Ryder Cup forecaddie: Running analysis from Day 1 at Bethpage

Stay tuned throughout the day as theScore keeps you updated with insights and analysis from the opening sessions of the Ryder Cup.

5:52 p.m. - Another winning putt by Justin Rose. For what seems like the 20th straight Ryder Cup, the veteran Englishman poured in a putt to win a match in the cauldron of the team event. Fleetwood carried the team throughout the match versus DeChambeau and Griffin, but it was Rose who capped the day in style on the 18th. DeChambeau was unlucky throughout the day, being stuck with partners who were arguably the worst of each session in Thomas and Griffin. Captain Bradley needs to lock down a proper partner to get DeChambeau on the winning side Saturday.

5:43 p.m. - McIlroy-Cantlay is absolute box office. The two combatants once again are battling down the stretch in an epic Ryder Cup match. Both have made birdies in bunches, with Cantlay supplying four in a five-hole stretch tie the match. It looked for a minute like his sixth birdie would be enough for a 1-up lead on No. 16, but McIlroy poured in one of his own to match. That sets the stage for an incredible two-hole finish to decide the contest.

5:05 p.m. - If McIlroy is the heartbeat of the European team, Rahm is the alpha dog. The Spaniard once again dispatched Scheffler for the second straight session, teaming with Sepp Straka to take down the World No. 1 and J.J. Spaun 3&2. Rahm was red-hot on the greens all day but especially in the afternoon session, gaining more than 1.5 strokes putting. The duo made nine birdies through 15 holes. Rahm remains undefeated in team play since the 2018 Ryder Cup, while Scheffler made some history in the loss. According to Justin Ray of the Twenty-First Group, Scheffler is the first World No. 1 to lose two Friday sessions at the Ryder Cup since Tiger Woods in 2002.

4:45 p.m. - The first point of the afternoon session is official and it's bright red for the Americans. Young and Thomas boatraced Aberg and Hojgaard 6&5, blitzing the Scandinavian duo with an 8-under total through 13 holes. Young - who set the Bethpage course record as a 20-year-old - led the entire afternoon session in strokes gained and should be the first name on the tee sheet going forward this weekend.

4:33 p.m. - The next 60 minutes of action are pivotal to how the Cup is eventually decided. The opening match looks set for a European victory, while match No. 3 is likely to be an American point. That means the tied match between Rose/Fleetwood and DeChambeau/Griffin and the anchor game featuring McIlroy/Lowry and Cantlay/Burns will be crucial. The Europeans cling to a 1-up lead in that final match, trying to ensure the 3-1 advantage from the morning holds into the afternoon.

4:15 p.m. - The U.S. has a star in Cam Young, which makes the decision to bench him this morning even more puzzling. Nobody knows Bethpage as well as the New York native, and he immediately proved that with some brilliant play early Friday afternoon. Young teamed with Justin Thomas, and the pair took Aberg and Hojgaard to the woodshed, making seven birdies over the first 12 holes to build a massive 5-up lead. Young's talent was on full display, but perhaps just as important was him helping Thomas get on track. The longtime Ryder Cup player was a mess Friday morning with DeChambeau but flipped the script alongside Young. If captain Bradley dares to sit Young again Saturday, there should be a mutiny among the U.S. team.

3:50 p.m. - Another epic Ryder Cup finish to a match featuring McIlroy and Cantlay is upon us. The Saturday afternoon contest in 2023 was one of the most memorable to date - on and off the course. That energy is brewing once again at Bethpage. After McIlroy came inches from holing a birdie pitch on No. 10, Cantlay curled home a clutch putt to claim the hole and narrow the deficit facing him and Burns to just one. Get to a television now. This one promises to be dramatic.

3:30 p.m. - The Ryder Cup can produce plenty of unexpected results, but Scheffler's Friday performance is an absolute stunner. After partnering with a woeful Russell Henley this morning and falling 5&3, Scheffler should have felt the relief of playing his own ball in the afternoon session. However, the World No. 1 cannot get anything going at Bethpage, failing to make a birdie over the first 11 holes. Scheffler led the PGA TOUR with 4.7 birdies per round this past season but his ice-cold putter has foiled him thus far in New York. Rookie J.J. Spaun is doing all he can to keep things close, but with Rahm in peak form, the 3-up lead for the Europeans through 11 holes feels about right.

3:05 p.m. - McIlroy has officially brought the roars to this year's Ryder Cup. The unquestioned heartbeat of the European team has reeled off six match wins in his last seven appearances and looks the favorite to add a seventh victory. After missing some short putts early, McIlroy is vibing with the flat stick to close the front nine at Bethpage. First, a 12-footer to win the sixth hole brought out a trademark "come on!" from the five-time major champion. The encore was even better, with a 25-footer on the next hole to take a 2-up advantage.

2:40 p.m. - Things are heating up at Bethpage! After a lengthy stretch of players tying holes with pars, the putts are starting to drop and the crowd is getting amped up. The highlight of the last 30 minutes was an incredible back-and-forth between Ben Griffin and Justin Rose. After Griffin drilled a 56-footer for birdie to ignite the gallery, Rose answered by sending a 41-footer into the cup to tie the hole and quiet the spectators. That leaves the Euros down one in that match.

2:07 p.m. - One man on the United States team can electrify the crowd regardless of score, and that's DeChambeau. The energetic American star thrilled the crowds with his prodigious drives at the first hole, but it was his putter that got the loudest roar.

A beautiful curling putt on the fifth gave DeChambeau and partner Ben Griffin a 1-up lead on Fleetwood and Rose.

1:50 p.m. - Rory's putter has gone ice-cold early in the afternoon session at Bethpage. McIlroy - who is an outrageous 6-1-0 in his last seven matches at the event - is hitting the ball as strong as ever, giving himself three birdie looks through the opening three holes. However, he was unable to convert with a 7-foot miss on No. 1 and lipped out a 4-footer on No. 3. That has his match tied early, but he must feel as though he and Lowry are down given the missed opportunities.

1:25 p.m. - The final match of the day is on course and it's an early roar for the Americans. Both Burns and Cantlay hit their approach shots inside the European duo of Lowry and McIlroy, with Burns doing the honors first with a birdie. This will be the most-watched match of the afternoon with Lowry known to run a bit hot and the history between McIlroy and Cantlay's caddie.

12:57 p.m. - They might put a plaque on the first hole at Bethpage if DeChambeau keeps this form up. After pounding a drive just short of the green in the morning session that led to an opening birdie, DeChambeau once again tamed the first hole - this time, under the admiring eye of President Donald Trump. The afternoon birdie tied the hole after Fleetwood also made three, but it was a crucial putt to keep the early afternoon momentum on the hosts' side.

12:41 p.m. - Ryder Cup nerves do not bother Spaun. It took him exactly three shots to make an impact in his first ever U.S. team appearance - birdieing the opening hole of the afternoon session after hitting his approach to 4 feet. That birdie gave the Americans the early 1-up lead as they look to make a dent in the 3-1 lead the Europeans hold after the morning.

12:05 p.m. - Afternoon pairings are set with the anchor match pitting Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry against Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns. It will be McIlroy and Cantlay's first meeting in the Ryder Cup since the infamous confrontation on the 18th green in Italy between the Masters champion and the American's caddie, Joe LaCava. The first match of the session is also a banger as Rahm and Scheffler will square off for the second time Friday. This time, Rahm will be alongside Sepp Straka and Scheffler will partner with U.S. Open winner J.J. Spaun.

11:45 am. - Cantlay and Schauffele prevail thanks to a gift from the Europeans on the final two holes. MacIntyre's tee shot on the par-3 17th went way left, leaving a fried egg lie in the bunker for Hovland. While the Norwegian hit a brilliant shot to 12 feet, MacIntyre was unable to save par and the Americans took a 1-up lead. More poor play from the visitors on the 18th saw them make bogey and concede the match to give the hosts a vital first point and a shred of momentum. However, the Europeans are still in the driver's seat after one session.

11:17 a.m. - The possibility of a sweep is still on the table thanks to an incredible European comeback in the anchor match. Hovland and MacIntyre were 3-down heading to the 12th tee but charged with three wins in a four-hole stretch to get the match versus Cantlay and Schauffele tied with three to play. Hovland's putter has been the catalyst with some clutch makes.

10:46 a.m. - More Ryder Cup misery for the best golfer on the planet. Scheffler has spent the last few years looking anything but human on the golf course - except in team play. He entered Friday with a 2-2-3 record in previous Ryder Cups and the red-hot duo of Aberg and Fitzpatrick handed him another loss by a 5&3 margin. While Scheffler didn't have his best form, he was weighed down by the poor play of his partner Henley. However, Scheffler is now 0-3-0 in his career in foursomes play at this event. While that may sound unbelievable, he's not the first dominant player to struggle in the alternate shot format: Tiger Woods' career record in foursomes action is a dreadful 4-9-1.

10:35 a.m. - The Fleetwood Mac sequel is just as strong as the original. McIlroy and Fleetwood thumped the duo of English and Morikawa with an emphatic 5&4 win. McIlroy and Fleetwood are now a perfect 3-0-0 in foursomes play at the Ryder Cup and are sure to partner again Saturday morning in the same format. The American pairing of Morikawa and English was a massive mistake from captain Bradley - one that was entirely predictable.

DataGolf ranked that duo 132nd out of 132 optimal pairings for the week when combining both teams.

10:33 a.m. - We have our first point on the board at Bethpage, and it's the European duo of Rahm and Hatton doing the honors. The LIV Golf teammates dominated the duo of DeChambeau and Thomas to secure the 4&3 victory. Captain Bradley will certainly be questioned for his decision to put Thomas with DeChambeau - an odd fit given the latter's issues with driving accuracy. Thomas was particularly poor throughout, missing a number of short putts in the loss. It wouldn't be a shock to see him benched for the afternoon session.

10:15 a.m. - The one U.S. team handling its business Friday morning is the old reliable duo of Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay. The longtime friends have yet to trail in the foursomes session, building a 3-up lead through 12 holes on Viktor Hovland and Robert MacIntyre. Cantlay was arguably the best American at the last Ryder Cup and has brought that play to Bethpage - with his hat firmly on.

9:45 a.m. - Captain Keegan Bradley's gamble of putting DeChambeau with Thomas for alternate shot appears to be backfiring. After winning the first hole, the Americans have gone cold, and Rahm and Hatton are taking full advantage. Hatton poured in a birdie on 12 to push the lead to 2-up with three wins over a six-hole stretch.

9:10 a.m. - It's a European runaway in the middle matches of the day. Aberg and Fitzpatrick are on their A game and taking it to Scheffler and Henley, building a massive 4-up lead after 9 holes. It's even worse for the Americans in the third match, with McIlroy and Fleetwood laying a beatdown on Morikawa and English. A birdie putt by the Masters champion at No. 8 gave the visitors an eye-popping 5-up lead.

8:50 a.m. - The opening match has flipped from an early U.S. lead to a European edge thanks to back-to-back escape acts by the visitors. First it was Jon Rahm flagging an outrageous approach from the thick rough to salvage a tie on No. 6, then Tyrrell Hatton avoided a tree root with a brave approach to find the green on No. 7 and eventually win that hole. With Thomas struggling, DeChambeau is in tough against the LIV Golf pair.

8:25 a.m. - There's no question that Scottie Scheffler is the best golfer on the planet - unless he's wearing a U.S. uniform in a team event. Scheffler holds a career 5-7-4 record in Ryder Cups and Presidents Cups and is once again off to a slow start at Bethpage. After a missed 9-footer on the sixth hole, Scheffler and Russell Henley fell 3-down to Aberg and Fitzpatrick.

8:09 a.m. - It's early, but it doesn't appear 2024 Xander Schauffele made the trip to Bethpage. After winning two majors last season, Schauffele's game has fallen off this year; the American's never really recovered from an early-season rib injury. Schauffele was ranked as one of the top putters on the PGA TOUR last year but was 127th in that stat this time out. That showed on the first hole with a missed 7-footer resulting in a tie.

7:48 a.m. - Fleetwood Mac is back and better than ever. The devastating European team of Tommy Fleetwood and Rory McIlroy needed just one hole to announce their presence in New York. After a 345-yard drive at No. 1 by McIlroy, Fleetwood pitched to tap-in range for the early advantage over Collin Morikawa and Harris English.

7:27 a.m. - For all the pomp and circumstance around DeChambeau's bomb off the first, Ludvig Aberg nearly equaled him in the second match of the day. The Swede took virtually the same line, ending up about 15 yards shorter than the American. It also led to a winning birdie after Matt Fitzpatrick came a foot from holing out for eagle.

7:11 a.m. - Bryson DeChambeau was essentially built in a lab to hit opening tee shots at a home Ryder Cup. The electric American ignited the crowd at Whistling Straits in 2021 when he drove the opening green and poured in an eagle putt, and he damn near did the same thing Friday.

The end result was a 344-yard laser just short of the green in a perfect place for Justin Thomas to pitch it close. He left it 15 feet short, but DeChambeau canned the putt to give the U.S. an early 1-up lead.