Friday Four-ball results & notes

Friday Four-ball results & notes

Ryder Cup Day 1

Team United States Captain Keegan Bradley on the first hole tee box during the 2025 Ryder Cup on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park

Ryder Cup Day 1

Friday Four-ball
USA vs. Europe
Scottie Scheffler
J.J. Spaun
3&2 >
Jon Rahm
Sepp Straka
Ben Griffin
Bryson DeChambeau
1 Up >
Tommy Fleetwood
Justin Rose
Cameron Young
Justin Thomas
< 6&5
Ludvig Åberg
Rasmus Højgaard
Sam Burns
Patrick Cantlay
Tied
Rory McIlroy
Shane Lowry

Four-ball notes

Compiled by Elias Sports Bureau, Inc.

• The Europeans have won each of the last six Ryder Cups in which they had a lead at the end of Day 1.  The last time they did not win under that scenario was in 1999, when they led 6-2 after the first two sessions.

• Cameron Young, paired with Justin Thomas in four-balls, won his Ryder Cup debut today, 6&5.  The last American to win his first ever Ryder Cup match by a margin of six or more holes was Phil Mickelson in 1995.  Paired with Corey Pavin, Mickelson won his first match, 6&4, in four-balls.

J.J. Spaun and Scottie Scheffler of Team United States pose with Sepp Straka and Jon Rahm of Team Europe on the first hole tee box during the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage State Park
J.J. Spaun and Scottie Scheffler of Team United States with Sepp Straka and Jon Rahm of Team Europe (Darren Carroll/PGA of America)

• Under the current 28-point format, only one team has overcome a 5.5 – 2.5 deficit (or worse) to win a Ryder Cup. That was Ben Crenshaw’s American squad in 1999 at The Country Club which trailed 6-2 at the end of two sessions

• The only players ranked #1 in the world to lose twice on the first day of a Ryder Cup are Ian Woosnam (1991), Tiger Woods (1999, 2002)…and now Scottie Scheffler (2025).

• The team that has led at the end of the second session has won each of the last five Ryder Cups.

Ben Griffin and Bryson DeChambeau of Team United States pose with Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood of Team Europe on the first hole tee box during the 2025 Ryder Cup on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park
Ben Griffin and Bryson DeChambeau of Team United States with Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood of Team Europe (Darren Carroll/PGA of America)

• Rory McIlroy is 6-1-1 over his last eight Ryder Cup matches, dating back to his singles match in 2021.  It is the best stretch of his Ryder Cup career.  Just prior to this spree, McIlroy lost five Ryder Cup matches in a row, spanning parts of 2018 and 2021.

• Dating back to his singles victory over Tiger Woods at the 2018 Ryder Cup and including both of his matches on Friday, Jon Rahm has suffered just one loss over his last 12 Ryder Cup matches (8-1-3). The last player, for either side, to have one or zero losses over a span of 12 Ryder Cup matches was Ian Poulter, who went 11-1-0 from 2008 to 2012.

Cameron Young and Justin Thomas of Team United States pose with Rasmus Hojgaard and Ludvig Aberg of Team Europe on the first hole tee box
Cameron Young and Justin Thomas of Team United States with Rasmus Højgaard and Ludvig Åberg of Team Europe (Darren Carroll/PGA of America)

• After his two victories this morning, Tommy Fleetwood has a career record of 9-3-2 at this event. His 10 points are among the most among European players through their first 14 Ryder Cup matches.  The only others with at least 10 points through 14 matches are Jose Maria Olazabal (10-2-2, 11 points), Ian Poulter (11-3-0, 11 points), Justin Rose (9-3-2, 10 points), Nick Faldo (10-4–0, 10 points) and Sergio Garcia (9-3-2, 10 points).

• The European side has not won the cumulative four-ball competition in any given Ryder Cup since 2010.  Since that time, Team USA held an advantage four times and there were two ties. Overall, the Americans are 24-17-7 in four-ball play since the start of the 2012 Ryder Cup.

Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns of Team United States pose with Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry of Team Europe on the first hole tee box
Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns of Team United States with Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry of Team Europe (Darren Carroll/PGA of America)

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Updated: September 27, 2025