Ryder Cup Saturday fourballs recap as Europeans win the afternoon session 3

We're past the halfway mark of the 2025 Ryder Cup with three sessions in the books and the fourth just about concluded. The biennial bash pitting the U.S. against Europe is at Bethpage Black this year and the critical Saturday afternoon matches are here.

And they are especially critical for the Red, White and Blue, in big trouble on home soil. If you're looking to get the Saturday morning recap, we got you covered here.

Follow along right here for live updates from the Saturday afternoon fourballs at the Ryder Cup.

Ryder Cup live leaderboard

Get the latest scores, matchups and player information for the 2025 Ryder Cup all day Saturday.

After four of five sessions, the Europeans lead the Ryder Cup 11 ½ to 4 ½.

Fitzpatrick, Hatton stuff their approaches on 18 to win final point

Matt Fitzpatrick zipped back his approach on the closing to hole within two feet. Tyrrell Hatton then did the same, his ball actually bumping up against Fitzpatrick's, both balls ending up in virtually the same spot. Sam Burns and Patrick Cantlay could not match that wizardry. Burns landed well past the hole, while Cantlay ended up in the front fringe. Cantlay wasn't close on his chip. Burns then had a 35-footer for birdie but missed left.

The Euros had a pair of easy birdie putts, which were conceded and it put another point for the yellow and blue squad, its third of the afternoon session.

Schauffele, Spaun win a point for the U.S.

After not leading the match all day, Xander Schauffele had a putt on 18 to win a point but hit it woefully short. After a Jon Rahm par, J.J. Spaun had a short birdie to win the match and earn a point and he did, finally putting some red on the leaderboard. It was Rahm's first loss of the week. It's the first point for the U.S. since the first match in the morning foursomes session.

There is one match left to be decided.

McIlroy, Lowry earn another European point

Make it a seven-point lead for the Euro contingent at the Bloodbath at Bethpage. The Rory McIlroy-Shane Lowry duo survived constant nasty commentary from the fans to earn a 3-and-2 win over Justin Thomas and Cam Young. Mcllroy is now 3-0-1 in this year's Ryder Cup.

World No. 1 Scheffler is now 0-4 at 2025 Ryder Cup

Paired with Bryson DeChambeau in afternoon fourballs, Scheffler falls to 0-4 this week after a 3-and-2 loss to Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose. This is the first point on the board in the second Saturday session and stretches the European lead to six points. The Euros lead two other matches with the anchor match tied through 14.

Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose fracas leads to argument

Tension in the crowd has been evident all day and now it's spilled over to the participants. On the 16th green, tempers have flared. DeChambeau's caddie Greg Bodine appears to intruded on Justin Rose's putting line. That led to an argument that carried all the way to the next tee between DeChambeau, Tommy Fleetwood and Fleetwood's caddie, Ian Finnis. Scottie Scheffler's caddie Ted Scott could then be seen getting into it with Euro vice captain Francesco Molinari.

What's the largest European lead after two days in Ryder Cup history?

There's still quite a bit of golf left on Saturday, but the question has to be asked: What's the largest lead after two days for the Euros in the Ryder Cup?

In 2004, the blue and yellow led by six points (11-5) ahead of the Sunday singles. Three times the Euros lead 10 ½ - 5 ½ (2023, 1997, 1987). Three times (2014, 2006, 1999) the Americans trailed by four points, down 10-6.

Euros now lead in all four matches

A Rory McIlroy putt and ensuing exuberant reaction followed by a brutal Justin Thomos lip-out means the Europeans now lead in all four afternoon matches.

Euros lead three of four matches late Saturday

The Americans entered the afternoon fourballs down five points and had to make a move to have any hope going into Sunday singles. But with all matches now on the back nine, the U.S. is down in three of the four matches and tied in another.

Sam Burns drains a 40-footer for birdie

The best putter on the PGA Tour this season just poured in a bomb on the 10th hole. But then, just moments later, Matt Fitzpatrick rolled in a long putt of his own. The Euros are putting lights out this week and now the Americans are making noise on the greens.

J.J. Spaun rolls in a long putt

DeChambeau drains putt, go nuts, crowd loves it

Facing a 2-down deficit through 10, Bryson DeChambeau had a 12-footer for birdie on the 11th hole poured in a beautiful putt to win the hole and then he went nuts, celebrating with the crowd with three or four "Come on!!" He is fired up. Take a look:

Scottie Scheffler hits flagstick, ball ricochets off green

Some bad luck for Scheffler on the 10th hole. His second shot was dead on and clanged the flagstick ‒ and likely dented the side of the cup ‒ before coming back off the front of the green. Scheffler looked incredulous, his ball sitting in the rough instead of tucked tight on the putting surface. The ball was very close to going in on the fly for an eagle 2, but now he needs to get up-and-down to save par. For this third, he chipped with the flagstick out and burned the edge for a would-be birdie and had to settle for par.

Justin Rose started walking in a 20-footer halfway to the hole

Rose, playing alongside Tommy Fleetwood in a match against Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau, has been rolling the rock this week and on the eighth hole, he put a very confident stroke on the ball. So confident, in fact, that he started walking it in when the ball was just about halfway to the hole. It then dropped for a birdie and gave his duo a 1-up lead.

Shane Lowry is hot for Team Europe

Lowry and Rory McIlroy are 2 up through six holes against Justin Thomas and Cameron Young.

Viktor Hovland has neck injury at Ryder Cup

Hovland made a huge putt late in the morning foursomes match but is isitting out foursomes due to a neck issue. Hatton is playing in his place and playing alongside someone other than Jon Rahm for the first time this week. Matt Fitzpatrick is his fourballs partner in the fourth session at Bethpage.

From item 3c in the Captains Agreement:

It is agreed that in the event of illness, injury or other emergency reason to a player selected to play in a match, he may be substitued by another member of the team previously not selected, prior to the commencement of this match.

He later said: "I’ve had some issues with a neck injury on and off for the last two months. I took some painkillers on the seventh hole and then got some treatment from Matt Roberts, the physio, on the tenth tee box. It stayed the same for the remainder of the match after that. But I came in and rested up and got some more treatment and when I went back out onto the range, I tried hitting some shots trying to build up to the driver. I hit three or four hard ones and it just got worse. I didn’t want to risk it for the match in case it got worse and I couldn’t continue, especially in fourballs when you are hitting every shot."

Justin Thomas fired up the Bethpage crowd

JT, who went off in the first match alongside Cameron Young, did his best to rile up the partisan American crowd after teeing off.

Ryder Cup 2025 Saturday fourballs pairings, tee times

All times ET

12:25 p.m.: Justin Thomas/Cameron Young (USA) vs. Rory McIlroy/Shane Lowry (EUR)

12:41 p.m.: Scottie Scheffler/Bryson DeChambeau (USA) vs. Tommy Fleetwood/Justin Rose (EUR)

12:57 p.m.: J.J. Spaun/Xander Schauffele (USA) vs. Jon Rahm/Sepp Straka (EUR)

1:13 p.m.: Sam Burns/Patrick Cantlay (USA) vs. Viktor Hovland/Matt Fitzpatrick (EUR)

Who's sitting out?

USA: Harris English, Collin Morikawa, Russell Henley, Ben Griffin

EUR: Robert MacIntyre, Ludvig Aberg, Tyrrell Hatton, Rasmus Hojgaard

Ryder Cup format

The Ryder Cup uses three formats over the three days of competition: foursomes (also called alternate shot), fourballs (also known as better ball) and singles. There are morning foursomes and afternoon fourballs on Friday and Saturday. Eight of the 12 players on each side will compete in those matches. On Sunday, it's singles. All 12 players will compete in these 1-on-1 matches.

Where to watch, how to follow the 2025 Ryder Cup

Saturday, Sept. 27

• Afternoon fourballs, NBC, Peacock, RyderCup.com and Ryder Cup app, 7 a.m. ET to 6 p.m. ET
• Ryder Cup radio, SiriusXM, 7 a.m. ET to 6 p.m. ET
• Live From the Ryder Cup, Golf Channel, 6 p.m. ET to 8 p.m. ET

Watch Golf Channel for free with Fubo

Ryder Cup yardage book

Bethpage Black is listed as being 7,486 yards long on its standard scorecard, but the American team can adjust yardages daily. The total par is 71. Check out the yardage book provided by PuttView for details on every fairway and green at Bethpage.

Ryder Cup series history: U.S. leads all-time

The U.S. holds a 25-17 all-time record in the competition. It's worth noting that since 1979, when the team became all of Europe (it had been just Great Britain and Ireland for many years), the Europeans lead 12-9-2.

Future Ryder Cup sites

The Ryder Cup location alternates between the U.S. and Europe. With the competition every two years, each side is host every four years. There are five future Ryder Cup golf course hosts on the docket:

• 2027: The Golf Course at Adare Manor, County Limerick, Ireland
• 2029: Hazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska, Minnesota
• 2031: Camiral, Costa Brava, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
• 2033: The Olympic Club (Lake Course), San Francisco
• 2037: Congressional Country Club (Blue Course), Bethesda, Maryland

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Ryder Cup Saturday fourballs recap as Europeans win the afternoon session 3-1

Reporting by Todd Kelly, Golfweek / Golfweek

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect