FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – The world No. 2 is undefeated and has happily embraced the role of antagonist this week at Bethpage Black. The world No. 1 is winless once again and searching for answers at the Ryder Cup.
That, in turn, sums up the plight for both teams with Rory McIlroy (3-0-1) leading the Europeans to a commanding, and historically insurmountable, 11 ½-to-4 ½ lead while Scottie Scheffler (0-4-0) has struggled with his ball-striking, his putting and has been completely shutout.
Scheffler had four birdies paired with Bryson DeChambeau in Saturday’s afternoon fourball match, but they were outclassed by Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood, 3 and 2, and Scheffler is now winless in his last eight Ryder Cup matches dating to 2023 in Rome.
“Bryson and I did some good stuff out there. We were into a tough matchup today. Those guys played great. They made a ton of putts and really tip of a cap to them. They played better than we did,” Scheffler said. “Bryson did a great job battling all day. Did a really good job keeping us in the match, but overall just didn’t do enough, and they played great.”
Scheffler and Russell Henley dropped Friday’s opening foursomes match, 5 and 3, to Ludvig Åberg and Matt Fitzpatrick, and he then lost his afternoon fourball match with J.J. Spaun, 3 and 2, to Jon Rahm and Sepp Straka. It was a similar story Saturday morning in foursomes play with a 1-up loss paired with Henley against Robert MacIntyre and Viktor Hovland.
Scheffler became the fourth American to lose four matches in a single Ryder Cup on home soil along with Steve Stricker (2012), Raymond Floyd (’83) and Fuzzy Zoeller (’79). No U.S. player has ever lost five matches in a single Ryder Cup.
This week’s matches have offered divergent paths for the world Nos. 1 and 2 but the luck of the draw has them on a strangely fitting collision course with Scheffler and McIlroy set to face each other in Sunday’s fourth singles match, which is scheduled to begin at 12:35 p.m. ET.