Ryder Cup: Europe cuts US lead on opening day at Hazeltine

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(CNN)The US made a perfect start in its bid to reclaim the Ryder Cup Friday -- but Europe served notice that it will not easily loosen its eight-year stranglehold on international golfing dominance.

Darren Clarke's defending champions battled back from the ignominy of a 4-0 whitewash in the morning foursomes matches at Hazeltine to end the opening day of the team contest just two points behind after rallying in the fourballs contests.

How Europe became a Ryder Cup force

Rose and Stenson led the comeback with the opening point, but Brandt Snedeker -recalled after missing the 2014 defeat -- and debutant Brooks Koepka thrashed two-time major winner Kaymer and new partner Danny Willett. Willett, who won his first major title at April's Masters, received predictable flak from the crowd following the article his brother wrote during the week that labeled US fans as "imbeciles." The veteran Garcia -- this time teamed with fellow Spaniard Rafael Cabrera-Bello, making his debut -- won 3 & 2 against the new US pairing of Ryan Moore and JB Holmes to close the gap once again. McIlroy and Pieters then wrapped up the day with a 3 & 2 victory over Dustin Johnson

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and Kuchar, keeping Europe in touch. "We were bitterly disappointed at lunchtime," Clarke told UK broadcaster Sky Sports. "They just didn't play the way we know they can play this morning. America did, that's the beauty of matchplay golf. "To put in a performance like that this afternoon was scintillating. I couldn't be more proud of them." Visit cnn.com/golf for more Ryder Cup news Love, captaining the US for the second time after defeat in 2012, had been wary of getting too excited when talking to CNN after the opening session, stressing that there was "a lot of golf still to play." He told Sky at the end of play: "We had a great morning, we got beat by a team playing unbelievable golf this afternoon. Everyone was under par, they didn't play bad -- they just didn't play great. The Europeans played great."

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/30/golf/ryder-cup-us-europe-golf/index.html

Ryder Cup: Europe cuts US lead on opening day at Hazeltine

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