02x07 - All Roads Lead to Rome Part 1

[bunniefuu]

[distant traffic whooshing]

[phone line ringing]

[suspenseful music playing]

[phone line continues ringing]

-[woman] Your call has been forwarded to...
-[Zach] Come on, Jordan.

-[Kim chuckles]
-All right, let me try some others.

-BK.
-[Brooks Koepka] What's going on?

I would love to invite you to be
a part of the 2023 Ryder Cup team.

[Brooks] Perfect. I'm super pumped
and honored, man.

-[line ringing]
-Oh... [sighs]

How dare you not pick up the phone.

I wish you could see
what I'm looking at right now.

I'm changing a dirty diaper currently.

[laughter]

-[Zach] Well...
-[Jordan] I didn't even see you'd called.

[Zach] You wanna go get
some points in Rome?

[Jordan] Yeah, man. Love to.

All right, buddy.

-I need you.
-[Jordan] Sounds great.

Hi, Zach.

[Zach] Hello, Rick.

Buddy, would you honor me in being
a part of the 2023 USA Ryder Cup team?

Uh, yeah, I think
that's a pretty easy decision.

Obviously, this was
kind of my ultimate goal.

I knew it was going to be
a bit of a far reach,

but, um, glad I was able
to put my name in the hat.

[Zach] Honored to have you.
Really am, Rick. You deserve it.

Thanks, Zach.

[sighs deeply]

[Kim] You've done great so far.
It'll be fine.

[phone line ringing]

I do not envy...
I do not envy this part of this job.

[man] Hello?

Hey, Zach.

Hey, buddy, um...

[clicks tongue]

Thanks for being patient with me. Uh...

[clicks tongue]

[sighs] There's no easy way
to say this, my friend.

Um...

I find it just best to go
in a different direction this year.

I just... It's... it's not...

It's nothing you did or didn't do,

because you're amazing,
um, on and off the course.

I just feel like it's best this year
to go in a different direction.

I would... would love to take 30 guys,
and I cannot.

And just know
that I am so grateful for you.

Okay, Zach. I... I understand.

I, uh... wishing you,
obviously, good luck,

and hope you guys
go over there and win it.

[Zach] Thank you, Keegs.
I appreciate you, buddy.

-[Keegan] Okay. All right, thanks, Zach.
-Thank you, bud. Take care.

-[Keegan] Bye.
-Bye-bye.

[sighs deeply]

-[Kim] That was a hard one.
-My heart is beating so fast.

[Keegan] Thanks.

-[boy] What are you guys doing?
-Nothing.

Nothing, honey. Give Dad a squeeze.

-Why?
-He needs it.

-[ball bounces on floor]
-[indistinct comment]

That stinks.

[phone line ringing]

[man] Speak.

So, I'm just going
to cut straight to it, buddy.

Um...

I would like

to ask you to be a part

of the 2023 Ryder Cup team.

Yeah, I... I think
I can make that work, Zach.

[chuckles]

[Zach] That's amazing.

f*cking A, man. God, that's stressful!

You did it to yourself.

-[chuckles]
-You know?

[Justin] I know I did, I know I did.

But I say all that, JT,
we need you there and we need you ready.

So, I'm not concerned about that.
I'm just... I'm just stating facts.

Um, it's time to get to work,

and we're gonna bring
that cup home, buddy.

[Justin] Absolutely, man.

[Amanda Balionis] So, on paper,
Team USA is absolutely stacked.

We're talking world number one,
seven major champions.

Every single guy on Zach Johnson's team
is in the top 30 in the world,

and that is a pretty daunting task
if you are Team Europe.

-[Zach groans]
-Good job, Captain.

Thanks, Captainess.

[horn toots]

You go through... and I'll follow you.

There you go. We made it.

Gents. Keith.

-[man 1] How are you, buddy?
-[man 2] You're looking good, Captain.

Looking, uh, looking forward.

-[man 2] You look great.
-Thank you.

I'm Luke Donald, professional golfer.

I've been a professional for 21 years.

And I'm this year's
European Ryder Cup captain.

My first Ryder Cup was '04.

Um, my last was 2012.

Initially, Henrik Stenson
was supposed to be the captain

of this European Ryder Cup team.

A major champion.
But then he went to LIV Golf.

That was a line in the sand

that the European Tour could not get past.

He's banished from the Ryder Cup picture,
and now it falls on Luke Donald.

[Luke] I got the nod. I got the call-up,
and a wave of emotions came over me.

You know, it's like,
"Am I ready for this? Can I do it?"

"Can I be a leader for these 12 guys?"

When you have
opportunities like these arise,

there's always those doubts,
but I think you have to walk towards them,

because your potential always exists
on the other side of that kind of fear.

So you have to walk towards it.

Yeah, there's no way I was gonna say no.

So, you've got the US trying to win

for the first time
in 30 years on European soil,

and Luke leading a team that will be,

whatever they try and say,
perceived as underdogs,

so it's gonna be exciting,
one way or another.

We are usually underdogs on paper,

in terms of world rankings
and all that stuff.

The US won quite easily two years ago,
so we need... we need to get our revenge.

[cheering]

[announcer 1] And the inevitable
has happened.

The cup is back
in the United States' hands.

[announcer 2] Full and total domination.

[Dylan Dethier] The last Ryder Cup
was humiliating for Team Europe.

The US team dominated them
in historic fashion.

So now, Luke Donald
comes into the Ryder Cup captaincy

in a tricky spot.

A lot of the guys that have been
the heart and soul of this European team

left for LIV.

The US team has decided

that Brooks Koepka
is eligible for this team.

But on Team Europe, Ian Poulter,
Sergio García, and Lee Westwood

aren't eligible, because to join LIV,

they ended up resigning
their European Tour memberships,

so Luke is going to have to get creative

and look at some new names
to fill out his team.

The world will not know

who half of the European Ryder Cup team
till Luke reveals it.

Drama guaranteed.

-[man] Who's up for a coffee? Charlie?
-[Charlie] Yes, please.

[coffee machine whirring]

Charlie makes this easy for me,
to be fair. I mean...

I'm going to look like I know
what I'm doing, which I kind of do.

I'm more of a, uh... a coffee critiquer

than actually a barista myself.

-The, uh... the little distributor.
-[Justin Rose] Is this it?

-That's it, yeah.
-[Justin] Okay.

-[taps distributor]
-[Charlie] That's it.

I turned pro at the tender age of 17.

So, I've been a pro longer than I haven't,
is the way I like to tell people now.

[machine hissing]

[Justin] We drive my wife crazy with this,
because we're like,

"Let's just grab
a quick coffee before we go."

Fifteen minutes later,
we're still freakin' messing about.

I think my team have me
as a 17-minute spread, don't they?

Yeah, we've got... we have,
like, a margin of time, basically,

so let's say we're meeting at 10:00.

If he gets there at 17 minutes past,
he's on time, basically.

-[Justin] On Rosey time.
-[Charlie] Yeah.

Can you make a swan?

[Justin] Don't know what I'm making.
I'm gonna go for the swirly bird.

All right.

Let's go and have, uh, have a great day.

[optimistic music playing]

The Ryder Cup, it'd definitely be
an inspirational tournament for me,

but unfortunately,
I didn't qualify outright.

The two opportunities
that I've had to play in the Ryder Cup

where I haven't made the team
automatically have never gone my way.

I've never been picked.

But both those times
being left off the team

have given me the motivation
to kick on the next season.

I just knew that I needed
to show the captain

that I was playing well enough
to deserve one of those picks.

[Dan] Justin Rose
is an interesting player.

He is closer in age to Luke Donald
than to Rory McIlroy.

He's definitely staring
towards the end of his career,

but as a five-time Ryder Cup veteran,
this competition is what he lives for.

[shouts of encouragement]

-[cheering]
-[announcer] That is a beauty.

[loud cheering]

But this year, Justin's been inconsistent.

And in golf, consistency always matters.

[Justin] I felt like I'd put myself
in a position to make the team,

and then maybe wobbled a bit.

I missed the cut at the Scottish Open.

Didn't have a good
Open Championship either,

and that was right when Luke was beginning
to really formulate his team,

so, yeah, sweating it out a little bit.

With six picks, I'm going to have
to consider lots of different options.

You know, there's gonna be
some rookies in there for sure,

so I'm going to need some experience too,
people who have been there before.

[Justin] I'm not ready to fade away here.

This is what I'm made for,
and I still believe I've got it.

[girl] Come here, Bubs.

[girl makes kissing sounds]

[Luke] Go get it, buddy.

Come on, let's see all your moves.
Let's see your backflip.

Whoa-oa-oa-oa!

[girl] Oh!

[Luke] Got a gymnast.

Got a lot better at that one.

Good job.

All right, Daddy's gonna watch some golf.

[TV host] We're joined now
by US Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson

at the Chicago Ralph Lauren Polo store...

[Luke] Zach certainly could have gone
a few different ways on the picks.

I don't think he picked
potentially the strongest statistically,

but there's a lot of talk out there

that this US team
is gonna be around for 10, 12, 14 years,

whatever it might be,
and gonna be dominating the Ryder Cup.

So there's a lot of pressure on me
to try and win back the cup.

It's a... it's a tall order.

[woman] So, like, I have
a theory about golf that...

Yeah?

...it's easier to play
when you're, like, younger

because you don't have
all these, like, horrible memories

and all the holes throughout the year.

-[Rafael] Yeah, 100%.
-Scar tissue.

The more you play,
the more bogeys and mistakes.

[laughs]

[Diane] Luke is in sort of like
an in-between stage of his career.

He's finding it, I think,
harder and harder to compete.

So, the captaincy, I think,
came at such a wonderful time,

because it gave him something to focus on

outside of his body
that's hurting him...

[chuckles] ...sometimes.

And Luke does really well
with, like, a... a project.

[Luke] Go in.

Tyrrell dunked one
in the water this morning

and started laughing on 17.

This is a process that I've been
going through for 14 months.

And certainly this is
as big a challenge, I think,

as I've ever had in my golf career.

[dramatic music playing]

[distant cheering]

[Luke] Zach definitely has
a better individual career than me.

He's won more on the PGA TOUR.
He's won two majors.

[woman] If you're Booster Club,
go that way.

-[Kim] Yes, ma'am.
-[Zach] Yes, ma'am.

[woman] Booster Club. [laughs]

I think it's a Hall of Fame career.

[man] Good luck in Italy.

[Zach] Thank you. Thanks.

[brass band playing]

[cheerleaders] Go, Knights! Go, Knights!

[Zach] As a player, when I played
in the Ryder Cup, it was excitement.

You just can't wait
to get out there and compete.

-[shouts of encouragement]
-[announcer] Touchdown!

-[cheering, applause]
-Whoo!

[Zach] As a captain,
when you're not hitting a shot,

it's a little bit of all that,

but then also the anxiety
of the responsibility.

Even though I... I welcome it
and I relish it,

it's... it's still a lot of weight.

[Dylan] Both Luke and Zach
have been parts of Ryder Cup teams before.

They've been players.
They've been vice-captains.

But they've never been
in a position like this,

and it's a massive deal to both of them.

For Zach, it would mean
the crowning achievement

for a guy that's already won
massive major championships.

For Luke, this would be the moment.

He's a guy
that's reached world number one,

but he doesn't have
that major on his résumé,

so winning this Ryder Cup
would be a massive deal.

[announcer] We are proud to announce
that, effective tonight,

the Pavilion will be named
the Captain's Pavilion.

It is dedicated to Zach Johnson

in recognition
of his distinguished service

as the captain of this year's
United States Ryder Cup team,

and the inspiring work
of the Zach Johnson Foundation.

Ladies and gentlemen,
please give a big round of applause

for Zach and his family.

[cheering, applause]

[announcer] Thank you for your support.

[dogs barking]

[vehicle drives past]

[birds singing]

[Luke] Whatever happens,
we're gonna have a very strong team

and a team I think can win.

It can be gut-wrenching, a little bit,
to leave someone out that's...

who thinks he's done enough.

-Yeah, I mean, that's why it's your job.
-[Luke laughs]

That's why being
a vice-captain is the easy job.

For Team Europe,
Luke Donald has a pretty impressive group

who have automatically qualified.

We're talking Rahm, Rory, Viktor Hovland,

all three of the top four players
in the world,

and then, of course, Matthew Fitzpatrick,
who is top ten in the world as well.

Where things get complicated
for Captain Luke Donald

is a lot of the old guard is now gone,

so now he has this pool
of really untested players to choose from.

A lot of rookies, but also realizing
you have to balance it out

with enough experience,

so that you have players
who can hold that locker room together.

[somber music playing]

[Justin] Why have I got no signal?

Luke's obviously got, uh, many calls
to make, I think. Good calls, bad calls.

[woman] Oh God.

So, there's a few more minutes
to... sweat it out.

[laughter]

Hopefully, it's good news.

Justin's played his way
into all of the Ryder Cups he's played in,

and he didn't get a pick a couple of times

where, really, honestly,
we probably thought he would have.

That was very frustrating, very difficult.

[Justin] Give me a little daisy cutter
across the grass.

Ooh! Nice.

[Kate] On loud ring? Are we gonna hear it?

[Justin] I think it's on loud.

Until you get the call, you just...
You don't know till you know.

[phone line ringing]

Tommy!

I want you in Rome as part of the 12,

so hopefully, you'll accept.

[Tommy] Amazing. Uh, yes, please.

[man] Hey, Luke.

-[Luke] Sepp, how are you?
-[Sepp] Doing good. How about you?

Oh, you know. I'm calling to say, uh,
I'd love for you to be a part of the team.

-[Sepp] That is awesome. Yes, absolutely.
-[chuckles]

[phone chimes]

-There he is.
-[man] How are you?

[Luke] Shane, we want you in Rome.

You know, I saw that passion
you had two years ago at Whistling,

even though we got our arses kicked,

but we're going
to turn it around this year.

Thanks, Luke. Uh, obviously,
I'm very, very happy and excited.

[applause]

[tour official] The winner of the Omega
European Masters, Ludvig Åberg!

[cheering, applause]

[Luke] Ludvig, I know
you're a busy boy right now, but, uh,

just calling, really,
to say you earned it.

You're... you're on the team, Ludvig.

Thank you. Wow. That's unbelievable.

I can't... I can't wait.

-Nicolai.
-[Nicolai] Hello.

I want you in Rome.

Oh my f*cking God.

I think you're... you're ready for it.

Man, I can't describe how...
how this conversation feels.

[Luke chuckles]

[cell phone ringing]

Oh, right.

It is Luke. FaceTime too.

-Uh-oh.
-[phone still ringing]

-[Kate] Go on.
-[chuckles softly]

Hi, Luke.

Rosey, how are you?

[Justin] Just doing everything I can
to distract myself.

Playing football in the garden,
having a glass of Pimm's.

I've got some good news, mate.

You're in the team.

-Yes!
-[Luke] Of course I want you there.

Thanks, mate. Listen, I've been,
obviously, hoping I'd showed you enough.

You bring a lot to the team room.
You've got experience.

What is this, number six for you?

Number six, yeah. So, I'll bring...
I'll bring the gray hair with me.

You might be the oldest one
in the... in the team room,

but, uh, that's a good thing.

You can... you can share the knowledge.

This is actually the first pick
I've ever had in the Ryder Cup.

The two other picks,
times I've sort of been close to a pick,

it's not gone my way,

so, obviously,
I've never taken this for granted at all.

We've got a good plan in place.
Um, I'm excited, uh, to get that cup back.

-[Justin] Thanks for all the faith in me.
-I'll see you in Rome.

-[Justin] All right.
-Cheers. Bye.

-Guys!
-You're going to Rome!

-[Kate chuckles]
-Ryder Cup, baby!

-Ryder Cup, baby!
-That's amazing!

-Your first pick.
-My first pick.

-Ever.
-Yeah.

That's so fun.

Ooh, what a day. [sighs]

[Dan] So, Luke makes his picks,
and they're a bit of a dirty dozen.

It's kind of a ragtag group of guys.

There's five guys outside the top 30,

three guys outside the top 50,
four rookies.

They're going against an American team
that is stacked, one through twelve,

blue-chip major winners everywhere.

Scottie Scheffler,
Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth.

This Ryder Cup could get interesting.

[Justin] I was on the sidelines
looking in at Whistling Straits,

and the American team
seemed very dominant.

They seemed very... confident.

I feared a little bit
for the next decade or so for Team Europe.

I wasn't sure where...
where we were going, to be quite honest.

[Rory McIlroy] A lot of the narrative
around the European Ryder Cup team is,

"Will they struggle? They don't have
those experienced veterans on the team."

But to me, this is a new era for Europe,
and this is a young team.

This is what we're gonna go for.
We're gonna go forward.

To me, there's nothing more fun than being
on a team going to win an away game.

If we can go win
a Ryder Cup on European soil,

that would feel as meaningful
as just about anything in our sport.

[Rory] My appreciation of the Ryder Cup
has grown every time I've played in one,

because it brings something out of you

that you just don't get
in individual tournaments.

You're playing for your teammates,

your captain,
your country, your continent.

[Justin] We're facing
an unbelievable American team,

and I'm just not sure
that that matters to Team Europe.

[distant church bell tolls]

[indistinct conversation]

-[applause]
-Welcome, everyone!

What an amazing view.

What an amazing setting
for this, uh, Ryder Cup.

[Amanda] The process is so long
and drawn out leading up to Rome,

but that is all now behind us.

The single goal now for Luke Donald
is to get his 12 players to play as one

if they're going to have
any hope in defeating Team USA.

[Luke] This, ladies and gentlemen,
is our 12,

our 12 strong that is gonna attempt
to regain the Ryder Cup.

I couldn't be more happy
and proud of these guys.

It's gonna be a special week, and we plan
on making our own history this week,

so we're gonna enjoy
our times on the golf course,

and we're gonna win back that cup,
so... thank you very much.

[applause]

[indistinct chatter]

[player] Splitting the right edge means
the middle of my ball's in the right edge.

[Collin] It's where
you're aiming your putter.

If you were to hit
a right-edge putt, where is it?

-Same thing?
-Same thing.

Yeah! All right. Yeah!

[Justin Thomas] Hey, Zach. If you have
a putt right edge, where are you aiming?

[Max] Where do you aim
the middle of the ball?

The middle of the ball sets right up at...

Half in, half out. That's right edge.

If you're a caddie,
it feels like you're just adding words.

[Collin] C'mon, team putting.

[Jordan] To have a group of guys
collectively after the same goal,

and to be able to piggyback
off the momentum

we've been having the last couple years,

and to hopefully start what could be
a new dynasty in that tournament,

I think that's really our goal.

[dramatic music playing]

[fans chanting]

[strikes ball]

[woman] In the hole!

[Dan] Historically, the Americans
excel as individuals,

and they are like,
"This is not that complicated."

"We're just gonna show up
and beat you at golf."

And it worked at the last Ryder Cup.

I got to make that hole in one.

[player] That's what he said.
He's going to win a match on this hole.

[Dan] The European team may be top-heavy,

but on paper, has some guys that you say,
"They may not be ready for this stage."

Going into your rookie Ryder Cup,
you know, these rounds here.

-Yeah.
-Have you ever found these rounds tough?

-I mean, like, intimidating.
-Yeah, yeah.

Because it's like
you really wanna perform well.

[Rory] Luke and the guys,
they already have a plan for all of us,

so, like, this is just
to know the courses.

I think we all want to play well
just so we feel confident going in.

-But...
-[Nicolai] True.

You're not trying
to prove anything to anyone.

You've already proved it.
You're on the team. Right?

-You're here because you're a good player.
-Hmm.

So, you don't need to feel
like you need to prove anything.

[Dylan] The Europeans have been
historically great at teamwork.

-[Diane] What do you think?
-[woman 1] Incredible. Amazing.

-[woman 2] It's so cool.
-[Diane] It's so amazing, right?

-[indistinct chatter]
-[laughter]

-Everyone.
-[indistinct comment]

-Yes. Here we go.
-Yeah.

[Diane] Luke and I, when we looked back
on our previous experiences,

the Ryder Cups where we'd done
really well, we were like a family,

you know, and so we spend
so much time just trying to figure out,

like, how do we get these people
to be a family, like, really fast?

-Have you been to a Ryder Cup before?
-Yeah.

Joan's been... You know Joan, Keith's wife?

-No!
-Sorry.

[Diane] To start in a home one
is the best. The sun is shining on you.

-Yeah.
-The sun is shining.

[laughter]

[Diane] We should all be wishing
for the same thing on this one.

[all] One, two, three!

[cheering]

[laughter]

-You do it that way...
-I was scared it'd hit his head.

[distant horn blares]

[indistinct background conversation]

Turn round...

[spectator whooping]

[cheering, applause]

[whistling]

[indistinct chatter]

-[woman 1] Thank you.
-[woman 2] Wow.

[indistinct chatter]

[woman 2] Wow.

Third tie I've had to tie today.

[Katherine] Oh my gosh, Rachel!
So beautiful.

[Diane] Wednesday night of Ryder Cup,

the American team and the European team
always have a joint team photo.

Oh, thanks. Come on!

[Diane] It's, like, the one time
where we get together.

The rest of the week, we are...

[whispering] ...on opposite sides.

[classical string music playing]

[woman] Thank you.

-Look turned out amazing. So happy.
-[Jena] Thank you.

[groans]

[classical music continues]

-[fan 1] Rickie!
-[fan 2] Rickie, kick a*s!

-[fan 3] Let's go, Rickie!
-[indistinct shouting]

The steps are really slippery,
so mind your feet.

[Wyndham] They asked,
"Who's the gladiator of the team?"

I said, "If we had to send one,
it's Brooks, 'cause he's the biggest guy."

[woman] Dripping sweat.

My feet are starting to sweat.

-Mine are too.
-Going down those steps...

I felt like I was gonna
slide out of these things.

-[Brooks] My feet were like this.
-[woman] This is so hard.

Don't do leg day before this.
Oh my God, I'm shaking.

[Zach] Oh, it's very much tradition
to be together for at least one evening.

You embrace that and acknowledge
that it's the right thing to do

and it has to happen.

-[spectators chanting] USA! USA!
-[man] This is our year, baby!

-[Kim] Everybody look at Rickie.
-[indistinct chatter]

-[spectators chanting] Europe!
-[man] Who's gonna be the best?

Europe! Europe! Europe!

Europe! Europe! Europe!

[Rory] I've always felt like the Ryder Cup
meant just a little bit more to Europeans

because this is our time
to do our bit for Europe,

and we're playing for history,
and we're a part of history.

We're allowed to slag off
the Americans, aren't we? It's okay.

-[laughs] Netflix is right there, though.
-Are they? Oh, f*ck!

-[laughs loudly]
-Aagh!

[both laugh]

[photographer] Okay, one, two, three!

[indistinct chatter]

[birds singing]

[Dylan] The Opening Ceremony
is where the competition is beginning.

"We're putting our teams out
against your teams."

The stakes are really high.

The result of this competition,

people are gonna talk about it
for the next two years

and for years to come after that.

[Zach groans]

-Pardon my elbow there.
-[Rory laughs]

[indistinct chatter]

[man] Gentlemen! You probably
can hear the noise out there.

It's absolutely packed out there,
and it's obviously for all of you guys.

So thank you very much.

USA, you'll be walked out first,

and then we'll bring out
the European team.

-Cheers, guys. Thank you!
-[applause]

[cheering]

Signore e signori, ladies and gentlemen,
welcome to Italy for the 2023 Ryder Cup.

[cheering]

[man] Okay, gentlemen, could you please
line up in your order for me, please?

[Dan] You bring these two teams out,
face-to-face, and it's finally like,

"This is it. USA versus Europe."

Decades of history, of rivalries,
bubbling to the surface.

Who is the better team right now?
Let's find out.

[host] Ladies and gentlemen,

please welcome
the holders of the Ryder Cup.

Led by their captain, Zach Johnson,

it's the US Team!

[spectators chanting] USA! USA! USA!

USA!

[chuckling excitedly]

[host] Please welcome the men
who are hoping to win the Ryder Cup back.

Led by their captain, Luke Donald,

Team Europe!

[cheering]

[engines roaring]

[speaking Italian]

[chanting]

[speaking Italian]

[cheering]

[Luke continues speaking Italian]

[applause]

[JT] There's nothing cooler
than that opening ceremony.

Let's go!

It's like the closest we get to kind of
a face-to-face boxing-type situation,

you know, for us golfers,

but you're ready
to get out there and play.

[Zach] Tomorrow, the games begin.

You will soon see why
there's nothing else like the Ryder Cup.

Forza Europa!

[cheering]

[cheering, applause]

[indistinct chatter]

[official] Good morning, and welcome
to Marco Simone Golf and Country Club,

and to the 2023 Ryder Cup.

Whoo!

[official] The course is not open
until at least 6:30,

depending on daylight.

[indistinct chatter]

[announcer 1] All roads lead
to the opening tee of the 44th Ryder Cup.

[announcer 2] Golf's great
gladiatorial contest comes to Italy

for the very first time.

[spectators chanting] Luke! Luke! Luke!

[Luke] Every Friday morning
of a Ryder Cup is pressure.

I mean, I think Bob MacIntyre said
he almost felt like throwing up.

[whistling and applause]

[Zach] Friday morning, and it's real now.
This is actually happening.

[Collin] Everyone's rooting everyone on,
but we know it's time to work.

Everyone's got what they need to do.

Physio, training. Everything's dialed in.

[Max] You could feel
the gravity of the situation.

I know it's just golf,
but you could just feel it.

I think so much of it is I've dreamt
of being on that team since I was little,

and it almost feels weird
that you have that opportunity.

[Justin] You get out there.
There's so much adrenaline.

You can hear the chants
from the first tee.

There's like a vibration buzz
in the atmosphere.

It's, uh, it's really, really cool.

[cheering]

[announcer 2] There is nothing quite like
Friday morning at the Ryder Cup.

[cheering]

[chanting] Luke! Luke!

Daddy!

Yes!

[cheering]

[applause]

How amazing!

[cheering]

[Diane] It's mandatory that each of you
needs to cry at least once this week.

[chanting] Luke! Luke! Luke! Luke!

Luke! Luke! Luke! Luke! Luke! Luke!

[Luke] The energy just builds
and builds and builds,

and you get these knots in your stomach.

Everyone looks quite calm on the outside,
but trust me, they're not.

[announcer 1] Two sides, 24 players.

[starter] This is match number one.

Representing the United States of America,

Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns.

[jeering]

[starter] Representing Europe,
Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton.

[loud cheering]

[Scottie] Knowing there's like a coliseum
of people surrounding you,

going from extremely loud,
almost deafening,

to just dead silent
when your club gets behind the golf ball,

it's almost eerie, but it's fantastic.

-[strikes ball]
-[cheering]

[suspenseful music playing]

[applause]

[announcer 1] So, that opening match
underway here in foursomes.

[Dan] The Ryder Cup
is a unique beast in our game.

Most PGA TOUR events are stroke play,
but the Ryder Cup is a match-play format,

so guys go head-to-head.

So you win a hole, you go one-up.
You lose a hole, you go one-down.

And whoever wins the most holes
wins the match.

Matches are typically two-on-two,

then on Sunday,
everyone plays by themselves.

The team matches and individual matches
are both worth one point,

so there's 28 matches,
there's 28 points up for grabs.

You win the match, you get the full point.
If you tie, you get half a point.

Whoever wins 14 and a half
wins the Ryder Cup.

[shouts of encouragement]

[announcer 1] Oh! Really?
We're gonna start like that?

[applause]

[announcer 1] And a chance for Europe
to birdie and win the hole.

[shouts of encouragement]

[announcer 1] They play the opening hole
in that first match all tied.

[applause and shouting]

[Luke] We knew
they were going to be very difficult.

[announcer 3] Match number two.

Max Homa with Brian Harman,
the Open champ...

[strikes ball]

...taking on Viktor Hovland
and Ludvig Åberg.

[Luke] I think we had a good plan
in place. We knew we wanted to start fast.

We were very confident,
myself, the vice-captains,

about the pairings that we'd created.

[announcer 3] Hovland with the wedge.
Surprised he doesn't have the putter out.

[shouts of encouragement]

[announcer 3] Look at that!
That's why he used the wedge!

[cheering]

[announcer 1] Statement at the first hole
from the European side.

By the way, it's just 8:00 a.m.

[Luke] Winning the first hole
and getting up early,

it's so important in match play.

It's only 18 holes.
It's a sprint more than a marathon.

[announcer 1] Hovland with a putt here
at the second to win the hole.

[fan shouts]

-[cheering]
-[announcer 1] They've played two holes.

We got two fist pumps
from Viktor Hovland already.

A lead for Europe in the second match,
and we await match number three.

Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa
against Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka.

[Dylan] On Friday morning,
the four matches go off 15 minutes apart.

So, for most of the morning,

there are four matches
going on side by side by side,

which means there's a lot
for the captains to keep track of.

[Zach] There's a lot of process
into my role once all the tandems are out.



If this player here really wants to know
what the group in front of them did,

I can help there.

[announcer 1] As we take you to Rahm,
this for birdie.

The Americans have a putt for par.

-[shouts of encouragement]
-[cheering]

[announcer 1] So, birdie
for Jon Rahm and Hatton.

[announcer 3] And they'll go one-up.

[man] Get in the hole!

[cheering]

[announcer 2] Oh my word!

[applause]

[announcer 2] So close to a hole-in-one.

[announcer 1] At the fourth,
the final match

to end the morning foursomes,

Rory and Fleetwood

against Xander Schauffele
and Patrick Cantlay.

[Rory] On paper,
the Americans are the stronger side,

and we relish being put in that position...

-[cheering]
-[announcer 2] In the middle for McIlroy.

A first lead in that last match out.

...because it just gives us
a chip on our shoulder.

[Dylan] Halfway through
the morning session,

it's already becoming apparent.

Team Europe is winning
a lot more holes than the Americans.

[cheering]

-[announcer 3] Oh, look at that!
-[announcer 1] Hello!

[cheering, applause]

[announcer 3] Americans have not led
in any matches.

They've been down the entire morning.

[caddie] Go, go, go!

-It's hot, but I just need it to cover.
-[caddie] Go! Go!

[spectators groan]

[announcer 3] Oh!

[announcer 2] Yeah, tried to be aggressive
with Europe in the fairway

and pays the price.

Five?

We get to nine, so we're three-down.
I look at the leaderboard.

I think it's all blue,
so we're all down in every match.

I'm like, "Holy sh*t. Like, this is real."

[Luke] Everything Friday is going our way.

Our pairings are working
just how I thought they would,

and we're using the crowd
to our advantage as well.

We're feeding off their energy,

so every time we win a hole,
we're hearing those cheers,

and it goes a long way to keep
that confidence, that mojo going.

[announcer 4] Over at 11.
And Rickie for par to win.

-[man] Rickie!
-[spectators groan]

[Collin] I'm like, "Holy f*ck, Rick."

We probably had
four or five birdie or par putts

to, like, win a hole, tie a hole.

But we were playing terrible.

[Zach] We didn't get off
to the start we wanted.

[announcer 2] And things
are just not going the US's way.

[Zach] We lipped out some putts
and they made some.

In golf, in general, momentum's big.

Specifically in the Ryder Cup,
when you see your color on the board,

it just kind of breeds momentum.

[announcer 3] Two putts
to win the match for Jon Rahm.

[shouts of encouragement]

[announcer 1] They've been
in total control of this match.

And that'll probably do it, and it does.

[cheering, applause]

[announcer 1] The first point on the board
for the side of Europe.

[applause]

I couldn't be more happy
with the... the leaderboard

and how it looks and all the blue.

[announcer 1] Third for Hovland. He's been
magical with the short game today.

Can he do it again?

Yes, he can.

[cheering, applause]

[announcer 1] That'll be
a four-and-three win.

Two points on the board for Europe.

[applause continues]

[announcer 1] Meanwhile, at 17,
Fowler trying to keep these two alive.

[announcer 3] Yeah, pretty much needs
to make this.

-Oh!
-[announcer 1] Oh, how close!

[applause]

[announcer 3] And this
to close out the match.

[cheering]

[announcer 1] So, that's Straka,
Shane Lowry... with the win

over Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa.

[cheering]

[announcer 1] Three points already
on the board for Europe.

[woman] Whoo-whoo!

[shouts of encouragement]

[announcer 3] This one working back
as well, just right at the hole.

[cheering]

[announcer 3] Wow!

What a shot!

[announcer 1] Every single time
the US has a reason to believe,

the door shuts.

Will the Americans be able
to put anything on the board?

[announcer 3] With Schauffele, I've never
seen him hit a putt that bad before.

[man] Go on, Tommy!

[Dylan] Friday morning was
an unmitigated disaster for the Americans.

[cheering]

[announcer 1] And a sweep it is
here in the opening session

of the 44th Ryder Cup.

[cheering]

[announcer 1] What a statement
by the best from Europe here.

[fans singing]
♪ Stand up if you're four-nil up ♪

♪ Stand up if you're four-nil up ♪

♪ Stand up... ♪

[announcer 3] Boy,
what a lopsided beatdown.

[Justin Thomas] Looking at the scoreboard,
I think, was like, "Holy sh*t."

I'm like, "This is... this is real."

♪ Olé, olé, olé, olé... ♪

[announcer 3] Every match,
the US could never get any momentum.

Just domination.

[Dan] A Mike Tyson quote comes to mind of,

"Everyone has a plan
until they get punched in the face."

The Americans got punched squarely
in the jaw with an uppercut on Friday.

[Diane] What is going on?

[shouting and applause]

[Dan] When you get punched like that,

you take your plans
and throw them out the window.

[dramatic music playing]

[laughs] Well, welcome.

Welcome to the Ryder Cup.

[dramatic music playing]