Hovland and Aberg maraud their way to record Ryder Cup win
Sports
Hovland and Aberg maraud their way to record Ryder Cup win
ROME (Reuters) - Marauding Scandinavian duo Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg plundered the biggest win in modern Ryder Cup history as they dished out a fearful beating to American duo Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka on Saturday.
Showing as much mercy as a pair of true Vikings, they left their bewildered opponents in ruins on Rome's Marco Simone course, claiming an astonishing 9&7 win in the second foursomes of the day as Europe tightened their grip on the contest.
It surpassed the 8&7 singles wins achieved by Americans Tom Kite and Fred Couples in 1989 and 1997 respectively, while the biggest previous margin in foursomes was 7&6.
Incredibly, Hovland and Aberg were up against two of the biggest names in Zach Johnson's American team, with Scheffler ranked world number one and Koepka a five-time major winner.
But the rampant Scandinavians dispatched them like Sunday morning hackers, with every blow being roared by thousands of fans who lined the fairways.
It was all too much for Scheffler who was reduced to tears after one of the most chastening days of his career.
The 23-year-old Aberg only turned professional in June, has played only a handful of tour events and is the first Ryder Cup player not to have contested a major.
But for the second day in a row he looked totally at home alongside world number four Hovland, the Nordic duo dominating from the moment they won the opening hole after Scheffler struck a wayward tee shot into trouble.
