FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, September 28th, 2018
NOTABLE QUOTES: RYDER CUP – DAY 1 (AFTERNOON FOURSOMES) / GOLF CENTRAL LIVE FROM THE RYDER CUP
Golf Channel Notable Quotes
Ryder Cup – Day 1 (Afternoon Foursomes)
Le Golf National (Albatross Course), Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France
Friday, Sept. 28
*Saturday’s live coverage of Day 2 at the Ryder Cup begins at 2 a.m. ET on Golf Channel, and continues at 3 a.m. ET on NBC.*
Friday Afternoon Foursomes Matches (*Europe leads 5-3*)
Match #1 J. Rose/H. Stenson (EUR) def. R. Fowler/D. Johnson (U.S.) 3&2
Match #2 R. McIlroy/I. Poulter (EUR) def. W. Simpson/B. Watson (U.S.) 4&2
Match #3 S. Garcia/A. Noren (EUR) def. B. DeChambeau/P. Mickelson (U.S.) 5&4
Match #4 T. Fleetwood/F. Molinari (EUR) def. J. Spieth/J. Thomas (U.S.) 5&4
Saturday Morning Fourball Matches (All Times Eastern)
Match #1 8:10 a.m. T. Finau/B. Koepka (U.S.) vs. S. Garcia/R. McIlroy (EUR)
Match #2 8:25 a.m. R. Fowler/D. Johnson (U.S.) vs. P. Casey/T. Hatton (EUR)
Match #3 8:40 a.m. P. Reed/T. Woods (U.S.) vs. T. Fleetwood/F. Molinari (EUR)
Match #4 8:55 a.m. J. Spieth/J. Thomas (U.S.) vs. I. Poulter/J. Rahm (EUR)
On the Europeans sweeping Friday afternoon’s foursomes session
Johnny Miller – “I’ve never seen any side play worse than we’ve seen [the U.S. on the] front nine. It couldn’t be a bigger landslide. Europe is playing pretty darn good with a 20 mph wind.”
Miller – “Europe has a history of going with the guys that brung ‘em so to speak. And the U.S. has a tendency to be more diplomatic and play everybody. Right now there’s a few guys on the U.S. team that maybe should sit out tomorrow the whole day.”
David Feherty – “I’m not sure DeChambeau and Mickelson could play the radio. It’s been horrific.”
Dan Hicks – “This is a shellacking.”
Miller – “The difference in the putting alone has been remarkable.”
European captain Thomas Bjorn speaking with Golf Channel’s Steve Sands following the session
Thomas Bjorn – “They had something they wanted to go out and do and they obviously all got behind each other. It was a pretty good feeling in the room over lunch and I felt like it was a pretty good vibe considering it was a tough morning for us. We’re happy with what happened this afternoon. We’ll go back now and regroup for tomorrow… Everything is an opportunity in golf. That has been the message. Go out and take the opportunity and make sure you take what is right in front of you.”
Justin Rose/Henrik Stenson speaking with Sands following their 3&2 win
Justin Rose – “Pairing with Henrik this afternoon was exactly what I needed… I had to give myself a little talking to because it was a tough loss this morning.”
Henrik Stenson – “When you’re out there playing with a good friend and someone you play a lot of golf with and you trust him and his golf game, you don’t feel any regrets when you hit a poor shot. So we team up well together.”
Rory McIlroy/Ian Poulter speaking with Sands following their 4&2 win
Rory McIlroy – “I think a big thing for us this week is resilience, but also persistence. This morning wasn’t ideal, but it was still a better start than the one we got off to at Hazeltine… Foursomes on a day like this when the conditions are like this is a very tough format to play. You just need to get the ball in the fairway and get the ball on the green. For the most part we did that.”
Ian Poulter – “When you’ve got great partners to go out and play golf with, it’s inspiring. For me I just want to get on the golf course. I just want to see the fans. I just want to hole putts. And I want to help this team. I love it. I embrace it.”
Sergio Garcia/Alex Noren speaking with Golf Channel’s Jimmy Roberts following their 5&4 win
Sergio Garcia – “Obviously we needed something important this afternoon after a tough morning. I thought the team played pretty well and didn’t get much out of it. It was nice to be able to help out this afternoon.”
Alex Noren – “It’s something I’ve never experienced before. It was emotional, nerves, everything… I’ve never been this excited and nervous before.”
Tommy Fleedwood/Francesco Molinari speaking with Roberts following their 5&4 win
Tommy Fleetwood – “It’s not been easy. Your emotions are so up and down and nothing prepares you for it. But it’s been a very, very special afternoon for us, for the team.”
Francesco Molinari – “We didn’t come here to win the foursomes. We came here to win something else. So it’s great. This afternoon was amazing. I think the guys that went out in front of us did an amazing job. But it’s time to reset, get ready for tomorrow. They’re going to be upset about this afternoon and we need to be ready for their reaction.”
Golf Cenntral Live From the Ryder Cup
On the Europeans sweeping the afternoon foursomes matches
Frank Nobilo – “You could say the tide went out in the American’s favor, but it sure as hell came back in the other way in the afternoon. “Absolutely amazing the way in which things were flipped around.”
Brandel Chamblee – “5-3 barely tells the story. First of all Phil shouldn’t have been out in the afternoon. That was I’ve got to believe a mistake on Jim Furyk’s part. Beyond that it was a combination of Europe playing brilliantly, but really it was just the fact that the United States just could not find enough fairways to be relevant in the afternoon.”
Chamblee – “Absolutely historical day. This was the quickest dispatch of one competitor over another since Steffi Graf in the 1988 French Open won in 32 minutes, 6-0, 6-0. The U.S. struggled to find fairways, and Europe didn’t struggle to find anything in the afternoon.”
Nick Faldo – “The morning was a tough series [for Europe]… The change in wind direction is so demanding. It’s a ball striker’s golf course for foursomes. If you just play great from tee-to-green, you’re more than likely going to win your match. And the Europeans – maybe because of local knowledge and the cross winds – they played beautiful, solid golf.”
On Saturday morning’s fourball matches
Chamblee – “The United States does have the advantage just because of the birdie power. But as you saw this afternoon there is a decided advantage, a huge advantage by the Europeans in their ability to find the fairways.”
Nobilo – “The trailing captain in this situation is the one that really has to make the adjustments. Bjorn has gotten away with five rookies, playing them all, and the lead.”
Nobilo – “I like to see Garcia in the mix with Rory. Because I think Garcia is the sort of person that might just be able to cajole Rory to play a little better.”
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