ROME — You could argue that a report card should come after an event is actually over, but as with Whistling Straits two years ago, we find ourselves in a position where the event is tipping toward a conclusion before anyone hits a shot in Sunday singles. This time it’s the Europeans who have run the metaphorical thresher through the American wheat stalks (sorry, we’re running out of ways to describe a blowout), falling only a half point short of the record-tying 11-5 margin at Whistling Straits on Saturday night. If not for Patrick Cantlay, it could have been even worse.
And so, with another potentially irrelevant Sunday looming, we decided we may as well press forward with our grades. Let’s take the measure of all 24 players, starting with the dominant Europeans and going in alphabetical order.
EUROPE Ludvig Aberg (2-1-0) — A-
The biggest thing Aberg had to do this Ryder Cup was handle the pressure. Luke Donald knew he had the game to compete, but to justify his confidence, the Swedish rookie had to prove he could stand the spotlight. He performed admirably after a shaky first nine Friday morning, and collected two wins with Viktor Hovland before tiring out Saturday afternoon. He’s known for his driver, but his putter was equally strong, and he looks like an asset for Europe for years to come.
Matt Fitzpatrick (1-1-0) — B+
On one hand, Fitzpatrick was a fire-breathing demon in his first fourball match with Rory McIlroy, finally ending his longstanding Ryder Cup curse and earning an easy (and big) win. He was, in fact, the best player of the entire session by the stats. So why is he a B+? Because, in the final match of Saturday, he somehow left a putt short that basically could have won the Ryder Cup for Europe. They’re still fine, and I wouldn’t knock Fitzpatrick if he had missed, but to leave it short? That’s an inexcusable moment.
Tommy Fleetwood (2-1-1) — A-
Fleetwood’s analytics weren’t off the charts, but it seemed like every time you looked up, especially during his foursomes matches with McIlroy, he was holing a chip or draining a long putt or being clutch in some specific way. The two morning wins not only helped his team, but jumpstarted Rory in the wake of his ugly performance at Whistling Straits. That’s almost as important as anything else; in many ways, Fleetwood delivered.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
