Day 1 of the Ryder Cup concluded just a few hours ago, and oh! It did not go according to the script for Team USA. Europe held a commanding 5.5 to 2.5 lead, but just when it seemed like the Americans would end the day completely empty-handed, two names not at the top of anyone’s hype list delivered a clutch moment that changed the tone and caught their captain’s eye.

It wasn’t the fireworks from Justin Thomas and Cameron Young in the afternoon fourballs session, nor Xander Schauffele & Patrick Cantlay being the only saving grace in the foursomes session in the morning. At the post-match press conference, captain Keegan Bradley didn’t hold back his admiration for one pair’s resilience that stood out the most. “That was big,” Bradley said when asked how crucial that final match was.

“We’ve only played 28 percent of the points. This is the first quarter. We’ve still got three quarters to go. I’ve got a lot of faith in my boys,” he said in the press conference.

Despite the headlines screaming about a disappointing start for the Americans at the 2025 Ryder Cup, it was a gritty little half-point by Sam Burns & Patrick Cantlay in the last stretch of Friday’s fourballs that had the U.S. captain smiling the most. It was the final match in the afternoon session of the fourballs, and Cantlay & Burns clawed their way to a dramatic tie against the formidable Irish duo of Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry. In doing so, they may have salvaged more than just a fraction of a point.

Cantlay and Burns, often overshadowed by flashier teammates, stood toe-to-toe with McIlroy and Lowry — Ryder Cup veterans and proven closers. The Americans looked out of it more than once, but refused to go away. Burns’ nerveless putting and Cantlay’s steady iron play turned what looked like a European steal into a vital half-point. That half-point? It wasn’t just a saving grace, but it carried the weight of a full one.

The Americans were stung from a morning foursomes thrashing and crashed out early in three of the four fourball matches. Bradley’s “fiery” team of Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas, sent to set the tone early, had a disappointing start, losing 4 & 3 against Jon Rahm & Tyrell Hatton.

It’s almost as if the words from an insider just a day ago were predictable and rang true. The only saving grace in the morning was Cantlay and Schauffele beating Viktor Hovland and Robert MacIntyre 2-up.

The afternoon session began with hope. The Young-Thomas duo quickly turned Ludvig Åberg and Rasmus Højgaard into Ryder Cup spectators, demolishing them in what was easily the U.S. highlight of the day. But elsewhere, the story remained the same. Jon Rahm and Sepp Straka handed another bruising to a high-profile U.S. pairing in Scottie Scheffler and J.J. Spaun, 3 & 2.

While Saturday’s pairings are yet to be announced, what’s next for both teams?

US Captain Looks to Saturday After Cantlay-Burns Rescued the Day

Saturday brings the same split schedule — foursomes in the morning, fourballs in the afternoon — but with far more questions than answers for Team USA. After a rocky Friday that saw only three American pairings earn any points (two of which involved Patrick Cantlay), Keegan Bradley suddenly has more pressure on his lineup card than anyone in New York.

Cantlay, who has quietly become the backbone of this squad, looks like a lock to go all five sessions (and not DeChambeau, like Brandel Chamblee quipped). And after Cameron Young’s electric fourball performance, it’s hard to imagine he won’t be back out there early and often, too. But others? Major question marks. Morikawa, English, Ben Griffin, and Henley all looked overwhelmed, and stars like Scheffler and DeChambeau, who went a shocking combined 0-4-0 on Day 1, need to flip the switch fast if the U.S. wants to avoid getting buried before Sunday arrives.

On the other side, Luke Donald is cautious. Aside from one hiccup with Åberg and Højgaard, all his pairings were on fire. With momentum, chemistry, and a scoreboard advantage, Europe will look to tighten the screws early on Saturday, starting with foursomes at 7:10 a.m. ET. If they build on their lead from Friday, they could not only keep the Americans chasing them but also take the New York crowd out of it entirely by Sunday.