Americans need short memory in the Ryder Cup

Europe is sending out some heavy metal to start the Ryder Cup – Justin Rose and his Olympic gold with Henrik Stenson and his silver claret jug. “That was never, never in doubt”.

Spieth added: “We knew months ago Rose and Stenson would be thrown out first and we told the captain we’d love to hit the first shots”. The last time the USA won the Ryder Cup was in 2008, when they defeated Team Europe 16½ to 11½ at Valhalla Country Club.

In match two, the all-Spanish pairing of Sergio Garcia and Rafael Cabrera-Bello were three up after seven against JB Holmes and Ryan Moore – one of two new American pairings for the day’s second session.

US captain Davis Love III said it was an easy decision to send the fiery Reed and calm Spieth out together in the 7:35 a.m. opening match.

Europe’s Andy Sullivan congratulates Europe’s Rory McIlroy after McIlroy holed his approach shot on the sixth hole during a practice round for the Ryder Cup golf tournament Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016, at Hazeltine National Golf.

Phil Mickelson came to Minnesota this week at the center of the Ryder Cup storm, having been the most vocal of the American players in lobbying for change following three straight losses to Europe.

Mickelson is the elder statesman on the USA team, playing in his 11th Ryder Cup.

“There’s always been a few different plans and different options”.

“I thought it might make it a bit more real for him, but clearly not“, Rose said.

Westwood and Pieters then got the final match under way to disperse the huge opening tee crowds around the course but it was not a good start for the pair of Captain’s picks, with a bogey after Westwood’s tee-shot found the sand sending the United States one up.

“The last round we were on the ropes, and following all the players, seeing the putting from two or three metres, the chipping, the putting, then seeing the crowd in the U.S. how step by step – nine, eight, seven, six, five, four – in the last holes”.

He said: “It was a lot of heart, a heart that went out with [us] 2-down and four to go”.

“What I feel is that this is, in my 20 years, the first time that we are actually involved in the decision-making process”.

Garcia and Kaymer were 1-up on Jimmy Walker and Zach Johnson from the second through the 11th holes but got trampled coming home and lost 4&2.

At the end of the game, all the golfers signed golf balls for Johnson and handed him the signed $100 bill. The climax is on Sunday when all 12 players go head-to-head in singles matches. Masters champion Danny Willett came under scrutiny when his brother wrote a column for a British outlet bashing the American fans.

US captain Davis Love III at least could take consolation in a 5-3 lead, though the Americans wasted a chance to put Europe in a big hole.

Johnson and Kuchar ran their record to 3-0 – they won both their matches at Medinah in 2012 – with the shortest match.

Rose and Stenson, who lost 3&2 to fired-up American young guns Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed in the morning, looked to gain immediate revenge as they went 2-up on the same opponents after 10 holes of top-quality golf. None of that matters to Love.

“We’re not looking at past records”, he said. Tomorrow morning? Tomorrow afternoon?