Summary
FARMINGDALE, NY (AP) — Due to a sore neck that has been bothering Viktor Hovland on and off for a couple of months, Europe made a last-minute change to its Saturday afternoon Ryder Cup lineup. In the morning, Hovland had partnered with Robert MacIntyre to a 1-up victory over Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley, and was originally scheduled to play with Matt Fitzpatrick in the afternoon. However, Fitzpatrick ended up playing with Tyrrell Hatton against Sam Burns and Patrick Cantlay.
During the morning, Hovland took painkillers and received treatment, although it wasn't enough. “It stayed the same for the rest of the match,” Hovland said. “But I came back, rested, and got more treatment. When I got back to the driving range, I tried to hit some shots to warm up with the driver. I hit three or four hard shots, and it just got worse. I didn't want to take any chances in the match in case it got worse and I couldn't continue, especially in fourballs where you hit every shot.”
Luke Donald was able to make the change thanks to a clause in the captain's agreement that allows a player to be replaced due to illness or injury before the match starts.
Key details
Hovland had withdrawn two holes into his final round at the Travelers Championship in June due to a similar injury. “I’m going to get treatment this afternoon and evening, and I hope to be fine for the singles tomorrow,” he said.
A little history for Cameron Young
Cameron Young stood out as one of the few stars for the U.S. in his Ryder Cup debut. After winning his fourball match on Friday alongside Justin Thomas, he and Bryson DeChambeau defeated Fitzpatrick and Ludvig Åberg in foursomes on Saturday. “Cam played amazing,” said DeChambeau. “He hit his irons spectacularly today. It was nice to have a couple of two-foot putts to hole out, so that was great.”
Young is the first American rookie to win his first two Ryder Cup matches by at least four holes since Patrick Reed. The only U.S. players to do so in three consecutive matches are Arnold Palmer (1961-63), Tom Watson (1977-81), and Tedd Kroll (1955-57).
Rest for Ben Griffin and Rasmus Hojgaard
Only two of the 24 players didn't participate in Saturday's foursomes or fourballs: Ben Griffin for the U.S. and Rasmus Hojgaard for Europe. Hojgaard is the only new addition to his squad since two years in Rome, replacing his twin brother Nicolai, while Griffin is one of four rookies on his team. Asked if not using Hojgaard was a change of strategy, Donald commented: “Saturday is always a bit more fluid. We have four really strong groups.”
Statements and context
It's common for Europe to have two or three players participating in foursomes and fourballs, while in the U.S. this happens less frequently. With captain Keegan Bradley relying on his best players, DeChambeau, Scottie Scheffler, and Patrick Cantlay are scheduled to play all five matches, something the Americans haven't done since Thomas, Dustin Johnson, and Jordan Spieth did in 2018.
Bethpage is not the monster that was expected
The warning sign at Bethpage Black warns the public that it is an extremely difficult course, recommended “for highly skilled golfers only.” It is considered the toughest municipal course in the country. Before the Ryder Cup began, American Harris English estimated that the soft conditions and favorable setup would allow winning scores as high as 20 under par in a regular four-round PGA Tour tournament. He was right when he said the monster had been tamed, thanks in part to the rains that fell during the week, after which the grass was cut to a manageable 2 inches and some tees were moved forward.
According to Data Golf, 14 of the 18 holes are playing under par. The 519-yard par-5 4th was the best scoring hole, with 21 birdies in the first three sessions.
