Ryder Cup Opens at Bethpage Black Amid Rain

The Ryder Cup opened Friday at Bethpage Black with U.S. captain Keegan Bradley sending Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas out first to face Europe’s Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton in the 7:10 a.m. opening foursomes. Bradley said the DeChambeau–Thomas duo was chosen to rile the crowd, and DeChambeau has been a focal point of vocal support during practice. Other early pairings included Rahm/Hatton and Rory McIlroy/Tommy Fleetwood, while world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is paired with Russell Henley to face Ludvig Aberg and Matt Fitzpatrick; the morning wrapped with Viktor Hovland/Robert MacIntyre vs. Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay. Heavy rain forced some schedule adjustments and moved parts of the opening ceremony, and President Donald Trump’s expected attendance prompted heightened security and tighter restrictions. The U.S. seek to reclaim the Cup on home soil while Europe — which has won 10 of the last 14 Ryder Cups — will rely on experienced pairings to try to blunt American momentum.