Ryder Cup 2020: United States’ biggest Ryder Cup victory in sight at Whistling Straits | Golf news

A Ryder Cup record for the most margin of victory is in sight for the US team as they take a six point lead over Europe in Sunday’s singles; watch live on Sky Sports Ryder Cup from 5pm

Team USA’s dominance in the first two days of the 43rd Ryder Cup has inevitably prompted predictions for a record winning margin if the trend continues in Sunday’s singles at Whistling Straits.

The home side enjoy an 11-5 lead after the first four sessions in Wisconsin, the first time the United States has led by more than five points before the final day, and they only need three. points and a half over the remaining 12 games. to collect the iconic gold trophy.

Since 1979, when Great Britain and Ireland were replaced by Europe on the advice of Jack Nicklaus, there have been three games with a margin of victory of nine points, a record which is threatened by the powerful training from Steve Stricker.

The United States team which won an 18.5-9.5 victory at Walton Heath in 1981 is widely regarded as the strongest team in the history of the competition, with captain Dave Marr having an embarrassment of wealth at its disposal.

Europe was in hiding for nothing against Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, reigning Masters champion Tom Watson, Open champion Bill Rogers and PGA champion Larry Nelson, with Bruce Lietzke the only member of the squad who would never win a tournament. major.

Home captain John Jacobs had another hurdle to overcome when he couldn’t select Seve Ballesteros with the Spaniard embroiled in a European Tour dispute over appearance money, though skeptics wondered what it was about when the first day ended with Europe. one point ahead.

But the tide turned on day two as Team USA won seven of the day’s eight games, the tone set when Nick Faldo and Sam Torrance were crushed 7 & 5 by Trevino and Jerry Pate in the first. four-ball encounter.

A five-point lead before Sunday’s singles was never in jeopardy, with Faldo, Manuel Pinero and Howard Clark upending Watson 4 & 3, putting the lone blue on the board on the final day as the US team emerged victorious convincing.

The nine-point win remained the most important for the United States team until their resounding 17-11 triumph at Hazeltine in 2016, with Europe dominating the 16 Ryder Cup editions in between – their 10 wins. in total, including nine consecutive points.

After regaining the trophy at Belfry in 2002, Bernhard Langer proved to be a wise choice as captain on American soil two years later, with the German staging a record-breaking success at Oakland Hills in Detroit.

Fears of a local crowd as intimidating as Brookline in 1999 were allayed at the start of Ryder Cup week as Langer oversaw a “charm offensive” that pleased the locals, including the unlikely sight of Colin Montgomerie inviting a gallery critic to better his rough seven iron during a practice lap.

But the inspired Europeans made sure that fans didn’t have much to cheer on during the three days of competition, a five-point lead after day one knocking down Hal Sutton’s USA squad prank that included Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, whose bitter rivalry escalated even further when they lost twice on day one, paired.

After taking an 11-5 lead in singles, there was little doubt about the result long before Monty secured the winning point against David Toms, a 1-place victory that the Scotsman repeated two years later in the middle. moving scenes at the K Club in Ireland.

Darren Clarke’s arrival on the first tee on Friday morning, just six weeks after his wife, Heather, lost her battle with cancer, was one of the most memorable moments in Ryder Cup history. Rather than being overwhelmed by the circumstances, Clarke dried his eyes, hammered a 300-yard run down the middle, pushed a corner to 10 feet, and birdie putt.

The man of the moment would go on to win his two four-ball games with Lee Westwood, beating US mainstays Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk on day two, and Clarke almost had the honor of securing the winning point when he stood up. to Zach Johnson in Sunday singles. .

The winning moment would ultimately go to Henrik Stenson, who capped three days of one-sided competition in which Europe won each of the first four sessions by 2.5-1.5 before Montgomerie’s second victory over Toms in the Sunday’s first match is the first of eight singles wins for Ian Woosnam’s invincibles.

It’s a tall order for the United States to exceed that margin of victory in this year’s meeting, but they are traditionally strong in singles and, with eight of the top 10 players in the world by their side, winning eight of Sunday’s games is good in the realms. of possibility.