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The 2025 Ryder Cup finally kicked off today at Bethpage Black, Farmingdale, New York. As per the latest updates, things are looking good for the European squad following Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm's performance.
On Day 1, Luke Donald's men stepped onto the tournament venue on US soil, surrounded by a hostile US crowd. However, after the Friday Foursomes ended, fans were soon left awestruck as Team Europe made history at Bethpage. For the first time since 2004, the European squad took the lead over the American Ryder Cup Team.
PGA Tour also shared this achievement on X (previously Twitter). Take a look at their post on X after Team Europe took a 3-1 lead over Team USA on September 26:
Trending
"For the first time since 2004, @RyderCupEurope takes the opening session on American soil 😳..."
Early domination from the pair of Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton kicked off Europe's commanding start on the opening day of the Ryder Cup. The duo faced the team of Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas in the first match of Friday Foursomes. Hatton and Rahm finished the showdown with a 4&3 victory over the Americans, carding five birdies throughout.
On the other hand, the European Ryder Cup squad witnessed another win from the pair of Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood. The World No. 2 and his teammate put up a brilliant fight against Collin Morikawa and Harris English. McIlroy and Fleetwood carded five birdies and secured a 5&4 win over English and Morikawa.
Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm share honest feedback following their Ryder Cup performance
After securing a win in the Friday Foursomes, Rory McIlroy shared his thoughts regarding their success on the opening day. The Northern Irishman ended up praising his Ryder Cup teammate, Fleetwood. In his statement, McIlroy admitted that even if Foursomes are hard, Fleetwood is someone whom he can trust. He said (via The Golfing Gazette):
"I think when you have a partner like Tommy, you can play with so much freedom and trust in your game, because you know you have someone who is going to back you up..... I felt foursomes can be a tough format... but knowing I have this man beside me if I do hit a bad shot, that’s very comforting to know."
On the other hand, Rahm was open about the struggle he and Hatton faced. In his statement, the Spaniard labeled Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas as the 'crowd favorites'. Rahm said (via Reuters):
"They put two of their better players up there, two of their crowd favorites. We knew that the crowd was going to be loud and we were going to need our best... We didn't have our best start through the first seven holes, but we battled..."
Apart from McIlroy and Rahm's Foursomes matches, there was another European pair who showcased their golfing skills. The second match of Friday Foursomes saw the pair of Ludvig Aberg and Matt Fitzpatrick face Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley. Aberg and Fitzpatrick secured a 5&3 victory over the American pair.
