Darren Clarke’s forlorn hopes of a complete riposte to the USA’s morning whitewash were dashed as Martin Kaymer and Danny Willett had no answer to two of the players Davis Love III had benched in the morning, Brandt Snedeker and Brooks Koepka.
Big-hitting Koepka, the only rookie qualifier on the US team, did the heavy lifting while Snedeker did his usual strong work on the putting surfaces as Kaymer looked drained after his morning experience and Willett had to deal with a near constant barrage of banter from the galleries.
References to his brother’s article lambasting US golf fans – some amusing and some obnoxious – were peppered at the Masters champion, who silenced them only briefly when he rolled in a long birdie putt for a half at the first.
However although playing reasonably in the circumstances, Willett got no help from Kaymer, who didn’t birdie a hole or even come in on the scorecard until the 10th, and that a par four to lose the hole to Snedeker’s three.
That took the US four-up for the second time in the match and that became five-up at 11 when Snedeker birdied the par five.
Koepka found the water at the 13th but Snedeker got the half which stemmed any idea of a comeback and ensured the USA would retain the lead at the end of the first day.
