Who expected a record to fall on the opening day of the Ryder Cup? Yet Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood delivered exactly that, extending Europe’s dominance with a commanding performance. Paired against Collin Morikawa and Harris English in the foursomes, the European duo seized control from the very first hole and closed out the match by the 14th.

Their 5&4 victory gave the Americans little to celebrate. Morikawa and English managed just one win on the 9th hole, with four others halved, but otherwise struggled to keep pace. However, it wasn’t just a defeat of Morikawa and English; it also marked a historic win for the Europeans. The margin of victory became the largest by an away pairing since 2004.

That year, Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood also earned a 5&4 win over Chris DiMarco and Jay Haas at Oakland Hills, a triumph that helped propel Europe to an emphatic 18.5–9.5 victory. Much like then, the U.S. side in 2025 found itself overwhelmed from the outset, with its chances of winning already slipping to 25% after the first hole and falling further as the round went on.

The loss reflected Morikawa’s performance struggle, which began with the Genesis Scottish Open. The golfer missed two consecutive cuts, and since then, his best finish has been T19 at the TOUR Championship. The Ryder Cup only deepened the slide. Alongside English, he failed to record a single birdie as the pair combined for nine bogeys. Europe, by contrast, stayed flawless, carding five birdies, nine pars, and no bogeys.

The Americans’ disappointment stretched beyond just this match, as similar struggles plagued the rest of the team. Meanwhile, the Europeans capitalized on every opening, leaving no doubt about who controlled the day.

Bethpage Black becomes a misery for the American side as Rory McIlroy & Co. dominate

The first match started with Bryson DeChambeau–Justin Thomas playing against Jon Rahm-Tyrrell Hatton. Interestingly, the game started with the Americans’ dominance until the 7th hole, at which point JT and DeChambeau took the lead. But soon after that, the LIV duo came back with a bang. With wins on the 8th, 12th, 13th, and 15th holes, the Europeans took the win with four up. The prediction for DeChambeau turned true as the golfer failed to make an impact in the first match. Besides him, Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley faced the same.

The World No. 1 and 3 stood strong, as after giving away the lead on the first hole, they fought back and kept the match tied till the third hole. But their efforts started to fade as Ludvig Aberg and Matt Fitzpatrick started to dominate. The European duo kept the momentum from the fourth hole by winning the 4th, 5th, 6th, 9th, 12th, and 15th holes to end the match with five up. This marks the second heartbreaking loss for Scheffler, coming at the hands of opponent Aberg. In 2023, Aberg and Hovland won with a 9& 7 margin, marking the most significant victory in the history of the Ryder Cup. In fact, the loss left Scheffler in tears. However, apart from the three American duos, only Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay managed to avoid losing.

Schauffele and Cantlay, playing against Robert MacIntyre and Viktor Hovland, kept the lead from the beginning. It felt like the American duo would bring the first win, but their 2-up lead couldn’t extend, and the match ended with a tie after 18 holes. The first day has ended like a rollercoaster as the American side struggled with all the foursome matches.

However, there is still hope with the upcoming four-ball matches. Can team USA redeem itself? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.