The Americans are running away with the Ryder Cup. The champagne’s on ice, and the beer is already flowing

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This article was published 25/09/2021 (1836 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SHEBOYGAN, WIS.—This Ryder Cup is essentially over.

The American side has a lead heading into Sunday’s final round that has never been toppled in singles play, and needs only 3 1/2 points to win the biennial competition for just the third time in the last 20 years.

On a links-style golf course with many questions facing it pre-event — Bryson DeChambeau’s hands, Brooks Koepka’s concern, Collin Morikawa’s back, overall camaraderie — the strongest U.S. team on paper in recent memory, featuring eight of the top 10 players in the world, has an 11-5 lead heading into the final day.

There have been contributions across the board, with all 12 members earning a victory prior to Sunday’s singles. The rookies are playing fabulous golf led by Morikawa, the youngest member of the team, who is 3-0. Meanwhile, the elder statesman, 37-year-old Dustin Johnson, is 4-0 with three of those points coming alongside Morikawa.

All Europe needs to do to defeat the U.S. is win nine singles matches against 12 of the top 21 golfers in the world, and eight of the top 10.

So, you’re saying there’s a chance? Sorry, there’s no chance.

“This has been so much fun,” said Morikawa. “Best team event we could ask for, and we’re playing well and want to finish it off.”

The team has been buoyed by the crowds this weekend on the shores of Lake Michigan — crowds that were bordering on inappropriate again Saturday — but frankly, this comes down to the Americans simply playing better. Everything is going right for them.

Even Justin Thomas won something Saturday afternoon — and he didn’t even tee it up.

Along with Daniel Berger, Thomas — who carried Jordan Spieth to victory in the morning session over Viktor Hovland and Bernd Wiesberger — was serenaded with chants of “Chug A Beer” on the first tee prior to the afternoon matches. When two beers were thrown at their feet, Thomas and Berger obliged.

Thomas popped the top, got down on a knee and proceeded to out-chug Berger (who keyed a hole in the bottom of his beer and shotgunned it) much to the delight of both the in-person and internet crowds. A video of the affair had been viewed on Twitter nearly 800,000 times by Saturday evening.

Despite the lightened mood, it was not all fun and games in the afternoon for the Americans. The session was the first not won by the U.S. side. The Europeans squeaked out two gritty victories, by Tyrell Hatton and Shane Lowry — who unleashed one of the purest, beautiful celebrations in recent Ryder Cup memory after nailing the winning putt on No.18 — and Jon Rahm and Sergio García.

Ah, yes. Rahm.

The world’s top-ranked golfer is playing like exactly that this weekend. There’s no other way to say it: He’s carrying this European squad on the course and trying to keep their spirits up in the room, too.

“From what I hear, the team is playing good,” said Rahm. “I’d like to believe that things even out. So tomorrow, if we get off to a good start — kind of like what happened in 2012 — and things start going our way, you never know. You never know.”

Rahm has earned 3 1/2 of Europe’s five points (paired with García he’s 3-0), and if he could clone himself to play all 12 singles matches on Sunday, Europe might have a fighting chance.

“This afternoon he was unbelievable,” García said of Rahm. “I was just trying to keep him up and make sure he kept heading in the right direction. You know, it was great to see. But we have a big task tomorrow, and hopefully let’s see if we can make history.”

For Europe it hasn’t helped that their longtime stalwarts have contributed nothing to the proceedings.

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Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Paul Casey have combined for zero points. And Rory McIlroy, who sat out a session for the first time in his Ryder Cup career, hasn’t put a point on the board, either.

He and Poulter were defeated by Johnson and Morikawa on Saturday afternoon, which marked the fifth consecutive defeat for McIlroy in Cup play.

“Obviously disappointing,” said McIlroy. “Disappointing not to contribute a point for the team yet. So hopefully just go out tomorrow and try my best to get a point, and hopefully we can rally and at least give them something to maybe sweat about tomorrow in the middle of the afternoon.”

At this rate, however, the only thing sweating will be the bottles of chilled champagne in the late-September sun — addressed directly to Team U.S.A.

Adam Stanley is an Ottawa-based contributor to the Star’s Sports section and the host of golf podcast Next Round’s On Me. Follow him on Twitter: @adam_stanley