SAINT-QUENTIN-en-YVELINES, France — The U.S. Ryder Cup team knows it can be done.
So, too, do the Europeans.
Because they’ve both done it to the other. Once each in the 41 previous Ryder Cups.
- That means two things as the Europeans take a commanding 10-6 lead into Sunday’s 12 singles matches at Le Golf National:The odds are long that the U.S. can dig itself out of this ditch created the last two days, losing both Friday and Saturday’s sessions, 5-3.
- But it can be done, because it’s been done before — in 1999 when the U.S. overcame a 10-6 deficit to win in Brookline, Mass., and in 2012 when Europe came back from the same deficit to win at Medinah.
The Americans, who came to France determined to win on foreign soil for the first time since 1993, need 14 points to retain the Cup they won two years ago at Medinah. Europe needs 4 ½ points to get to 14 ½ to win the Cup back.
Listening to members of both teams speak after Saturday’s session was an interesting case study in words of hope and words of caution — both as a result of what occurred in 1999 and 2008.
“History will tell me and everyone on that team that this is not over,’’ European captain Thomas Bjorn said. “It’s not over until we’ve got all the points on thee board.’’
When the U.S. made its comeback in ’99, then captain Ben Crenshaw famously told reporters on the eve of the singles, “I’ve got a feeling,’’ and his players responded by producing one of the most memorable and emotional days the sport has ever seen.
“I remember every damn word of it,’’ U.S. captain Jim Furyk said of Crenshaw’s words that fateful Saturday night. “We had a talk about it [with the team].’’
Furyk was a member of the 2012 U.S. team that was stunned by the European comeback victory.
“It sure sucked being on the other side, I will say that,’’ he said. “That was one of the worst days of my career. I remember it probably even better [than the comeback win in ’99], to be honest with you. The feeling of the momentum switching, the feeling of hearing the European crowd, looking up on the board and seeing blue. It’s a tough feeling to stomach.
“It reminded me very much of ’99, and unfortunately I lost the 17th and 18th hole to Sergio [Garcia] and my match was one of the key ones. I remember it very well. It’s probably in my list of top three worst nightmares in golf. So I remember it very, very vividly. Yeah, I learned a lot from that experience, absolutely.’’
Bjorn, whose partnerships have worked better than Furyk’s over the past two days, called singles “a different beast.’’
“We have a goal and that is to try to win this trophy, and that’s where the focus stays,’’ Bjorn said. “We are well aware of what’s standing across on the other side. Very capable and … the greatest players in the world. We have to regroup and we look to [Sunday], and I would never get ahead of myself in this.’’
The swing in these matches has been so violent you wonder if Team USA can recover from the whiplash.
The U.S. led 3-0 in the Friday morning fourballs and then watched Europe produce the nine of the next 10 points, taking a 10-4 lead on Saturday before Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas won their match and Webb Simpson and Bubba Watson defeated Sergio Garcia and Alex Noren in the afternoon foursomes to produce that familiar score, 10-6.
The unquestioned stars for Europe have been Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood, who became the first partners ever to go 4-0 in European Ryder Cup history.
The saviors for the U.S. have been Spieth and Thomas, who’ve won three of their four matches and produced half of the Americans’ points.
After Spieth and Thomas defeated Ian Poulter and Rory McIlroy in Saturday’s final match to draw it to 10-6, Spieth emphatically thumped his chest, a clear imitation of Poulter, who was the catalyst to Europe’s epic comeback victory in 2012.
“I guess the last time I saw that on a Saturday four points down it worked out pretty good for the other team,’’ Furyk said. “So hopefully it sparks us tomorrow.’’