Rome, Italy – Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry secured a crucial point for Europe in the opening session of the 44th ryder Cup, propelling the team to a 6.5-1.5 lead over the United States at Marco simone golf & Country Club. The European victory was highlighted by struggles from two of America’s top-ranked players, Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau, who both lost their matches.
McIlroy expressed his confidence in his partnership with Fleetwood, stating, “He’s one of the best players in the world. And to know that I have him by my side, it frees me up. I can play with ultimate trust and ultimate freedom, and you know, you saw a little bit of that today.”
The day wasn’t without incident, as McIlroy was subjected to vocal heckling from the American crowd, including a chant of “(Expletive) you, Rory” during warm-ups. A gesture made by mcilroy towards the crowd late in the day also drew attention.
Despite the hostile atmosphere, Europe dominated the session. Scheffler, ranked no. 1 in the world, became onyl the third player in Ryder Cup history to lose twice on the first day, falling alongside J.J. Spaun.DeChambeau and Ben Griffin also lost to Justin Rose and tommy Fleetwood, who won three of their final seven holes. Cameron Young and Justin Thomas managed a win for the Americans, but it wasn’t enough to stem the European tide.
European captain Luke Donald praised McIlroy’s leadership, noting, “Rory is slightly more vocal in the team room but again, Rory has talked about what the Ryder cup means and the disappointments we saw in Wisconsin (in 2021) and how much he relishes Ryder cup and the opportunity to be a part of them and hopefully be on winning teams.” donald also highlighted Jon Rahm’s consistent performance in the team format.
Historically, Europe has a strong record when leading after the first day, having won the last six Ryder Cups in which they held the advantage at this stage. McIlroy echoed this optimism, stating, “It’s a great day for Europe.”
