By Amy Tennery
FARMINGDALE, New York (Reuters) -The home fans turned up the volume as the U.S. team look to recover from a 5-1/2 to 2-1/2 deficit on Europe on the second day of the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black on Saturday.
The home team historically have a big advantage in the biennial matchplay competition but the holders got the hot start on Friday, spoiling the American party and U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to the Long Island venue.
The partisan crowd in New York were not downcast, however, cheering louder than ever and chanting Bryson DeChambeau’s name before the big-swinging fan favourite led off for the Americans for a second day in a row.
“We’re ready for a fight, seems like New York has woken up a little bit,” said U.S. captain Keegan Bradley. “We’re currently in the firing up zone right now.”
Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg got play started with a drive into the trees, before Matt Fitzpatrick sent Europe’s second shot 11 feet from the first hole, while DeChambeau struck his ball 323 yards off the tee onto the fairway to deafening cheers from the crowd.
The American fans went wild as DeChambeau’s teammate deposited the second shot onto the green, less than a foot from the hole, but the pair were deadlocked as both sides birdied the par-4 and made pars on the second hole.
Europe’s Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood, a duo dubbed Fleetwood Mac who are unbeaten in three Ryder Cup matches together, reunited against Collin Morikawa and Harris English.
McIlroy, a particular target for the U.S. fans’ ire, sent his opening drive into the crowd while English landed his just outside the fairway.
Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay were playing in the third match against Europe’s Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, while Europe’s Robert MacIntyre and Viktor Hovland wrap up the foursomes against Russell Henley and Scottie Scheffler.
The top-ranked Scheffler was among the disappointments for the American team on the first day, as both he and DeChambeau failed to win a point.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in Farmingdale, New York, additional reporting by Frank Pingue, editing by Ed Osmond)
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