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Ryder Cup: 5 Key Takeaways from the USA’s Day 2 Play

By Sam Belden

Oct 1, 2016; Chaska, MN, USA; Patrick Reed of the United States plays his shot from the 11th tee during the afternoon four-ball matches in the 41st Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 1, 2016; Chaska, MN, USA; Patrick Reed of the United States plays his shot from the 11th tee during the afternoon four-ball matches in the 41st Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 1, 2016; Chaska, MN, USA; Patrick Reed of the United States plays his shot from the 11th tee during the afternoon four-ball matches in the 41st Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 1, 2016; Chaska, MN, USA; Patrick Reed of the United States plays his shot from the 11th tee during the afternoon four-ball matches in the 41st Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports /

Patrick Reed Proves His Worth on a Wild Day

For the marquee pairing of Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth, it was a day of highs and lows. They got off to a hot start against the all-Spanish duo of Sergio Garcia and Rafa Cabrera-Bello in the morning, taking the lead on the second hole and stretching it to four by the time they arrived at the 12th tee. However, the two young guns were hurt by shaky play down the stretch and lost four of the final five holes to halve the match.

With that collapse, Love could have been forgiven for trying something different in afternoon four-ball, but he didn’t. Even with that vote of confidence, Reed and Spieth got off to a slow start in their match against Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson, but it was only a matter of time before the pendulum swung the other way. Reed made four straight birdies or better on the second half of the front nine, opening up a three-hole lead at the turn. The Europeans tried to rebound, but a couple more Reed birdies on the back provided the necessary padding to close out the match.

While his scorecard wasn’t without its blemishes, Reed still turned in a strong performance; notably, he had to carry Spieth, who wasn’t hitting it all that well. If the U.S. wants to close it out tomorrow, they’ll need him to show up once again.

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