Rory McIlroy at Ryder Cup 2014: Score, Recap and Twitter Reaction from Day 1
Rory McIlroy didn't come alive until the final few holes on the opening day of the 2014 Ryder Cup. The result was only a half-point out of two matches, but the late comeback during the afternoon session should provide some positive vibes heading into Saturday.
It was a long day on the course for the Northern Irishman and partner Sergio Garcia. They played the anchor leg of fourball for the Europeans and then only had an extremely brief break before going back out third during the foursomes.
Given the season McIlroy has put together, highlighted by winning the British Open and the PGA Championship, Team Europe is going to lean heavily on him as it attempts to defend the Cup. Let's take a closer look at how he fared on the first day of competition.
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Day 1 Results
| Fourball | Sergio Garcia | Keegan Bradley & Phil Mickelson | Loss, 1 Dn |
| Foursomes | Sergio Garcia | Jimmy Walker & Rickie Fowler | Halved |
Recap and Twitter Reaction
As expected, the first match was close throughout. Neither side led by more than two throughout the round, and that was the American tandem of Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson for a single hole. Nine of the 18 holes ended with the score all square.
There had been some verbal volleys between the sides leading up to the event. Jason Sobel of the Golf Channel passed along some comments from McIlroy ahead of the opening clash and he said it was time to let the golf handle the rest:
It didn't take long for the four-time major champion to make an impact. After Mickelson birdied the first, McIlroy matched it and Gary Williams of Golf Channel noted the celebration:
Garcia got Europe on the board first with a birdie on the fourth to go 1 Up. After trading a couple more pars, Bradley was able to spark an American surge starting at the seventh.
His par was good enough to get the match back level. Mickelson gave the USA side their first lead of the match with a birdie on the ninth, the team's first birdie since the opening hole. Then Bradley backed it up with another one on the 10th to push them ahead by two.
It looked like they might be getting ready to run away with it but the Europeans answered back thanks to some American mistakes.
A par by Garcia got them immediately back within one on the 11th. Then McIlroy won his first hole of the day for the team on the 13th with another par. LPBB Golf Live pointed out it brought the match back to all square:
He proceeded to give the Europeans the lead at No. 15. For the third time in five holes neither American was able to muster even a par and McIlroy did to put his side up by one with three to play.
The momentum shifted one last time, however. Bradley came through with a clutch eagle on the 16th to get back level. Keith Arnold of NBC Sports noted the emphatic reaction:
After both sides carded pars on 17, they headed to the par-five 18th. It was a key point with both teams having earned 1.5 points through the first three matches. The Americans that took advantage from sloppy play by both McIlroy and Garcia to earn the full point with a birdie from Mickelson.
PGA.com passed along the fourball results:
The afternoon session of foursomes went better for Team Europe, but McIlroy and Garcia were locked in another tight battle.
Alasdair Lamont of BBC Sport snapped a shot of the high-profile duo as they headed back out after a quick break:
They once again jumped out to an early lead but couldn't build on it after going 1 Up at the third. It started a wild stretch that seen the match status change four times in a five-hole span. Twice the Europeans had the lead, but the when the dust settled after the seventh the matchup was all square.
It stayed that way until the 11th when Walker and Fowler started to pick up steam. They won that hole with a birdie and then took advantage of Europe playing the 12th poorly from tee to green to quickly stretch the lead to 2 Up with six to play.
Golf Monthly acknowledged what was looking like a potentially fruitful session for the defending champions was starting to slip away:
They got back within one at the next hole as the Americans slipped up with a bogey. Walker and Fowler quickly answered back two holes later to extend their edge again, though.
McIlroy finally flashed the type of shot-making people have come to anticipate from him on the 17th green. He faced a lengthy birdie putt to keep the European side alive and rolled it in perfectly to send the match to the final hole.
Golf Central highlighted the make:
McIlroy and Garcia were then able to at least earn a halve for their day's efforts with a birdie on the 18th. A terrific shot from the Spaniard from the rough and a solid putt from McIlroy forced Fowler to attempt a mid-range putt to win the match and he couldn't connect.
They would have liked to get more out of the day, but fighting back to earn a half point from that deficit will almost feel like a full point. Luke Smith of NBC Sports applauded the effort:
All told, Team Europe should be satisfied with the opening day. McIlroy didn't play anywhere near his best golf and they were still highly competitive. The team's top player should be expected to elevate his game over the next two days.
The question is how captain Paul McGinley will decide to utilize him. He will probably play both pairs sessions again tomorrow, but playing with Garcia didn't seem to bring the best out of either play. A shake up is likely as Europe tries to find some combos that click.
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