U.S. captain Zach Johnson during Saturday afternoon fourballs at the 2023 Ryder Cup. | Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
The Americans played better at the Ryder Cup on Saturday, but the Europeans still hold an overwhelming lead.
The Europeans continued to flex their muscles on Saturday, as they have a commanding 10.5-to-5.5 lead after two days of play at the Ryder Cup.
No team has ever come back from a five-point deficit going into Sunday singles.
The closest was the thrilling Team USA comeback in 1999 after they trailed 10-to-6 at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. The Europeans also faced a 10-to-6 deficit in 2012, when they came back to win the Ryder Cup at Medinah in Illinois.
At the very least, the U.S. has given themselves a chance after winning three of four matches on Saturday afternoon. The Americans are historically better than Team Europe in singles matches, but the deficit is likely too much to overcome.
So, with that in mind, let’s go over the winners and losers from Day Two:
Winners:
Jon Rahm
Jon Rahm won in more ways than one on Saturday.
In the morning, he iced his match against Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele with a near ace on the 17th hole. He and Tyrell Hatton won a foursomes match for the second consecutive day, winning the last two holes to earn another point for Europe.
Then, in the afternoon, Rahm responded to Brooks Koepka’s ‘child’ comments, and the Spaniard did so beautifully. He did not make any controversial statements; instead, he was honest, funny, and candid.
European fans
The passion that fans of Team Europe have is second to none.
They sing, they chant, and they cheer from sun-up to sun-down. The thousands of European fans that have descended upon the Eternal City have been so loud, as they have had plenty to cheer about.
But they have been funny too.
Early Saturday, a report from Jamie Weir of Sky Sports indicated that Cantlay went hatless to demonstrate that players should be paid to play in the Ryder Cup.
So when Cantlay arrived on the 14th hole, fans did this:
Brilliant and hilarious at the same time.
Max Homa & Brian Harman
The only two players on Team USA to win at least two points thus far, Homa and Harman teamed up to win two matches on Saturday.
This all-rookie pairing defeated Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka in foursomes, 4 & 2 in the morning. Then, Harman and Homa held on to beat Tommy Fleetwood and Nicholai Højgaard in afternoon four-ball.
These two players seem to have taken a liking to each other, and they are also very familiar with each other’s games.
Not only did they play well, but they exhibited great camaraderie all day on Saturday, too.
Patrick Cantlay
The U.S. needed three points in the afternoon, and Patrick Cantlay delivered.
Facing a one-hole deficit on the 17th tee, Cantlay knocked it close on the par-3 and made a birdie to square the match.
Then, on 18, with everything on the line, the former UCLA Bruin drained a 43-footer to win the match in front of everyone.
Big-time shots and putts from Cantlay have given the U.S. a glimmer of hope.
Photo By Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images
Patrick Cantlay putts on the 16th hole.
Losers:
Zach Johnson… Again
U.S. Captain Zach Johnson made the biggest blunder of the Ryder Cup late in the day on Saturday.
With Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas trailing Justin Rose and Robert MacIntyre by three holes on the 16th tee, Spieth took out a driver to try and put it on the green.
Then, Johnson walked over to Spieth. He appeared to tell him to put his driver back in the bag and to hit 3-wood instead.
Spieth listened to his captain and proceeded to hit his 3-wood into the pond, all but ending the match.
It was a questionable decision that was ridiculed by fans incessantly.
Photo by Paul Ellis/Getty Images
Zach Johnson speaks with Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth.
Brooks Koepka & Scottie Scheffler
9 & 7.
That was the final score of Koepka and Scheffler’s match against Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Åberg on Saturday morning. It ended on the 11th hole as the worst loss in any 18-hole loss in Ryder Cup history.
The Americans got beat so badly that it left Scheffler in tears afterward. Both players sat out on Saturday afternoon after this historic loss.
Jordan Spieth
The three-time major champion struggled all day Saturday, as he and Justin Thomas lost both of the matches they played in.
Spieth was all over the place off the tee, had a few mishits, and could not capitalize on the greens.
He even hit one tee shot out of bounds on 14, when the Americans desperately needed a point.
Spieth heads into Sunday singles with a 0-2-1 record.
Xander Schauffele
Schauffele has played well from tee to green this week, but his putter has disappointed him.
The flat stick completely abandoned Schauffele on the back nine in Saturday morning foursomes, as he missed makable putts on the 14th, 15th, and 16th holes.
Schauffele’s putter was a big reason Rahm and Hatton escaped that match with a victory.
He then sat out the afternoon session. Schauffele goes into singles with a 0-3-0 record.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.
