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6 days ago
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Pre-hubbub postbag. “I wonder if Scottie Scheffler wished his name and not Harris English was in the envelope. He looked a shadow of himself yesterday” – Fin
“Cantlay going fifth. Going to be a logjam of players” – Tim Stappard
“Was Trump’s involvement in the opening day was an early hinderance to the team? Pulling focus away from the players? Or am I falling into the trap of making everything about Trump?” – Owen Gentleben
The first match takes to the tee, amid the expected bedlam. The USA may be a long way behind, but the towel hasn’t been thrown in by the crowd yet! Justin Rose is two points from two this week, and his singles record is W2 L3 T1. He batters his opening drive over the dogleg and onto the fairway. He’s playing Cameron Young, who has two points from three matches and has been, along with Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas and JJ Spaun, one of the USA’s better players. He finds the rough down the right. It is on!
This has happened twice before in the European era. In 1991, Steve Pate struggled with injury after a car crash during the week; the US star played on the Saturday but another match on Sunday was too much for him. David Gilford was the European who stepped aside. In 1993, Sam Torrance had a toe infection; Lanny Wadkins voluntarily made way, not wanting to deny a less experienced player their opportunity. On both occasions, the USA went on to win the trophy.
Viktor Hovland out injured: USA 5-12 Europe
The neck injury that kept Viktor Hovland out of the fourballs yesterday afternoon hasn’t cleared up. The Norwegian can’t play today either, so the Envelope Rule comes into effect.
Yesterday, when Keegan Bradley and Luke Donald lodged their selections for the Singles, they also had to provide a sealed envelope containing the name of a player who would have to withdraw if a player from the other side is ruled out through “illness, injury or other emergency reason.” The man in the USA envelope is Harris English.
In reality, both captains will have been aware that Hovland’s withdrawal was possible, as he’d been replaced at short notice by Tyrrell Hatton in the fourballs yesterday. Which explains why English v Hovland was the final pairing. Now that match has been effectively struck off, and regarded as tied.
As such, both teams have been awarded half a point. There will now only be 11 matches, and Europe only need two points from them to retain the trophy, and two-and-a-half to win it. Harris English ties with Viktor Hovland.
English A/S Hovland (F)
USA 5-12 Europe.
Preamble
Oh wow. Oh my.
!
Now, then. We’re either about to witness a procession – let’s be fair, we should witness a procession, because Europe only require two-and-a-half points out of 12 to retain their trophy or three to win it again – or one of the great sporting comebacks/capitulations of all time. It’s as binary as that, and we don’t write the rules. So here’s how it’ll unfold from the get-go (all times UK) ….
5.02pm: Cameron Young v Justin Rose
5.13pm: Justin Thomas v Tommy Fleetwood
5.24pm: Bryson DeChambeau v Matt Fitzpatrick
5.35pm: Scottie Scheffler v Rory McIlroy
5.46pm: Patrick Cantlay v Ludvig Åberg
5.57pm: Xander Schauffele v Jon Rahm
6.08pm: JJ Spaun v Sepp Straka
6.19pm: Russell Henley v Shane Lowry
6.30pm: Ben Griffin v Rasmus Højgaard
6.41pm: Collin Morikawa v Tyrrell Hatton
6.52pm: Sam Burns v Robert MacIntyre
7.03pm: Harris English v Viktor Hovland
… and none of it can come a moment too soon. History ahoy, one way or another! It’s on!
