Europe needs just four points to become champion of the 44th edition of the Ryder Cup, the prestigious biennial golf competition that faces the United States, after the dispute this Saturday of the second of the three days on the course of the Marco Simone club, near Rome.
On Friday, those from the Old Continent had finished with a five-point advantage (6.5-1.5) and That difference remained at the end of Saturday, with a score of 10.5 against 5.5 for the hosts.
On the last day of the tournament, twelve individual duels are scheduled, which means twelve points at stake, so the situation is very favorable for the Europeans to lift the trophy. The mission is clear: reach 14.5 points as soon as possible, synonymous with final victory.
If Europe finishes the job it has on track, it will have recaptured the tournament after its 19-9 defeat two years ago at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin.
“We are in a good position,” admitted European captain Luke Donald. “For a week now that I have been with the boys, I am seeing a team that has heart, that is united, so I have confidence,” he stated.
The United States needs an impressive comeback if they want to achieve their first Ryder Cup victory on European soil since 1993. The mission seems frankly difficult for ‘Team USA’, but since its creation in 1927, Ryder has shown that nothing is impossible.
This Saturday, the United States was at least able to add more than the day before, where it had not managed to win any of the duels. This time he achieved four wins of the eight of the day and even dominated in the afternoon session (3 to 1).
Humiliation and crying of the world number one, Scottie Scheffler
The Americans Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka, respectively world number 1 and winner of five Grand Slam tournaments, had been humiliated in the morning session by the Norwegian Viktor Hovland and the Swede Ludvig Aberg, who signed the biggest victory in the history of the Ryder Cup (9 & 7). Scheffler ended up crying after the defeat, a symbol that this Ryder is not being easy for the Americans.
The victory in the last duel of the day of Patrick Cantlay and Wyndham Clark against the Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick and the Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy (1 up) allows the United States to retain some hope for Sunday, although only a disaster would prevent Europe from registering its name in the record.
In a very heated atmosphere, with thousands of spectators gathered around hole No. 18, where that duel was decided, the Ryder Cup had one of those incidents that mark its legend when Cantlay’s cadi provoked the European public and then bothered McIlroy when he was going to hit and could get the tie. In fact, the tension moved to the parking lot after the round.
A furious Rory McIlroy confronted a Team USA caddie in the car park, after he was spotted waving his cap in McIlroy’s face when lining up his final putt on 18 😳pic.twitter.com/Ha4r5hDsGi
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 30, 2023
That final triumph of the Cantlay/Clark duo is the rope that the Americans cling to to trust that a comeback is possible on Sunday.
“It’s a light at the end of the tunnel, maybe this victory will give us momentum and we can achieve something big on Sunday,” Cantlay hoped.
“We are against the wall, but this team is made up of good players. We are going to give everything and fight to the maximum,” promised fellow American Brian Harman.
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With AFP
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