FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Team Europe is on the verge of a resounding Ryder Cup victory, leading the U.S. 11½ to 4½ after Saturday’s play at Bethpage Black. With three sessions now won on American soil — a first in modern history — the Americans find themselves in crisis mode as Sunday’s singles matches loom.
Key Developments
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Europe extended their lead with a 3–1 win in Saturday’s morning foursomes, pushing their advantage to 8½–3½. Reuters+1
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They followed it up with dominance in the afternoon fourballs, further consolidating their position. The Guardian+1
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Fleetwood/McIlroy remain unbeaten in the format, delivering against Morikawa & English again. Reuters
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Scottie Scheffler’s performance stands out — he’s gone 0–4, a dubious milestone for a world #1. The Guardian+1
What No One’s Talking About
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The pressure on U.S. players is intense; comeback margins this large are historically nearly impossible.
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Bradley’s loyalty to pairings under criticism: when do shifting tactics become necessary?
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Host crowd behavior has tilted from support to distraction; is home advantage backfiring?
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Europe’s physical and mental endurance across formats shows depth beyond just top stars.
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U.S. golf needs to re-evaluate long-term Ryder Cup strategies if this becomes a rout.
Context & Background
Leverage: the Ryder Cup alternates locations and formats. Europe is defending the Cup, needing 14 points; the U.S. is defending home soil — expectations are high. But Europe’s dominance has been increasingly consistent in recent editions. Wikipedia+2AP News+2
Conclusion
Sunday’s singles could become one of the most lopsided days in Ryder Cup history. Europe now needs just 2½ points to retain the Cup, whereas U.S. needs a nearly perfect session to overturn the deficit. Beyond the final scores, this edition will likely force deep introspection in U.S. team strategy, leadership, and approach to future events.