U.S. completes stunning Ryder Cup sweep to storm to lead on Europe

Published Nov. 15, 2016 1:54 p.m. ET

Chris Chase

The United States steamrolled Europe to sweep the opening foursome matches of the Ryder Cup for the first time in 41 years and just the third time in history, sprinting to a huge advantage in the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine and putting themselves in early position to win their first Cup in eight years and just the second in the past eight competitions. It's far too early to crown a winner, of course, but the four times in history the U.S. has swept any set of foursome matches, they've gone on to win the Cup.

Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed started things out - the first group off - by winning holes No. 2 and 3 and never looking back, as the formidable pairing of British Open champion Henrik Stinson and Olympic gold medalist Justin Rose took just one hole.

The first match to end was the last one to start - the Dustin Johnson/Matt Kuchar pairing won six holes compared to one for Ryder Cup stalwart Lee Westwood and rookie Thomas Pieters. That match finished 5&4.

Jimmy Walker and Zach Johnson faced Sergio Garcia and Martin Kaymer in a match that was close throughout. The Europeans won the second hole and then the twosomes split the next nine holes. Suddenly, with the scoreboard a mix of blue and red, the Americans rolled off four straight holes to win 4&2.

But the sweep wasn't completed until Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler, who were two down with four holes to play, won Nos. 15, 16 and 17 to give Fowler his first full point ever in a Ryder Cup match and give the U.S. an nearly unprecedented sweep.

There's only been nine overall sweeps in Ryder Cup history. Eight times, that team has gone on to win.