Europe complete Ryder Cup foursomes clean sweep to take 4-0 lead over USA

Captain Luke Donald’s decision to start with foursomes for the first time since 1993, the last US victory on European soil, paid handsome dividends as his side swept an opening session for the first time in the contest’s history.

Roared on by a partisan crowd, the home side never trailed at any point in all four matches and their opponents won just 10 holes all morning.

Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood who beat Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay said the plan all week had been to come flying out of the blocks.

“It’s been an unbelievable session. We switched the format to go foursomes first because statistically that’s our better session and all week we talked about getting a fast start and we were ready to go from the first tee shot,” said the Northern Irishman.

The match was in the balance until McIlroy’s brilliant tee shot to two feet at the short 17th and the world number three said of his thought process: “Aim at the target – and it never left the flag.”

Fleetwood added: “Rory’s an unbelievable golfer – I said ‘I can hole those ones’.”

Here is how the matches unfolded.

Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton beat Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns 4&3

Europe’s ‘Team Angry’ got off to a flying start with Rahm almost making a hole-in-one as they won three of the opening seven holes. They were two up at the turn and, after Rahm secured a half at the 10th with a stunning chip-in, back-to-back successes put them in a commanding position before they closed out victory on the 15th.

Europe 1 United States 0

Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg beat Max Homa and Brian Harman 4&3

Hovland set the tone not only for his individual match but for the European team with a brilliant start, beginning with a chip-in birdie, holing a 20-footer at the second and almost chipping in at the next. When rookie partner Aberg holed a 15-foot par putt to win the ninth they went three up and a birdie at the 14th effectively sealed victory.

Europe 2 United States 0

Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka beat Rickie Fowler and Collin Morikawa 2&1

The European pair won three successive holes from the seventh to reach the turn four up. Fowler finally holed a long putt at the par-three 13th to get the match back to two down but Europe won the next with a par and, even though they messed up the driveable par-four 16th after Lowry’s wild tee shot, they held their nerve to seal victory on the next.

Europe 3 United States 0

Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood beat Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay 2&1

The European pair led from the fourth and doubled that advantage after Cantlay found the water at the eighth. The Americans fought back but Fleetwood’s brilliant chip at 11 initially kept them at arm’s length. The US responded again at 14 and should have drawn level at the next, only to three-putt for bogey as Fleetwood holed from 20 feet for par. McIlroy’s stunning tee shot on the 17th sealed the win and completed the whitewash.

Europe 4 United States 0