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ST-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France – Patrick Reed was Tiger Woods' 13th Ryder Cup partner, and US captain Jim Furyk, one of the previous 12, said he was optimistic about to his chances of success. As Furyk explained, Reed looks forward to playing in front of big crowds and Woods attracts fans like stuffed animals.
But when Woods and Reed met Friday morning in the last game of the Ryder Cup against Europe Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari, they found themselves in an atmosphere totally different from the golf festival Departure for a fun departure elsewhere in the field National Golf.
While the singing songs of "Olé, Olé, Olé, Olé" and the acclaims of the "USA!" Erupted elsewhere on the course, the spectators following Woods' match seemed to have eyes only for him, shouting out " Tiger "or" Tiger ", and shouting professions of their love and allegiance to … Woods.
The fans were so close to Woods that Keith Richards could have shared a scene with Mick Jagger. The dynamic of the crowd seemed to be the last round of the Tour Championship in Atlanta, which was held as a rite of 18 holes for Woods – not a team event.
In seven previous appearances at the Ryder Cup, Woods has made 5-8 in four-ball matches and he holds a record of defeat. But as an assistant captain of the US team in 2016 – a role he filled while staying out of the back – Woods, 42, has built relationships with younger players like Reed , 28 years old. The bonds formed then proved very useful this week when Woods returned to the training.
Instead, it was the same story for Woods, who failed to find a rhythm with Reed in a 3 and 1 loss to Molinari and Fleetwood, the only loss that the United States have suffered in the four games of the morning. While Woods did not participate in the afternoon session – the first time he missed a match on the first day of the competition – Europe swept the four alternate shooting matches to take a advance of 5-3.
Does Woods' back stiffen in the cold of the morning, preventing him from playing in the afternoon? Did Woods' exhausting program finally catch up after 17 competitive rounds in 37 days in five cities on two continents?
"He said that he was all good," said Furyk, adding, "Whenever Tiger does not play, or maybe it stretches a bit, everyone becomes a little hypersensitive that he might have a back problem, but I'm not aware of anything like that.
Furyk has enough confidence in his duo of stars Woods and Reed, whose success in this event earned him the nickname of Captain America, to send Saturday morning in a rematch against Molinari and Fleetwood, who dominated Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas . in their afternoon game.
On Friday, Woods and Reed showed little signs of chemistry that was palpable when they were mentor and student. They were synchronized, but not in an advantageous way; they have generally played the same holes well, and when that happens in a four-ball match, that translates into an echo, not a salvo.
"That goes against the goal," said Reed. "If you have eight or nine birdies on different holes, that's what you need around a golf course like this."
Fleetwood and Molinari quickly took the lead on a Molinari birdie on the first hole. Woods then hit his ball within five feet on the third par 3 and lined up the match when his birdie attempt was conceded. The match was stuck after eight holes, but instead of anticipation, energy levels dropped like a bad breath.
In ninth place, Woods gave the US their first lead with a five-foot conceded birdie. After Woods found the wrong side of his run on No. 10 – a familiar show that day – Reed came to the rescue: he broke a chip to extend the lead of the Americans twice.
At that time, the momentum should have been on the side of the Americans, but the Europeans have somewhat ripped it off. Molinari, who won the British Open title when he was paired with Woods on the final day, made putts to win the 11th and 12th holes.
"As soon as Fran made a putt on 11, things changed right away," said Fleetwood, who then made some putts of clutch to win the 15th and 16th.
At the 15th hole, after Woods found the hard drive with his driving, he approached Reed, who was in the fairway, and told him of his intention to stop.
"I told him," Hey, the worst score I'm going to do here with my wedge game is probably the same, "said Woods." I'll go inside 10 feet, I'll do the parity and that should free you to be a little more aggressive and make a birdie. "
Woods did his part; he hit his third shot at eight feet. But Reed reacted by throwing his approach into the water – the danger that Woods had put in place to avoid. "And then, Tommy buried it green," said Woods, referring to Fleetwood's long birdie putt.
Five days earlier, in Atlanta, Fleetwood had survived his tour to see Woods win his 80th P.G.A. Winning round. "You literally had to lose yourself at that time," he said on Tuesday.
"But it was Sunday," he added, "and this week this week."
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