On a wild opening day at Bethpage Black, September 27th, 2025, Team USA fell into a deep 5.5 to 2.5 hole against Europe, despite a spirited afternoon rally and the full force of the New York crowd.
WORLD NO. 1 WOES
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler suffered the worst opening day for a top-ranked player since Tiger Woods in 2002, going 0-2 and leaving Captain Keegan Bradley with a \"huge conundrum\" for Saturday's pairings.
\"It really just came down to me not holing enough putts,\" Scheffler admitted, taking full accountability for his performance.
Analyst Alex Miceli called Scheffler's foursome play \"atrocious,\" highlighting the massive decision facing Captain Bradley on whether to sit his best player.
THE THIRTEENTH MAN
The infamous New York crowd made its presence felt as the \"thirteenth man,\" with a 5 a.m. \"Running of the Fans\" and relentless chants creating an electric, and at times intimidating, atmosphere for both teams at Bethpage Black.
\"We knew the crowd was going to be loud,\" Jon Rahm acknowledged, as the Europeans weathered the storm of \"U S A!\" chants and military flyovers.
European Captain Luke Donald viewed President Trump's attendance as a \"mark of respect\" for the event, adding another layer of spectacle to the day.
THE AFTERNOON FIGHTBACK
Down big, Team USA showed signs of life in the afternoon four-balls. The charge was led by Justin Thomas and hometown hero Cameron Young, who delivered a historic 6 & 5 thrashing to ignite the home crowd.
The bedrock pairing of Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay finally got the Americans on the board, securing the team's first full point of the day.
Despite a loss, Bryson DeChambeau brought \"needed fire,\" while Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns ground out a crucial half-point to keep the deficit from growing.
Quick Hits
NBC's 'unabashedly partisan' broadcast • Ken Griffey Jr. joins as team photographer • Michael Jordan spotted supporting Team USA
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