'We stuck to the plan': Pádraig Harrington sticks to the script despite early deficit

Team Europe captain Padraig Harrington. Picture: INPHO/Michael Schmidt

Pádraig Harrington led with his strengths, but his best laid plans went awry in the morning foursomes session as the U.S. team opened a 3-1 lead in the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits.

“It wasn't their morning. Let's hope it's their afternoon,” Harrington said of his European team.

Despite the deficit, Harrington carried through with his plan to have all 12 players play on Friday. He sent out all three of his rookies in the afternoon, sending out Shane Lowry with fellow Irishman Rory McIlroy in the third match against Americans Tony Finau and Harris English.

He partnered Bernd Wiesberger with Paul Casey in the opening fourballs match against Dustin Johnson and Xander Schauffele. Viktor Hovland played in the anchor match with Tommy Fleetwood against Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay.

Jon Rahm, who collected Europe’s only point in the morning with Sergio Garcia, went out with Tyrrell Hatton instead against Bryson DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler in the second match of the afternoon.

Harrington said he didn’t make any alterations just because Europe was trailing – which it has for the sixth time in the last seven Ryder Cups.

“No, we had a plan, we stuck to the plan,” Harrington said. “I thought the players played well this morning. That's match play. We are hoping for a big afternoon. We definitely stuck with the plan.” The captain said he was not frustrated with his team’s performance, that included a lop-sided loss by his marquee team of McIlroy and Ian Poulter. He didn’t desire grabbing a club and stepping in to the rescue.

“You want to be involved in some way but I suppose you get your team ready and you have to let them go,” he said. “They did play well today, so I'm not unhappy with that. They have done their job.” On the other side, US captain Steve Stricker was pleased with the start but not satisfied unless the afternoon effort held up.

“It was a good start but my message to the team is this is a new session,” Stricker said. “We’ve got to win the session.” Stricker stuck with his own plan, which included breaking up the successful morning partnership of Cantlay and Schauffele and sitting Jordan Spieth to help him remain fresher. Schauffele played fourball with Johnson instead while Cantlay went out with Thomas.

Big hitters DeChambeau and Scheffler went out as expected as a team against Europe’s big-shouldered No. 1 Rahm and the volatile Hatton.

Garcia, Poulter, Westwood and Fitzpatrick sat out the afternoon for Europe while Collin Morikawa, Brooks Koepka and Daniel Berger joined Spieth on the bench.