The second half of Day 2 of the Ryder Cup has just ended. All four four-balls have their results in, with America having won three out of those. Sadly, the third set did not turn out to be in their favor. While initially, their third pair of Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth had looked ready to bag another point for the US Ryder Cup team, the tables turned quickly with Europe gaining a 3-point lead.
Robert McIntyre and Justin Rose did not put forth a dominant front as they opened against JT and Spieth. However, soon the greens witnessed a comeback from the European front and subpar efforts of the American golfers. The latter drew a surprised look from the audience and experts alike. One among them is the 41-year-old PGA Tour Pro who couldn’t help but be flabbergasted by the American captain, Zach Johnson’s tactics.
The 6-time PGA Tour winner dissatisfied with the shot selection
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The USA is struggling badly as the ancient city of Rome lights up with European colors. Not only did the first day see a powerful display of skills from the European golfers, but the second day also vouched for their caliber. Amidst this, the US players have been trying to somehow gain some footing.
And while that seemed a possibility with 2 four-ball points in the bag and JT and Speith leading, it took no time for the scoreboard to once again incline toward blue. This shift in the scores once again attracted massive scrutiny from the golf world, including professionals. One among them is the 6-time PGA Tour Hunter Mahan.
The golf professional’s astonishment and shock with regard to Jordan Spieth’s shot was so relatable that Bob Harig couldn’t help but post the same on his Twitter handle. Mentioning the unprecedented shot selection, Mahan couldn’t believe that Jordan Spieth hit a 3-wood instead of a driver on the 16th hole, per an input from Zach Johnson.
Hunter Mahan on world feed going all in on wondering why Spieth hit 3-wood instead of driver on 16 — with input from Zach — and then hitting in the water. "I'm not sure I made myself clear how dumfounded I am by that decision.. . I just have no idea what was going on there.''
— Bob Harig (@BobHarig) September 30, 2023
The shot, per the athlete, looked not fit for the particular greens. And the results proved the interpretation to be right as the ball fell into the water body nearby. Mahan per the tweet said, “I’m not sure I made myself clear how dumbfounded I am by that decision… I just have no idea what was going in there.”
Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth bring yet another disappointment for Team USA after faint hope brims
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The American team on the second day of the Ryder Cup finally had things going their way with a dominant lead in three of their four pairs. However, while on one side they grabbed two consecutive victories, the third pair seemed to lose track of their game in a mere span of time. Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth initially started by gaining a lead on the fourth hole.
However, the European side soon balanced out the score with Justin Rose scoring a birdie on the sixth hole. The experienced star of America, JT, was quick to grab back the lead on the seventh hole. Yet, much like the whole match up until now, Europeans grabbed back the lead with strong dominance on the ninth hole, scoring further birdies on the tenth, thirteenth, and fourteenth holes, making the American stars taste yet another defeat on the Italian soil.
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The gameplay of Rose and Maclntyre was such that the American duo could not recover and lost the match on the 16th hole itself. Now, after an interesting day, the turn of events tomorrow will have everyone’s attention along with the competitors decided by the two captains. With that, do you think Europe will continue its fancied dominance of 30 years or will America be able to redeem itself on foreign soil? Let us know in the comments.
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