The Big Story
Rookies Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed are a combined 45 years old — for comparison's sake, Phil Mickelson is 44 — and yet on Friday morning, the two rookies were easily the most dominant U.S. duo. They defeated Ian Poulter, Europe's shining knight, and Stephen Gallacher 5&4, a knockdown that brought the United States more than just a single point. Poulter had amassed a run of seven straight victories at the Ryder Cup, and had acquired an aura of invincibility (much of it self-perpetuated, but still). So defeating Poulter proved that anything is possible, and the fact that a couple rookies did it held even more weight. Their 5&4 victory is the largest margin by a U.S. pairing in their first match since 1959.
Why, then, were Spieth and Reed sidelined for the afternoon session?
That's the question that's going to dog Tom Watson on Friday evening, and possibly well beyond if the United States is not able to secure a victory. Following the morning session, Watson apparently decided to go with a more veteran set of pairings, despite the fact that Spieth and Reed lobbied hard to get a slot in the afternoon.
It's a decision that looks terrible in hindsight, and only makes a bit more sense if considered without looking at the scoreboard. Reed and Spieth, the youngest players on the team, have fresher legs than, say, Mickelson, who begged off of Saturday morning's play after competing in two straight 36-hole matches on Friday.
Regardless, expect to see Spieth and Reed paired together again, this year and beyond. And perhaps stop worrying so much about the future of American golf.
Morning Fourballs
The U.S. surprised everyone, probably even themselves, by taking 2 1/2 of the available four points in the morning session, where players played their own ball and the best score won the hole. Led by the pairing of Spieth and Reed, the Americans were able to start strong and finish triumphantly. Mickelson and Keegan Bradley continued their unbeaten partnership, yanking the rug out from under Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia. Jimmy Walker and Rickie Fowler managed a halve against Martin Kaymer and Thomas Bjorn, another de facto victory given how powerful the European contingent looked early on in the match. The only real ugliness for the United States came in the day's first match, as Webb Simpson and Bubba Watson got completely throttled by Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson, 5&4.
In a Ryder Cup, every point is absolutely critical, and the United States could not have realistically hoped for a better finish to the morning's play. MORNING SCORE: USA 2 1/2, EUROPE 1 1/2.
And then came the afternoon.
Afternoon Foursomes
The afternoon turned cold and ugly in the skies and, for the United States, on the scoreboard. For the foursomes, players alternated shots, and Europe turned the one-point deficit into a two-point lead. Lee Westwood and Jamie Donaldson ran down Jim Furyk and Matt Kuchar, while the Rose/Stenson pairing continued its dominance by handling Hunter Mahan and Zach Jonson with little trouble. Graeme McDowell and Victor Dubuisson served the Mickelson/Bradley pairing its first-ever defeat with a 3&2 win, while McIlroy and Garcia caught up with Fowler and Walker to grab an essential halve.
That result was the bitter pill for the Americans, as Fowler and Walker walked to the 17th tee 2-up with two to play. They only needed to halve one hole to win, and would have if McIlroy hadn't drained a 40-foot birdie putt, or Garcia hadn't hit a brilliant second (from behind a tree) to the par-5 18th.
Granted, a European lead was the result that was expected, but the USA has to believe that an opportunity slipped away. DAY 1 SCORE: EUROPE 5, USA 3.
What's Ahead
Saturday promises a repeat of Friday's action, with four morning fourball sessions and four afternoon foursome sessions. The Spieth-Reed pairing will be a fascinating one to watch, as will the returns to the course of the suddenly dominant Rose and the suddenly mortal Poulter.
Coverage begins on NBC at 3 a.m. Eastern. Stock up on your coffee and energy drinks, and set your alarm right now.
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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Facebook or on Twitter.
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