SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France — Team USA was threatening to claim a handy lead in the first session of the Ryder Cup after turning things around in the morning fourballs.
Things did not look good for Jim Furyk’s side early here Friday at Le Golf National as the Europeans charged out of the gate and took the lead in three out of four contests.
However, as the matches neared their conclusion, the Americans were up in three and on course to secure the advantage going into the afternoon.
Jordan Spieth’s putter caught fire in the one match the away team led from the start.
Playing alongside good friend Justin Thomas, Spieth birdied five of the first seven holes to single-handedly open up a 3-up lead on Paul Casey and Tyrrell Hatton.
. @JordanSpieth is in! #RyderCup #GoUSA pic.twitter.com/J2UwCi4oQd
— PGA of America (@PGA) September 28, 2018
However, Casey came roaring back for Europe, finding four birdies in succession from the ninth to cut the US lead to 1-up.
Team USA’s Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler were looking good, turning a 1-up Europe lead into a 3-up advantage for the Americans with birdies on the ninth, 10th and 12th against an off-kilter Rory McIlroy and Thorbjorn Olesen.
Franceso Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood also lost an early 1-up lead over Tiger Woods and Patrick Reed to trail by one after 11.
Europe’s first pairing of the day, Justin Rose and Jon Rahm, did hold on to an advantage over Brooks Koepka and Tony Finau and were 1-up after 13 holes.
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