Ryder Cup: Europe earn 5-3 lead with stunning foursomes sweep

Paris, September 28: Team Europe capitalised on an American horror show to complete an emphatic clean sweep of the Friday foursomes at the Ryder Cup and secure a 5-3 first-day lead.

The United States put the first three points on the board in an absorbing morning of fourball contests, before Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood earned a vital victory for the hosts against Tiger Woods and Patrick Reed.

Trailing by two points midway through the day, Europe then won every match convincingly in the afternoon as their opponents struggled badly in the alternate-shot format amid a stiffening breeze at Le Golf National.

Astonishingly, the four US foursomes pairings managed just one birdie between them over the front nine, enabling their opponents to seize the initiative simply by playing solid golf on a challenging course.

Europe ultimately cruised to their first whitewash in a Ryder Cup session since the opening day of the 1989 event at the Belfry – inflicting a first foursomes sweep on the USA, two years on from suffering a 4-0 loss of their own at Hazeltine.

All 24 players were given an outing on Friday, but the wholesale changes from the fourballs yielded far greater reward for Thomas Bjorn's side.

Sergio Garcia and Alex Noren dished out the most eye-catching defeat, trouncing Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau 5 and 4 in a contest between four men not involved in the morning. Garcia, so often a key figure in European triumphs, and his rookie partner were seven up at the turn as their rivals endured a miserable time.

Henrik Stenson was brought in to renew a previously successful partnership with Justin Rose and the duo eased past Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler 3 and 2, having been 5up through 11.

After a dismal morning in which he was the only player not to make a birdie, Rory McIlroy enjoyed better fortunes alongside the talismanic Ian Poulter, albeit they did not have to be at their best to record a 4 and 2 win over Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson, who bogeyed four holes in a row from the seventh after claiming an early lead.

The final match of the day saw Molinari and Fleetwood, the only European pairing to stay together in both formats, make it two points out of two with a 5 and 4 triumph over Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas.

Despite an improved showing on the back nine, every American pairing finished at least two over par.

Bjorn's men now hold the edge heading into Saturday, while US captain Jim Furyk will be tasked with masterminding a turnaround of his own.