FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, September 28th, 2018

NOTABLE QUOTES: THE RYDER CUP – DAY 1 (MORNING FOURBALLS)

Golf Channel Notable Quotes

Ryder Cup – Day 1 (Morning Fourballs)

Le Golf National (Albatross Course), Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France

Friday, Sept. 28

 

*Live coverage of Day 1 at the Ryder Cup continues now on Golf Channel with the afternoon foursomes session (matches listed below).*

 

Friday Morning Fourball Matches (*United States leads 3-1*)

Match #1: T. Finau/B. Koepka (U.S.) def. J. Rahm/J. Rose (EUR) 1up

Match #2: R. Fowler/D. Johnson (U.S.) def. R. McIlroy/T. Olesen (EUR) 4&2

Match #3: J. Spieth/J. Thomas (U.S) def. P. Casey/T. Hatton (EUR) 1up

Match #4: T. Fleetwood/F. Molinari (EUR) def. P. Reed/T. Woods (U.S.) 3&1

 

Friday Afternoon Foursomes Matches (All Times Eastern)

Match #1         1:50 p.m.         R. Fowler/D. Johnson (U.S.) vs. J. Rose/H. Stenson (EUR)

Match #2         2:05 p.m.         W. Simpson/B. Watson (U.S.) vs. R. McIlroy/I. Poulter (EUR)

Match #3         2:20 p.m.         B. DeChambeau/P. Mickelson (U.S.) vs. S. Garcia/A. Noren (EUR)

Match #4         2:35 p.m.         J. Spieth/J. Thomas (U.S.) vs. T. Fleetwood/F. Molinari (EUR)

 

Rickie Fowler/Dustin Johnson speaking with Golf Channel’s Steve Sands following their 4&2 win

Rickie Fowler – “The big thing [was] we tried to both be in as many holes as we could, which is tough to do out here… We did a good job of picking the other up when they were out.”

Dustin Johnson – “We did a really good job of not both being out of the hole. If he was out, I picked him up. If I was out, he picked me up. And that’s what you’ve got to do in team golf.”

 

On McIlroy/Olesen losing their match 4&2

Mark Rolfing – “It’s been the worst round of golf I’ve seen Rory play all year. I know he was disappointing Sunday in Atlanta, but he hit it everywhere today.”

Nick Faldo – “Rory will be feeling really rough. You come out as one of the key men on the team and you haven’t made a birdie. You’ve lost your point, it’s harsh. There’s no timeouts in golf. You have to step up and face it.”

 

Tony Finau/Brooks Koepka speaking with Golf Channel’s Jimmy Roberts following their 1up win

Tony Finau – “We’ll take the breaks when we can get them. The bounces sometimes go your way, and sometimes they don’t.”

Brooks Koepka – “We made the turn obviously two down, not where we wanted to be… Tony was playing well for his first Ryder Cup. To come out here and to battle the nerves and play like he did on the back nine coming down to these last four holes especially, was incredible golf.”

 

Jordan Spieth/Justin Thomas speaking with Sands following their 1up win

Jordan Spieth – “Playing Ryder Cups over here are extremely fun. We ham and egged it extremely well around this golf course… What a blast that was. Hopefully we can keep riding it.”

Justin Thomas – “What we did so well those first nine or 10 holes is that we both had looks. For the most part [Spieth] was tearing it up. So that was enjoyable to watch and I was able to feed off of him.”

 

On Spieth

Curt Byrum – “He didn’t make the TOUR Championship for the first time in his career last week. He looks really fresh and really energized. You kind of wonder if the week off wasn’t really good for him.”

Faldo “He’s always had that ability to focus and hone the golf ball in. And this is the perfect place to do it. Obviously A, the Ryder Cup, and B, match play. It forces you, there’s no choice.”

 

Tommy Fleetwood/Francesco Molinari speaking with Sands following their 3&1 win

Tommy Fleetwood – “The whole experience for me and being out with one of my best mates out here, just the crowd, it’s just been unreal this morning.”

Francesco Molinari – “We just started making some putts to be honest. Patrick [Reed] holed a great chip on 10, and I think that kind of got us going in a way. We had nothing to lose at that point.”

 

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-NBC Sports Group-