Scottie Scheffler, a graduate of the University of Georgia, faced difficulties during the alternate-shot matches at the Ryder Cup, contributing to the U.S. team’s uphill battle. Scheffler joined his Mississippi partner Russell Henley for the title match. They lost 5-and-3 to Ludvig Åberg and Matt Fitzpatrick, their match the hardest test of a demanding day. This loss was Scheffler’s third consecutive loss in Ryder Cup foursomes. In virtually every tournament match, he and his partner went down by four or more holes at one point.
The Ryder Cup is a unique event that matches America’s best golfers against the best from Europe. Up until now, the U.S. squad has been severely tested in this highly regarded world class tournament. Even with the disappointing finish, Scheffler still has their hopes high going into Championship Week. After the match, he expressed confidence in their efforts, stating, “I felt like Russ and I did some good things.”
Scheffler was honest about what went wrong, especially with the flat stick, but pointed to the positives. “We just didn’t hole enough putts early. We had some chances. I think the putts just didn’t fall. But just in general, the rest of the guys we played, they played a super solid round,” he continued. This sentiment is emblematic of the cutthroat nature of the tournament—as they say, the difference is in the stroke.
Going into their matches that afternoon, Scheffler and Henley both wanted to reset and use what they learned from that morning round. “We’ll go back out this afternoon and see what we can do,” Scheffler added, highlighting his determination to turn the tide for the U.S. team.
Even with the trouble that Scheffler and Henley found themselves in, fellow Team USA member Xander Schauffele emphasized the value of keeping that momentum going. “If we’re only going to win one point, it might as well be the anchor match to get some momentum going,” he said. This wraps up perfectly the encapsulates the team’s mindset going forward as they look through the other half of the season.
The Ryder Cup remains one of the most exciting spectacles around as the two teams fight for glory. While Scheffler’s determination and teammate bonding can’t guarantee a comeback in the match play event, there’s hope for a change in fortunes.
Leave a Reply