It was a less-than-ideal opening day for the United States at the Ryder Cup, leaving the team in a hole heading into Saturday.
The day ended on a sour note as Bryson DeChambeau and Ben Griffin fell to Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood in the afternoon session, leaving team USA trailing 5.5-2.5 after the event's first day.
DeChambeau, one of the Americans’ most dynamic players, started strong in the morning but couldn’t carry that momentum into the afternoon, finishing the day by losing a match in which he and Griffin once led by two holes.
Here’s a closer look at DeChambeau and Griffin's defeat and what it means for Team USA heading into Day 2.
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Bryson DeChambeau Ryder Cup perfomance
DeChambeau and his partner, Justin Thomas, provided the early spark. DeChambeau launched the tournament with a towering 344-yard drive that set up a birdie and gave the U.S. a 1-up lead on the opening hole, igniting the home crowd.
But the momentum didn’t last. Thomas missed several key putts, while Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton steadily took control, closing out the match on the 15th hole. The loss denied the Americans a chance to gain ground in the opening session.
In the afternoon, DeChambeau teamed with Ben Griffin, but the pairing fell to Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood.
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Ryder Cup score after day 1
After Day 1, the U.S. trails team Europe 5.5-2.5
Attached are the scores from the individual matches.
| Match | Europe | Score | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jon Rahm & Tyrrell Hatton | 4&3 | Bryson DeChambeau & Justin Thomas |
2 | Ludvig Åberg & Matt Fitzpatrick | 5&3 | Scottie Scheffler & Russell Henley |
3 | Rory McIlroy & Tommy Fleetwood | 5&4 | Collin Morikawa & Harris English |
4 | Robert MacIntyre & Viktor Hovland | 2 UP | Xander Schauffele & Patrick Cantlay |
Session 2 -- Four-ball
| Match | Europe | Score | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
5 | Jon Rahm & Sepp Straka | 3&2 | Scottie Scheffler & J.J. Spaun |
6 | Tommy Fleetwood & Justin Rose | 1 UP | Ben Griffin & Bryson DeChambeau |
7 | Ludvig Åberg & Rasmus Højgaard | 6&5 | Cameron Young & Justin Thomas |
8 | Rory McIlroy & Shane Lowry | TIED | Sam Burns & Patrick Cantlay |
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Bryson DeChambeau-Ben Griffin Ryder Cup scorecard
In the afternoon session, DeChambeau and Griffin grabbed an early advantage by winning holes 5 and 7. But Rose and Fleetwood mounted a rally, claiming holes 11, 14 and 17. The U.S. duo carried a 2-hole lead into the 14th, only for Europe to erase the deficit with three straight wins to flip the match.
Bryson DeChambeau Ryder Cup record
DeChambeau holds a 2-4-1 record across his two Ryder Cup appearances in 2018 and 2021.
By format, he is 1-1-0 in singles, 0-2-0 in foursomes, and 1-0-1 in four-balls. His 2018 debut was a forgettable one, as he went 0-3-0. But he bounced back in 2021 with an impressive 2-0-1 mark, finishing that Ryder Cup undefeated.
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