winning points here in Rome, so it was a lot of fun today.
Q. How does it feel whether you’re out here are the energy from the crowd and the momentum Europe had, how much did you really ride that through the course that match?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: It was such a big difference compared to Whistling Straits. Normally I keep my head down and just play, but I’m trying to really get the crowds going and just use them because they want you to play well and they want to support you. So it was such a good start, and we’re going to keep it going.
Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton put the first point for Europe on the board at the 2023 Ryder Cup. The went head to head with Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns in the first match of the day. Rahm and Hatton didn’t give them much of a chance, finishing the match 4&3 on 15. It was the first of four points Europe made in the morning foursomes.
Q. How important to get some momentum and blue on the board, how satisfying to get that done?
JON RAHM: Extremely. Extremely. I’ve had a good feeling about Tyrrell all along. Last time we played together it really felt good, and it was good to come out here and perform the way we did. It’s an incredible foursomes match and we played as confident as two people can play, and it was a beautiful one.
Q. Just describe that match from your point of view, Tyrrell, you played some beautiful golf and these massive crowds cheering you on?
TYRRELL HATTON: The atmosphere this morning was incredible. Tee-to-green, I was generally fairly solid. Naturally little bit disappointed with some of the putts I missed. Ultimately we won our point and that was the goal.
Q. You told me in the past when you’re in contention to win a big championship, you get butterflies, but you love them. What’s the feeling you have playing in front of this audience?
JON RAHM: I told Tyrrell, usually the feelings you have down the stretch in a tournament I had hitting my first warm-up put at 6.20 in the morning in the dark, and it increasingly got higher until we hit that tee shot on the first hole. It’s a different feeling, but if you embrace and enjoy it, you can play some pretty good rounds of golf like we did today.
Q. What makes Jon a good partner aside from the shots he hits?
TYRRELL HATTON: He’s obviously very positive between shots, and you know, great company, and he’s always right by your side. So yeah, he’s a great teammate.
Q. What an emphatic performance you put together. You are undefeated in foursomes play in the Ryder Cup. What do you love so much about this format?
JON RAHM: I don’t know. It’s quite stressful but the strongest part of my game is ball-striking, right, and what Tyrrell and I did really well today is hit the shots that we needed. Any time we needed the right shot to change the momentum, we did. You know, that’s the key in match play, right, just keep hitting the right shots at the right time.
Q. We know you two are passionate players but what works so well about this foursomes pairing?
TYRRELL HATTON: I mean, we didn’t really give much away. We were very hard to play against this morning. I think we were four- or five-under, so in foursomes, that’s a good effort. Yeah, it was an enjoyable morning.
Q. The shot on the 7th tee, that came very close. How were your emotions watching a near hole-in-one on Friday at the Ryder Cup?
JON RAHM: I think it might have been too much if it goes in but it got the job ton. I was telling Tyrrell, one of those shots was a perfect number, both seven and eight, and I’m just glad I’m able to hit a tee shot and put it in the same spot. Obviously be amazing to make it.
Some people might wonder why we got paired together recently; we think about the game very similarly and we react to the game very similarly and we understand each other. When one of us misses a shot, we know what’s going on in the other player’s mind. We might vocalise it differently, but at the end of the day it’s the same process. It’s like being in the same brain.
Suzann Pettersen praises the comeback of her European equip at the 2023 Solheim Cup but also stays cautious. “There’s still 12 points up for grabs”, she knows. Still she is blow away by the level of golf only a Solheim Cup produces.
In a riveting morning at the Solheim Cup 2023, the United States retains a leading edge with a 7:5 scoreboard. However, the resilient European duo, Emily Kristine Pedersen and Carlota Ciganda, clawed back to secure a crucial point for Europe on Saturday morning.
Playing on home turf, Spanish native, Carlota Ciganda, expressed her elation at being part of the tournament in Spain. “Very happy to play here in Spain. That first tee, I mean, it’s so nice,” Ciganda remarked, likening the ambiance to that of a disco. She shared her contentment at partnering with Emily Pedersen, praising their consistency and the advantageous pairing in terms of playing style. “I want to play with Emily. We hit it pretty similar,” Ciganda stated, underscoring the duo’s synchronicity on the course.
The pair exploited the small mistakes made by their counterparts during the foursomes, capitalizing on opportunities to get ahead. “They made a few mistakes, and we just took advantage, so very happy to get that point for Europe,” Ciganda recounted with fervor.
The fightback from the European side was evident from the preceding afternoon, and Emily Pedersen noted the team’s focus and determination that morning, “We knew what the job is, to go out and get points.” She highlighted the team’s ability to remain present and overcome mistakes, maintaining high spirits throughout the round. “We were really good at staying present… we just kept on fighting, kept the spirits high.”
The momentum shift from the previous day was palpable, with the European duo aiming to mitigate any further advancements by the Americans, who are renowned for their strength and competence in the sport. Ciganda emphasized, “They are tough to beat. They are really strong and they are really good, so we can do this, but we have to play good golf, and we have to be very present.”
The Europeans were determined to start early and secure points ahead of the Americans, a sentiment echoed by Pedersen, “It felt good to go out early… so we can get up and get ahead of the Americans.” The duo manifested relentless vigor, with Ciganda acknowledging that despite the Americans’ steady play and the fast greens that morning, they never let up. “They did make a few putts. The greens are tricky. They were fast this morning, so I think speed was key.”
With her sixth Solheim Cup appearance, Ciganda, bolstered by enthusiastic home support, shared her love for playing in Spain and emphasized her enjoyment of every moment. “I love Spain. This is home for me and it’s just so special to play here with friends, with family.”
In summary, the dynamic European pair of Emily Pedersen and Carlota Ciganda showed resilience and focus to secure an essential point for Europe amidst the charged atmosphere and relentless pressure from the strong American side. The home crowd’s support elevated the experience for Ciganda, making it a memorable round, imbued with determination and national pride. The United States, however, maintains a delicate lead in the Solheim Cup, making the upcoming matches decisive and highly anticipated.
(This article was created with the help of AI)
Leona Maguire and Georgia Hall made the first point for Team Europe at the Solheim Cup 2023 when they won their fourball match against Lexi Thompson and Lilia Vu.