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Capsules from 1st day of the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits

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Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Team Europe's Jon Rahm and Team Europe's Sergio Garcia react after winning their foursome match the Ryder Cup at the Whistling Straits Golf Course Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, in Sheboygan, Wis. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. – A capsule look at Friday's matches in the Ryder Cup:

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Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia, Europe, def. Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth, 3 and 1.

The Americans took an early lead when Thomas made a 6-foot birdie put. Garcia hit his tee shot to 15 feet to set up a birdie on the third to square the match, and then Rahm holed a 60-footer from just off the green for Europe's first lead. Europe seized control as Rahm made three birdies in four holes for a 3-up lead. The Americans tried to claw back. The big moment came at the 15th. Spieth hit into 8 feet, and it looked as though the Americans could cut the deficit to one hole with three to play. But Garcia made a 25-footer and Thomas missed the birdie putt. Europe was dormie. It ended with a wild moment on the 17th when Spieth hit from the side of a slope to 6 feet and the momentum of his swing sent him racing down the hill toward Lake Michigan to keep from falling. Thomas missed the putt and they conceded the match.

Dustin Johnson and Collin Morikawa, United States, def. Paul Casey and Viktor Hovland, Europe, 3 and 2.

Johnson made sure the Americans got off to a stable start with a great wedge from native grass that set up birdie and a nice chip to halve the second hole. Europe took its only lead with a par at No. 4 thanks to a wild drive by Johnson. The Americans tied it when Johnson made a 12-foot birdie on No. 6, took the lead when Casey missed the seventh green that led to bogey and sealed it with consecutive birdies on the 11th and 12th holes for a 3-up lead. They closed it out when Johnson found the fairway on the par-5 16th and Morikawa hit fairway metal to 30 feet for a two-putt birdie.

Brooks Koepka and Daniel Berger, United States, def. Lee Westwood and Matt Fitzpatrick, Europe, 2 and 1.

There were few memorable moments in this one. The Europeans never trailed by more than two holes and the match was all square at the turn. Koepka made a 6-foot birdie at No. 10, hit wedge to 6 feet at No. 11 for Berger to make the birdie putt, and they were on their way. The teams halved the remaining six holes, with Westwood missing an 8-foot par putt on the 17th that sealed the European loss.

Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffle, United States, def. Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter, Europe, 5 and 3.

The Americans never trailed in the final morning match, grabbing the lead with a birdie at the first when Cantlay drained a 5-footer to begin a five-hole win streak. They won the par-5 second with a par and the fourth hole with a par. The Europeans staged a brief comeback, beginning with birdies at Nos. 10 and 11 to cut the lead to 3 up. McIlroy hit his tee shot on the par-3 12th to 8 feet for birdie, but Schauffele hit his wedge to 2 feet for a conceded birdie. They matched birdies on the 13th, too. But Cantlay’s approach at the par-4 14th rolled to within 3 feet of the flag to set up the Americans’ sixth birdie and restore a 4-up margin. They closed it out on the next hole when the Europeans failed to make birdie and conceded a fourth straight birdie to end the match.


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