Ryder Cup: 5 Key Takeaways From Europe’s Day 1 Play
By Adam McGee
Europe Will Need Stenson’s Health To Hold Up
In spite of a loss to the excellent play of Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed in the morning foursomes, you’d be hard pushed to find too many players playing better at Hazeltine than the Open Champion, Henrik Stenson.
Before turning on the fireworks of his own later in the day with seven birdies in the fourballs, Stenson had a very solid ball-striking performance in the morning. For as good as America’s marquee duo were in claiming a 3 & 2 win, Stenson’s iron play provided a number of opportunities that his playing partner Justin Rose failed to capitalize on.
Rose rallied and played better in the afternoon, but it really the Stenson show. Having come into the event with concerns over a knee injury that forced his early elimination in the FedEx Cup, Stenson will have been pleased to get a day’s good play under his belt. When the Swede looked to cut loose with his driver, there were occasionally signs of his knee troubling him. If Stenson can rely on his trusty three-wood for the next two days, Europe will have a great chance to win.