Two years after their defeat on American soil, the Europeans are seeking to regain the Ryder Cup title in Italy. The first day saw the European team well on their way to this goal, led by Spain’s Jon Rahm.
The result of the first day in Rome was in favor of Europe. The meeting took place at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club. At the end of the day, the scoreboard read 6.5 points for Europe and only 1.5 for the United States. The Americans failed to win any matches and only scored thanks to three draws.
During the early hours of the match, the American players were 0-4. In this round, Jon Rahm excelled alongside Tyrell Hatton in their matchup against Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns.
The Americans came to their senses in the afternoon. Rahm played again with Nicolae Hojgaard. In that match, Rahm made two spectacular eagles on the 16th and 18th holes. On the last shot, Jon Rahm appeared perplexed by his own success and barely celebrated the incredible shot.
In the following matches, Justin Rose and Robert Macntyre tied against Max Homa and Wydham Clark after a comeback on the last hole. Rory McIlroy and Matt Fiitzpatrick won comfortably against Colin Morikawa and Xander Schauffelle. Finally, Hattton and Hovland tied with Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth, bringing the Americans to 1.5 points.
The teams will meet again this Saturday.
