CHASKA, Minnesota — A fired-up Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed set the tone as the United States seized early control at the Ryder Cup Friday with a 4-0 sweep of the opening foursomes matches against holder Europe.
Thunderous roars of "USA, USA, USA" echoed across the ultra-long Hazeltine National layout as twice major winner Spieth and fellow young gun Reed beat European heavyweights Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson 3&2 in the top match to secure the first point.
"Any time you are take on Rose and Stenson, it's never simple," Reed told reporters. "We had a great game plan coming in, we stuck with it.
"Just hit a lot of greens. In alternate shot you have to do that, give yourself opportunities. And we were lucky enough to be able to hit a lot of greens and have good looks."
Soon after, US Open champion Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar completed a 5&4 demolition of an out-of-sorts Lee Westwood of England and Belgian rookie Thomas Pieters in the anchor match.
PGA Championship winner Jimmy Walker and Zach Johnson came from one down after 11 holes to beat Spaniard Sergio Garcia and Germany's Martin Kaymer 4&2 before Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler delivered the most surprising point of the morning for the Americans.
Fan favorites Mickelson and Fowler were wayward off the tee for most of the session and trailed Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy and Englishman Andy Sullivan by two after 14 holes before scraping through a fluctuating contest to win one-up.
"It was a lot of heart, a heart that went out with two-down and four to go," said Mickelson, competing this week in his 11th Ryder Cup.
"It was a match where I didn't drive the ball well. It was a match where I felt more pressure in any Ryder Cup than I felt heading into this one because of the last two years and the build up."
The United States, which has a proud record on American soil with just four losses since the matches began in 1927, is bidding to end a run of eight defeats in the past 10 editions.
