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FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – “Warning: The black course is an extremely difficult course which we recommend only for European golfers.”
That’s what the infamous sign upon entering Bethpage Black might as well say after Day Two of the Ryder Cup in Farmingdale.
After a 3-1 showing in the morning, the Euros fought through the taunts of fans and tensions inside the ropes to grab another three points to the Americans’ one in the afternoon session and expand their lead to 11.5-4.5.
With a chance for the USA to steal the final match on 18, Tyrrell Hatton and Matt Fitzpatrick stuck their iron shots to inside three feet, while Sam Burns and Patrick Cantlay were ways away, changing all the momentum brought by J.J. Spaun just minutes earlier after he birdied 18 to win his match.
The early talk of this year’s Ryder Cup had been that the United States would have incredible home-field advantage. Apparently, it’s been anything but, yet the crowds were attempting to do their part. However, some may have crossed lines.
Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry heard it from fans all day. McIlroy was spotted telling a fan to “shut the f— up” in the morning session. Lowry had to be held back by a caddie on the 10th tee and asked security to escort a fan away. Lowry also backed off a shot twice as fans were counting the seconds he took to swing. On six, he stared down a particular fan after dropping a putt to halve a hole. He even dropped a “f— you” to a fan after eagling the fourth.
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Golf Digest reported that, through four holes, there were 30 F-bombs directed toward McIlroy. Plenty of other insults about his Irish heritage and even his performance at Pinehurst No. 2 in the 2024 U.S. Open were heard. A fan was threatened with ejection by security on the 15th green after swearing at McIlroy.
In more playful banter, this time on 16 again in the afternoon, a fan chirped McIlroy by saying he is “not that good.” McIlroy promptly responded, “I’m really f—ing good” and smoked a drive down the middle.
It was not just the fans exchanging pleasantries with the players, though.
Bryson DeChambeau and Tommy Fleetwood got into it on the 15th green, as caddies also began to share pleasantries. Fleetwood then earned his fourth point in as many matches this weekend on the very next hole, as his partner Justin Rose birdied to win the match, 3 & 2. Fleetwood is now 11-3-2 in his Ryder Cup career, the best record by any Euro with at least 10 matches played.
While Fleetwood is a Ryder Cup legend, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is anything but. He is 0-4-0 this weekend and became the first player since 1971 to lose his first three matches and then go back out for a fourth on Saturday.
Facing the largest deficit entering Sunday under the current 28-point format (since 1979), the United States needs 10 points to win the Ryder Cup. That would be the most points ever scored by one team in the event’s history, and only 12 are available in Sunday singles.
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