Ryder Cup report: Awesome USA foursomes romp to 4-0 lead

On a first morning of marvellous ebbs and flows that began with a heavy early mist but brightened along with the mood of the home team, the European team had hopes of taking a 2-2 position of parity into this evening’s fourballs, but faltered in the pressure-cooker environment as a partisan home crowd inspired Team USA at the Hazeltine Course in Minnesota and let slip winning positions in two matches.

Rory McIlroy and Andy Sullivan had been two up with four to play in their match against Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler. But Sullivan, who had displayed steel and skill earlier on his Ryder debut by hitting a marvellous tee shot at the 248-yard par-3 to help Europe go one up in a match of dramatic shifts, then found the water from the tee on the 17th to drown European hopes of a solitary point.

Sergio Garcia and Martin Kaymer also let slip a leading position over the US pairing of 2007 Masters winner Zach Johnson and this year’s PGA champion Jimmy Walker.

Johnson/Walker were one down after 11 but staged a remarkable recovery in the closing stages to win 3&2 in a match of continual momentum shifts.

Captain Darren Clarke paired Olympic gold and silver medalists Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson against the youthful Texan twosome of Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth, strategically playing his strongest cards first.

But his medal-laden duo were leaden-footed in comparison and no match for an inspired US pair, losing 3&2.

Reed, outplaying his more heralded partner Spieth, displayed an aptitude for matchplay golf. He caressed in a 10-footer to keep the US two up on the tenth hole, after Europe threatened a comeback on the back nine and later closed the US deal on the 16th tee by dropping a 15-footer.

The last foursomes pairing of Matt Kuchar and Dustin Johnson won 5&4 against Lee Westwood and Thomas Pieters in a match up they dominated throughout.

Westwood, who boasted a formidable foursomes record before start of play, never gelled with his rookie partner. The US pair went four up after seven holes and never relinquished their grip on the match.

Afterwards the Englishman took responsibility for the lost point. "I played poorly," he said. "But this is only the first morning, anything can happen in the Ryder Cup."

Also remembering the barnstorming comeback at Medinah four years ago when Europe reeled in a four-point overnight deficit, Martin Kaymer added: "We all know what happened in the past - it doesn't matter how far you are behind.

"It is a different game we're playing in the afternoon and we're all fired up."