Ludvig Aberg was lining up a putt on the ninth green on Saturday morning when, a hundred or so yards back up the fairway, a countdown began. ‘Three! Two! One!’ fans shouted.
In this foursomes clash against Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Young, Europe’s Aberg and Matt Fitzpatrick had already copped a bit of abuse over their exhaustive putting routines.
This time, though, the crowd had other concerns. It was 9am and that meant the bars were open for business. So once the count hit zero, they erupted. And for a few minutes on Saturday morning, in this far corner of Bethpage Black, American fans had plenty to cheer.
We haven’t said that often this week but it was around the turn that DeChambeau and Young wrest control of this opening match for Team USA.
They reached the 7th green all square with Aberg and Fitzpatrick. By the time they wandered off the 10th, Young and DeChambeau were three up. It was an advantage they never surrendered.
And that meant Young – the rookie and native New Yorker – continued his perfect start to the Ryder Cup. Played two, won two. Perhaps more significant still? Young dragged DeChambeau on to the board, too.
Cameron Young sealed a precious point for Team USA in the Ryder Cup on Saturday
The native New Yorker helped Bryson DeChambeau beat Matt Fitzpatrick and Ludvig Aberg
DeChambeau was finally able to celebrate a victory after losing both of his matches on Friday
Earlier this week, big-hitting Bryson morphed into the physical and patriotic embodiment of this American team. But on Friday, for all of the bravado and bluster and drivable greens, DeChambeau fired two blanks. He lost both his matches.
That skid ended shortly before 11am on Saturday, when Team Europe conceded defeat. The hope for Bradley and the hordes of American fans? This opening pair could light the red, white and blue-touch paper and lead a day-two fightback. Well, they did their bit, collecting the first point of the day. They couldn’t control the mauling behind.
On the par-four 16th, it was DeChambeau’s approach shot that sealed victory over Aberg and Fitzpatrick but make no mistake: this victory was built on the consistent brilliance of Young. Over a brutal first three sessions, he has been America’s standout player. A rare glint of light as darkness closes in.
Across this round and the Friday afternoon fourballs, the New Yorker has lost just one hole. In his first ever Ryder Cup match, Young led Justin Thomas to a 6&5 win over Aberg and Rasmus Hojgaard. That earned him a spot alongside DeChambeau in the opening match on Saturday. Aberg and Fitzpatrick were swatted away 4&2.
It begs the question: Why did Keegan Bradley leave him out on the opening morning? The Team USA captain has spent all week reminiscing about his days at St John’s University, when he would sneak on to play Bethpage Black.
Well, few know this place better than Young. He was born not far from here and went to school in the Bronx. As an amateur in 2017, he set the course record. Young is now the world No 20 but the last couple of sessions suggest hasn’t forgotten his roots.
On Friday morning, Aberg and Fitzpatrick battered Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley. But 24 hours on, this European pair were immediately on the back foot. At the first, after a booming DeChambeau drive, Young stuck his pitch a few inches from the hole.
On the third, he chipped in to draw first blood. A few minutes later, DeChambeau missed a very makeable putt as Europe battled straight back.
Young was superb on Saturday morning, helping the Americans win 4&2 over their rivals
In the Friday afternoon fourballs, the rookie had made a perfect start to his Ryder Cup career
That was the only blot on the American scorecard. Young’s nerveless putt at seven put red back on the scoreboard and the rookie then stiffed his tee shot to a few feet on the par-three eighth. All of a sudden Team USA was two up and en route to victory.
No American since 1979 has enjoyed a better Ryder Cup debut than Thomas. In 2018, he won four points from five. Young can’t better that – not after his snub on Friday morning. But he can’t do much more than this.
Young was 16 when he found out that Bethpage Black would host this Ryder Cup. He grew up 90 minutes from here and he honed his game at Sleepy Hollow Country Club, where for two decades his father David was the head professional.
On Saturday morning, one fan paid tribute to Young’s roots by christening him ‘Sleepy’. Then the rookie awoke the sleeping, big-hitting giant beside him. If somehow, from somewhere, Team USA can clamber out of this giant hole, Young will have done a lot of the early digging.
