Viktor Hovland And Ludvig Aberg Smash Ryder Cup Record After Routing Scottie Scheffler And Brooks Koepka

Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg stormed to the largest winning margin in Ryder Cup history, winning 9&7 over Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka to heap more misery on Team USA early on Saturday.

The Scandinavians went on a remarkable run from the fourth hole, registering seven birdies in just eight holes in the alternate-shot format to wrap the match up on the 11th green.

The result marks the largest margin of victory in any 18-hole match, regardless of format, in the history of the Ryder Cup, with the contest lasting just two hours and 20 minutes.

“We were meeting two strong guys - No. 1 in the world and a five-time Major champion - so we tried to not give them anything and we played really solid,” Hovland said, speaking to Sky Sports after his match.

“Obviously we didn’t meet a sharp Scottie [Scheffler] and Brooks [Koepka] but we played some really nice golf today.”

Scheffler and Koepka, who played together in yesterday’s afternoon fourballs session, got off to a sluggish start and found themselves three down after three holes after two double bogeys and one bogey.

The third hole, in particular, summed up their performance, as the pair somehow made a double bogey from a promising position with Europe already in trouble and only able to make a bogey themselves. The Americans eventually finished seven-over-par on their ball, with accuracy off the tee and a number of unforced errors costing them.

However, they were also outdone by sublime ball-striking from the Scandinavian duo who have a perfect record thus far in their two matches together. Aberg has also now won his first two matches on his Ryder Cup debut having only turned professional in June.

“I don’t even know what to say and where to start but obviously an unbelievable day,” the rookie said after the round. “We enjoyed it, we had fun and felt the crowd which was really important for us.”

Aberg ignited the European charge on the front nine when he almost holed out from tee at the par-3 fourth to move four up through four. The 23-year-old rolled in birdies at the sixth and at the par-4 eighth as he and Hovland marched clear.

The previous record for the biggest margin of victory in a foursomes match was 7&6, achieved most recently by Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley against current Europe Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald and Lee Westwood at Medinah in 2012.

However, Aberg and Hovland ensured they smashed that record, finding three further birdies to close out the match on the 11th green when America couldn’t get up and down from the rough.

The scoreline also sets the record for the biggest Ryder Cup win, regardless of format, with the previous benchmark an 8&7 singles win achieved by Tom Kite over Howard Clark in 1989 and Fred Couples over Ian Woosnam in 1997.

“I don’t think we could have done a whole lot better,” Hovland joked after the round. “He [Aberg] is a stud - he doesn’t miss a shot - so it’s easy when I‘m playing well and he’s playing well and we are just feeding off each other.”