Ryder Cup: Jordan Spieth's impossible shot can't save Team USA
Jordan Spieth hit one of the most ridiculous blind shots in golf history — yes, really, watch the video — but it wasn't enough to keep his European rivals at bay in the first morning session of the Ryder Cup.
Spieth and Justin Thomas faced off against Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia in the first match of the day, and right from the jump, Team Europe had the upper hand.
Whistling Straits, the host course of this year's Ryder Cup, sits on the shores of Lake Michigan, and on the 17th hole, Spieth got a closer look at the waters of the lake than he ever could have wanted. Thomas's approach shot ended up in the nearly vertical rough that sloped from the green down to the rocky shoreline, and in the Ryder Cup's alternate-shot format, that meant Spieth had to clean up the mess.
He positioned himself on the hillside, swung, popped the ball up, and lost his balance, running 24 steps back down the hill to avoid crashing on the rocks. The ball, meanwhile, didn't go backwards as it first appeared, but instead landed just a few feet from the cup. Spieth didn't even see where the ball landed; he was facing out toward the water when the ball landed.
It was simply one of the most miraculous recoveries in golf history, and if it had led to ... well, anything, it would be one of the most memorable of all time. Instead, Thomas missed the putt to hand Europe the first match of the session.
"I was truly afraid for him to hurt himself," Garcia said. "He had a beautiful chance. I didn't think he had a chance to get it on the green."
Out on the rest of the course, Team USA fared much better, winning all three other matches to take a 3-1 lead heading into the afternoon fourball matches. For full details on each match, go here.
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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter at @jaybusbee or contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com.
