Scheffler loses twice more to become the first US player to be 0-4 through 4 sessions at a Ryder Cup

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler already had missed his birdie try on the 14th hole when Bryson DeChambeau waved him over to help read his putt the Americans desperately needed.

Scheffler might’ve been the wrong guy to ask, because he simply has had no answers this week at Bethpage Black.

The world’s No. 1-ranked player lost twice more on Saturday to become the first U.S. player to lose in each of the first four sessions of the Ryder Cup, a big reason Europe has a commanding 11 1/2-4 1/2 lead.

England’s Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood rallied after Scheffler briefly had his only lead of the day in a 3-and-2 victory in the afternoon.

“We were into a tough matchup today,” Scheffler said. “Those guys played great. They made a ton of putts and, really, tip of a cap to them. They played better than we did.”

As has everyone who has played against Scheffler this week.

No one — much less the No. 1 player in golf — has ever started a Ryder Cup 0-4 under the current format that dates to 1979. Peter Alliss lost his first five matches in the 1967 Ryder Cup, when there were six sessions. He won his singles match at the end to go 1-5-0.

Europe’s Peter Townsend in 1971 had the only other 0-for-4 start through four sessions.

Scheffler will wrap up the weekend on Sunday against Rory McIlroy in a singles matchup of No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the world ranking.

U.S. captain Keegan Bradley praised Scheffler for being an incredible teammate who has been willing to do whatever the Americans needed.

“This means everything to him, and this is tough,” Bradley said. “This is what happens in sports all the time. In golf, the moment you want something so bad and you try so hard, you don’t play as well.”

Scheffler lost Friday morning in foursomes with Russell Henley and in the afternoon matches with U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun.

Scheffler went back out with Henley on Saturday morning and never led in Viktor Hovland and Robert MacIntyre’s 1-up victory. Trying to win the 18th to at least get a half-point, Scheffler badly missed the green to the right from just over 100 yards in the fairway and the Americans could only tie the hole.

Those are the kinds of mistakes that Scheffler has rarely made — and often overcame if he did — in a dominant season in which he won six times, including two majors. He tops the PGA Tour not only in wins but also in scoring average and earnings with his $27.7 million.

The only place he’s leading this Ryder Cup is in losses.

His struggles against Europe go back much further, however. Scheffler was 0-2-2 in the U.S. loss two years ago in Rome and hasn’t earned a full point in a match since defeating Jon Rahm in singles in 2021.

“The way he’s been playing the last three or four seasons, it’s incredible to watch. He’s great for the game,” Europe captain Luke Donald said. “But yeah, it hasn’t been his time. Obviously match play, playing with a partner, it is different.”

In the afternoon, DeChambeau eagled No. 4 and made birdie on the next hole to give the U.S. a 1-up lead, but Europe went back ahead with Rose’s birdies at Nos. 7 and 8 and kept the lead the rest of the way. The Europeans went 3 up when Rose birdied the 14th and DeChambeau missed, and closed it out on the 16th.

Only one of Scheffler’s matches has gone beyond that hole.

He has been on the wrong end of some bad breaks — like having his approach hit the flagstick on No. 10 and ricochet off the green — and on some great play. Fleetwood and Rose combined to make 12 birdies in 15 holes.

Scheffler joined Fuzzy Zoeller (1979), Raymond Floyd (1983) and Steve Stricker (2012) as the only Americans to lose four matches in one Ryder Cup at home.

On Sunday, he’ll try to avoid becoming the first American to lose five anywhere.

“Tomorrow, anything can happen,” DeChambeau said. “I know it’s quite lopsided, but it would make for a great comeback story.”

___

AP Ryder Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/ryder-cup