Ryder Cup 2014 Standings: Fourball Results and Updated Points for Day 1
Team USA took an early 2½-1½ lead during the opening day of the 2014 Ryder Cup, rounding off a fascinating morning session when Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley clinched victory over Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia at Gleneagles.
Mickelson had to sink a two-footer at the 18th to claim the spoils, which he duly delivered, per BBC Radio 5 Live:
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The scores had been level at 1½-½ prior to that moment. Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson crushed Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson 5&4 for the first point of the day, but Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed dished out an identical beating to Ian Poulter and Stephen Gallacher.
After Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker had hit back to deny Thomas Bjorn and Martin Kaymer, the scene was set for Mickelson and Bradley to strike the first telling blow.
Here's a look at the fourballs results from the competition's opening day, followed by a recap of events:
| Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson | Team Europe, 5&4 | Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson |
| Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker | Tie | Thomas Bjorn and Martin Kaymer |
| Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed | Team USA, 5&4 | Stephen Gallacher and Ian Poulter |
| Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson | Team USA, 1 Up | Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy |
| Overall | 2 ½ -1 ½ |
Day 1, Morning Session Recap
The atmosphere was palpable at the first tee on Friday, noted by the tournament's official YouTube account:
Rose and Stenson's clash with Watson and Simpson kicked the competition off. The Europeans established an early lead in front of a rapturous crowd, whose enthusiasm appeared to increase American nerves from the opening tee.
Rose and Stenson went 1 Up with two holes played after the latter recovered from the rough. Further progress was made at the fifth for the European duo, who moved 2 Up after Simpson pulled right with the green at his mercy. Moments prior to this, Bjorn and Kaymer raced into a 3 Up lead through four holes against Fowler and Walker.
McIlroy and Garcia's clash with Bradley and Mickelson always looked pivotal to the morning result. The pairs exchanged blows—led by McIlroy's terrific 15-footer at the first hole—but the Europeans went 1 Up after the fourth due to the brilliance of Garcia.
El Nino sunk a memorable birdie from inside the bunker to provide a vital advantage. The Spaniard chipped to the top of the ridge and saw his shot power to the pin, as noted below:
Phil Mickelson was unable to match the score and came up short from just outside the green.
Nicolas Colsaerts, who represented Europe at the 2012 tournament, was astonished by the shot. "I called that bunker shot impossible because he had no room to land the ball," he said, per BBC Sport. "Exceptional shot there from Garcia. We expected this game to be really, really good and that kicked it off."
Team USA's play lacked intensity throughout the early stages, as minor lapses in concentration provided the hosts with simple opportunities to strike. Spieth and Reed bucked the trend, however, going 1 Up against Gallacher and Poulter shortly after Garcia's highlight shot.
The American rookies were tipped as an unlikely pairing before the tournament, with US captain Tom Watson acknowledging the risk, tweeted by Doug Ferguson of the Associated Press:
Spieth and Reed appeared at ease throughout the session and strolled into a 3 Up lead after seven holes.
Both Gallacher and Poulter struggled with increasing winds, with the latter described as "off the dancefloor and out of contention" at this point by BBC Sport's Mike Henson.
Their meltdown was offset by Rose and Stenson's dominance—with the European pair sitting 4 Up after 11—providing both sides with an almost guaranteed point as the morning hit its stride.
In the crucial clash of the morning session, Mickelson prodded home after McIlroy's missed putt to level proceedings at the eighth, as momentum began to shift alongside the visitors' improved confidence. Spieth and Reed continued to embarrass Gallacher and Poulter with a 5 Up score after nine.
Mickelson and Bradley nudged ahead at the ninth when McIlroy failed to repeat his heroics from 15 feet, while another comeback was hinted at further down the Scottish course.
Bjorn and Kaymer were 3 Up against Fowler and Walker at one point, but were forced onto the back foot by their opponents. The Americans cut the lead to one before Bjorn cleverly chipped in at the 13th, stretching the lead to two once more.
Meanwhile, Rose and Stenson confirmed the first concrete point of the day, per Team Europe's feed:
Spieth and Reed scored USA's first point shortly afterwards, as Poulter's missed putt sealed his misery. BBC Radio 5 Live posted comments from European captain Paul McGinley shortly after this moment:
The aforementioned station, via BBC Sport's feed, provided quotes from Spieth after the point was confirmed. "It was very quiet around our group today so to take down the local favourite and Poults was great," said the 21-year-old. "Hopefully we get put out in alternate shot and we can do the same thing again."
Perhaps symbolically, the afternoon's pairings were confirmed at this point, with both Gallacher and Poulter missing out, per Sky Sports:
Further momentum was gained in the American camp, as Fowler's close-range putt saw Bjorn and Kaymer's lead wiped out on the 18th. Kaymer was unable to see home the point with a poor effort on the green, before Fowler sank his opportunity from eight feet.
That left the score at 1½-1½ with only one pairing still to finish.
Mickelson was the next to miss a major opportunity, handing McIlroy and Garcia a 1 Up advantage after 15. USA levelled after Bradley's terrific eagle on the 16th, setting up a nervous final hole after the pairs couldn't be separated on the 17th.
Mickelson, McIlroy and Garcia found themselves in the bunker when approaching the final par five. McIlroy's missed putt left the door open, leaving Mickelson with the chance to hand USA an overall lead for the morning. He sunk the simple putt, completing an excellent morning's work for the USA.
Alongside their early lead, the US team will certainly take heart from their ability to fight back at difficult moments. While Spieth and Reed should take the headlines for their performances, Watson's men didn't buckle after a difficult start to the morning.
This puts down something of a marker for the afternoon's pairings and the rest of the competition. Both sides have major room for improvement—adjustments to a slow green need to be made—but the opening exchanges highlight a competition which is likely to go down to the wire. As highlighted by McIlroy and Garcia's narrow defeat, this year's Ryder Cup is destined to be settled on the most minuscule of differences.
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