Europe captain Thomas Bjorn insisted none of his players would take anything for granted as the final day’s play in the 42nd Ryder Cup got under way at Le Golf National.
Europe’s 10-6 lead meant they needed just four-and-a-half points from the 12 singles matches for a ninth win in the last 12 contests.
But overturning such a deficit has been achieved twice before, with US captain Jim Furyk part of the team which came back from 10-6 down to win at Brookline in 1999, but also losing a crucial match at Medinah in 2012 when Europe did the same.
Imagine hitting your opening tee shot in front of this crowd…. pic.twitter.com/61ax5Jnxzx — Ryder Cup Europe (@RyderCupEurope) September 30, 2018
“I don’t think complacency is something I fear too much,” Bjorn said. “They were very calm last night, everybody popped up to bed quite early. It’s about giving everything today and then you can sleep for the next two months.”
Rory McIlroy was sent out in the opening singles match for the second contest in succession and was up against one of the USA’s best players, Justin Thomas having won three of his four matches in Paris alongside good friend Jordan Spieth.
Thomas holed from 18 feet for birdie on the opening hole and saw McIlroy miss from six feet to match it, but Thomas was unable to get up and down from a greenside bunker on the second and McIlroy’s par was enough to get back to all square.
1 hole. 1 birdie. 1up.#GoUSA pic.twitter.com/wDuXfOBF7r — Ryder Cup USA (@RyderCupUSA) September 30, 2018
Paul Casey got off to a nightmare start in match two when his approach to the first plugged in a greenside bunker and he hit his third into the water, three-time major Brooks Koepka moving one up.
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