Team Europe had already demolished and disheartened the Americans in another Ryder Cup romp, and it wasn\u2019t finished. <\/p>\n
The final match of a long, loud and obnoxious day at Bethpage Black was all square when Matt Fitzpatrick blasted out of a fairway bunker and heard European cheers when his ball spun back to 2 feet away on Saturday. Next to play was Tyrrell Hatton, whose shot into the 18th hole spun back and nicked his teammate\u2019s ball.<\/p>\n
It summed up how the exquisite golf of Europe, which took on every challenge \u2014 starting with a gallery so hostile that extra security was required \u2014 and wound up in the Ryder Cup record book for the largest lead in the modern format: Europe 11 1\/2, United States 4 1\/2.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t really imagine this,\u201d European captain Luke Donald said. <\/p>\n
Europe needs only to win three of the 12 singles matches on Sunday to take that precious gold trophy back home across the Atlantic Ocean. Donald has turned to 45-year-old Justin Rose to lead off against Cameron Young, followed by Tommy Fleetwood, who can become the first European to go 5-0 on the road.<\/p>\n
The main attraction is Rory McIlroy against Scottie Scheffler, the game\u2019s top two players who have three majors and 10 victories this year among them. <\/p>\n
The real attraction is Europe. The louder and more vulgar it got, the better it played.<\/p>\n
McIlroy caught the brunt of verbal abuse and at one point turned to the spectators and said, \u201cShut the (expletive) up.\u201d And then he stuffed his shot to 5 feet for a birdie that closed out the foursomes match on the 16th hole for another blue point.<\/p>\n
There was nothing the not-so-mighty U.S. team could do. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s one of the best performances of a road team in any sport. They have played incredibly. They have played great. They have putted even better,\u201d U.S. captain Keegan Bradley said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey have come into a hostile environment and played great golf. You know, sometimes as a competitor, as an athlete, you have to take a step back and again sort of tip your cap to something like that,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
The previous record after the four sessions of team play was 11-5. No team has rallied from more than a four-point deficit on the last day. Europe needs to win only three of the 12 singles matches for the outright win. <\/p>\n
Scheffler also made it into the Ryder Cup record book. The world\u2019s No. 1 player is the first to go 0-4 under the current format. <\/p>\n
The Americans had a lead in only three of the 70 holes played in fourballs Saturday afternoon. U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun hit it tight on the 17th and 18th for birdies as he and fellow San Diego State alum Xander Schauffele squeezed out one of only two U.S. points on the day. <\/p>\n
The other belonged to Bryson DeChambeau and Young in the opening foursomes match.<\/p>\n