Rory McIlroy vs. Rickie Fowler: Recap, Twitter Reaction from 2014 Ryder Cup
Sunday’s action at the 2014 Ryder Cup featured 12 one-on-one match-play events, and the most anticipated for many was Rory McIlroy representing Team Europe squaring off against Rickie Fowler of Team USA.
Fowler played well throughout the event, but he ran into a buzz saw in McIlroy on Day 3. The Northern Irishman won the match 5 and 4, taking the lead on the first hole with a birdie and never relinquishing it.
Mike McAllister of PGATour.com spoke with McIlroy after his win:
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Here is the full scoring for the event, the one-on-one breakdown and a recap of the matchup between McIlroy and Fowler from Gleneagles, Scotland:
| Eur. | 1 Up | 2 Up | 3 Up | 3 Up | 4 Up | 5 Up | 4 Up | 4 Up | 4 Up | ||
| USA | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| Eur. | 4 Up | 4 Up | 4 Up | 5 Up | 5 Up | -- | -- | -- | -- | 5 & 4 | |
| USA | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Breaking Down Rory McIlroy vs. Rickie Fowler
There were several marquee singles matchups Sunday, but none received the fanfare this one did. McIlroy, 25, is the No. 1 player in golf, and he showed why on Day 3.
Fowler, also 25, halved in three of his four previous matchups at the 2014 Ryder Cup (including two halves against teams that featured McIlroy), but he wasn't able to match McIlroy this time.
Jason Sobel of GolfChannel.com discussed McIlroy’s dominance this year versus 2012:
After going up a stroke on the first hole, McIlroy won the second, third, fifth and sixth holes to lead by five. Every time the American challenger would make an impressive shot, McIlroy came back with one even better.
Eric Reguly of The Globe and Mail noted McIlroy’s dominance through six holes:
Fowler stole a shot back on seventh hole to bring the gap to four, but he could not capitalize on the momentum. The two men played all square through the 12th hole.
Golf insider Shane Bacon recorded McIlroy’s front nine:
On the 13th, McIlroy sank his seventh birdie of the day to open up a five-shot lead.
After maintaining his lead on the 14th, McIlroy sealed the 5 and 4 victory and gave the Europeans their first points of Day 3.
Following such an impressive 2014 for McIlroy, it's not too early to look ahead to the Masters.
Although he is in the best form of his career, he has never won a green jacket from the Masters. After winning the British Open and the PGA Championship on top of his Ryder Cup performance in 2014, McIlroy is poised to make a splash at Augusta.
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