Ryder Cup 2014: Americans dominated in first match, Europe leads 1-0

By Cameron La Fontaine | Sep 26, 2014

Sep 25, 2014; Auchterarder, Perthshire, SCT; The flags representing the countries of the players participating in the Ryder Cup are flying on flag poles during the opening ceremony for the 2014 Ryder Cup at The Gleneagles Hotel-PGA Centenary Course. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson were dominated by Europeans Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson in the opening match of the Ryder Cup early Friday morning in a fourball best-ball format as Rose and Stenson finished 5 up with four left to play to win the match.

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This is Stenson’s third appearance in the Ryder Cup for Team Europe and he improved to a 3-3-2 record. The 38-year-old Swede has not won a tournament in 2014, but after a hot streak in 2013, is ranked fifth in the world rankings.

Rose is also playing in his third Ryder Cup for Team Europe and the 34-year-old Englishman has been dominant for Europe extending his Ryder Cup record to 7-3 this morning. Rose has three victories this year and two of those came on the PGA Tour. He won the U.S. Open in 2013, helping him to his current sixth overall position in the golf world rankings.

Watson and Simpson struggled for the United States. Watson is a long driver and not the most careful golfer. This make Scotland a tough place to play for him. Simpson joined Team U.S.A. as a captain’s pick and U.S. captain Tom Watson decided to throw him in the first match with Bubba despite his lack of quality play this year since winning the opening PGA Tour tournament in Oct. 2013.

Stenson and Rose never gave the Americans a chance. They went 1-up on hole two, 2-up on hole four, 4-up after back-to-back birdies on hole nine and 10 and 5-up on the 14th. Watson and Simpson didn’t win a single hole.

Watson may need to look to change some of his strategy as Simpson and Watson are clearly going to struggle together.

The Europeans took an early 1-0 lead.

The United States leads the all-time Ryder Cup series 25-12-2, but Europe has won five of the past six Ryder Cups and seven of the past nine. The Americans last one at Valhalla in Kentucky in 2008. The U.S. is winless on European soil since 1993 at The Belfry in England, when Tom Watson was last the captain of the team. Europe needs 14 of 28 points to retain the cup. The United States needs 14.5 to win the cup.

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