The Saturday afternoon fourball matchups are set at Bethpage Black, and the U.S. team faces a daunting challenge.
Down 8 1/2 to 3 1/2, U.S. captain Keegan Bradley has shaken up his pairings in a desperate bid to close the gap. Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau will team up for the first time, while rookie J.J. Spaun moves from Scheffler’s side to partner with Xander Schauffele, who’s making his first fourball appearance this week.
Ben Griffin remains sidelined for a third straight session. He’s joined on the bench by Collin Morikawa, Harris English and Russell Henley as Bradley searches for the right combinations to spark a comeback.
The Europeans, meanwhile, are riding their momentum with minimal changes. They’re only swapping out Ludvig Åberg and rookie Rasmus Hojgaard for Tyrrell Hatton and Matt Fitzpatrick, both of whom sat Friday afternoon. Viktor Hovland was originally slated to play with Fitzpatrick but had to withdraw due to a neck injury. He’ll sit alongside Åberg, Hojgaard and Robert MacIntyre.
What’s interesting is how Bradley is handling his rookies. Spaun gets another shot despite the team’s struggles, while Griffin hasn’t seen action since Friday morning. The Europeans, on the other hand, seem content to rely on their experienced players with the lead they’ve built.
Here’s the full Saturday afternoon fourball lineup at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York:
- 12:25 p.m. EDT: Justin Thomas/Cameron Young (U.S.) vs. Rory McIlroy/Shane Lowry (EUR)
- 12:41 p.m. EDT: Scottie Scheffler/Bryson DeChambeau (U.S.) vs. Tommy Fleetwood/Justin Rose (EUR)
- 12:57 p.m. EDT: J.J. Spaun/Xander Schauffele (U.S.) vs. Jon Rahm/Sepp Straka (EUR)
- 1:13 p.m. EDT: Sam Burns/Patrick Cantlay (U.S.) vs. Tyrrell Hatton/Matt Fitzpatrick (EUR)
The Americans need to win at least three of these four matches to have a realistic chance heading into Sunday singles. That’s a tall order against a European team that’s firing on all cylinders.
