Ryder Cup: the United States collapses in the afternoon, dragging Europe after sweeping

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SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France (AP) – Three matches in the registers, three red points on the board, and Tiger Woods was still on the golf course.

It was exactly the beginning that the Americans wanted in the Ryder Cup.

And then Europe has finished even better.

Four hours later, cheers at Golf National accelerated, while Europe swept the four games Friday afternoon for a 5-3. It was the first time that Europe swept a session since 1989 and the first time at the Ryder Cup at four.

"We did not come here to win the foursomes," said Francesco Molinari. "We came here to win something else."

Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood were the only Europeans to play both games and both won. They combined five birdies on their last seven holes to defeat Woods and Patrick Reed and recover something from a morning that belonged to the Americans. They kidnapped Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas in the afternoon.

"It was a bit of a roller coaster ride," said European captain Thomas Bjorn. "We know it's a marathon and we're excited about how the day ended because the morning was pretty tough. We are going home happy tonight, but we are focusing again and looking forward to tomorrow.

The change was noticeable in body language.

The Americans were walking very well and were right that nothing could go wrong, including Tony Finau. It's his incredible fortune that has reversed the trend in the morning. He and Brooks Koepka were 1 to Justin Rose and Jon Rahm on the 16th par 3 when Finau's iron went to the water. Instead, he landed on the 12-inch wide planks that framed the green, climbed into the air as the gallery gasped and collapsed 3 feet from the hole.

They ended up winning on the 18th when Rose hit the water, the only time Finau and Koepka led the whole game.

In the afternoon, the mood has changed in the mild air and the refreshing wind. Spieth shook his head after all those putts that fell in the morning slid to the edge of the cup in the afternoon. Ian Poulter's eyes widened with every hole he won with Rory McIlroy in the afternoon.

"You're seeing a change in body language," said US captain Jim Furyk. "I'm sure the body language of Europeans has changed significantly in smiles and turbulence, hugs and high-fives, and I'm sure the appearance of some of my players was not quite happy and opposed this morning. "

Furyk tried to see the big picture.

"We played for four points out of 28," he said. "We are not happy with that. I think we use it as motivation tomorrow.

The Americans are trying to end 25 years of loss of the Ryder Cup in Europe. One morning, it seemed that the time had come. At the end of the day, the Americans saw blue and a lot of blue.

Europe has taken the lead in every foursome match and has never let go. Rose teamed up with former partner Henrik Stenson and dismantled Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler by winning five holes in a seven-hole course.

Just behind them, McIlroy recovered from his horrible morning by joining the European pillar Poulter, at the height of his reputation. They were 2 early in the game until the collapse of Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson losing four consecutive holes, including three with bogeys.

Phil Mickelson missed his first opening session since his rookie year in the Ryder Cup and he was missing in action in the afternoon. Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau were 7 at the corner and managed to reach at least the 14th hole, where Sergio Garcia and Alex Noren closed them.

But it was more about the big game of Europe Garcia and Noren had 5 under the bend, an incredible score on his golf course in these windy conditions.

Thousands of spectators, some of whom managed to secure a spot for the first shot in the grandstand of nearly 7,000 people around the first start, let Le Golf National sing, cheer and sing after the frantic turn of events .

Many would have been happy if Europe maintained its position, especially after Finau's big break. The gallery was so stunned that she nodded to Finau as he approached the putting green and he stopped before hitting in the little birdie putt.

"We will take the breaks where we can get them," said Finau. "We needed one."

Behind them, Thomas and Spieth lost a 3-up lead, then Thomas made a 6-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole to get to 1. Spieth completed his victory over Paul Casey and Tyrrell Hatton with a putt of 3 feet by foot the 18th.

On his return to the Ryder Cup for the first time since 2012, Woods quickly added to his losing record. Five days after Woods won the Tour Championship for his first victory after four surgeries on the back, he and Patrick Reed became cold at the end.

They were 2 until Molinari and Fleetwood were working with a pair of Molinari birds to tie the match, a pair of Fleetwood birds to take the lead and a final Molinari putt to complete them.

The key moment was on the 15th, where Woods was on the left. Because of the water surrounding the putting green, Woods told Reed that he would lie down and make at least 4 in the hole. Reed has been thrown into the water and Woods has never been fortunate to be up to it. Fleetwood scored a birdie 15 feet from the fringe to take the lead, then the Englishman made 35 feet to the next hole.

"They did it to us and we could not answer it," Woods said.

At least they have Saturday, when Furyk sends the same teams and can expect similar results only Friday morning.

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