Novak Djokovic gets caught up in European Ryder Cup celebrations

Luke Donald backs his pairings ahead of Ryder Cup

Novak Djokovic got caught up in Europe’s Ryder Cup celebrations on Friday as the host team got the upper hand on day one. And the tennis sensation was joined by ex-Real Madrid and Tottenham footballer Gareth Bale, who watched on at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome.

European captain Luke Donald chose to start with foursomes for the first time since 1993 on the opening day of the competition. And his decision was vindicated as his team made a sensational start on home soil on Friday morning to complete a clean sweep and race into a 4-0 lead. In fact, the early stages of the tournament were so one-sided that Europe never trailed at any point in their first four matches.

The event moved to the four-ball session in the afternoon, with the USA finally making their mark on the contest. But they were only able to pick-up 1 ½ points as Europe ended the first day with an overwhelming five-point lead after moving 6 ½-1 ½ ahead.

Djokovic was in the stands to witness the action less than three weeks after defeating Daniil Medvedev in the US Open final. And in footage captured by the official Ryder Cup Instagram page, the 36-year-old can be seen soaking up the atmosphere and filming the crowd on his phone after Europe had secured one of their points. The same footage also shows Bale rising to his feet, pumping his fist and clapping as the crowd start singing and cheering.

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Europe’s imperious form on the opening day of the tournament means they are already big favourites to lift the trophy with 20 matches remaining.

“We’ve had a great few days together,” Donald said before the Ryder Cup got underway. “The atmosphere in the team room is fantastic. Everyone is in good spirits. They’re motivated. There’s a lot of good energy. Everyone feels like they’re playing well. I’m excited for the guys just to take this all in, enjoy it, and write their own history this week.

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“I have a lot of faith in my team, but at the same time I certainly don’t underestimate the US. There’s a lot of players that played two years ago in Whistling Straits. They have some pairings that have astronomical win percentages and have had a lot of success.”

The USA failed to win any of their matches on Friday, with their 1 ½ points coming after three ties in the four-ball session. And the Americans will be desperate to turn things around when play begins on Saturday.

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