Emotional Breakdown: Scottie Scheffler Sheds Tears as European Domination Continues in Record-Breaking Ryder Cup Loss

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was overcome with emotions following a historic defeat at the Ryder Cup on Saturday. Teaming up with Brooks Koepka, they experienced a crushing 9&7 loss to Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg, marking the largest margin of victory in the tournament's 44-edition history for an 18-hole match, whether in the foursomes category or otherwise.

Europe's dominant performance at the morning foursomes session at Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome propelled them to a commanding 9.5-2.5 lead. With just five points needed from the remaining 16, Captain Luke Donald's team is on the verge of clinching the trophy.

Despite their impressive credentials, Scheffler and Koepka, both major champions with a total of five wins, failed to secure a victory for US captain Zach Johnson. Their opponents, Aberg and his partner, lacked major championship experience, with Aberg being a 23-year-old Ryder Cup rookie who turned professional less than 100 days ago.

Yet, the Norwegian world No. 4, Hovland, along with the Swedish rookie, delivered an impressive performance in a resounding 4&3 triumph over Max Homa and Open championship winner Brian Harman on Friday morning. Undeterred, the dynamic duo elevated their game even further against Scheffler and Koepka.

Team Europe's Jon Rahm and USA's Brooks Koepka shake hands after the fourballs on the first day of the 44th Ryder Cup at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, Italy. The picture was taken on Friday, September 29, 2023 by Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images.

Brooks Koepka accuses Jon Rahm of behaving immaturely.

The European team dominated their opponents, winning nine out of the eleven holes. In an unprecedented feat, they birdied the final six holes consecutively. This impressive victory surpasses the previous record for the largest winning margin in an 18-hole Ryder Cup match, which was 8&7. This record had been achieved by American players in two previous singles matches: Tom Kite against Howard Clark in 1989, and Fred Couples against Ian Woosnam in 1997.

Scheffler, who played a vital role in Team USA's impressive 19-9 victory at Whistling Straits in 2021, was in tears and consoled by his wife Meredith. However, to his disappointment, Scheffler was not chosen by Johnson to participate in the afternoon fourball session. This added to the frustration for Scheffler and Koepka, as they had witnessed an opportunity for their first US point slip away on Friday afternoon when Jon Rahm finished with two eagles in his final three holes to secure a tie.

Rahm subsequently drew the ire of Koepka, who accused the Spaniard of acting "like a child" during the match.

Like many of his teammates, Scheffler has endured a difficult tournament in Rome.

Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters

I dont think we could have done a whole lot better

Schefflers agony contrasted the ecstasy etched across the faces of Hovland and Aberg, whose stunning showings have rapidly seen them become crowd favorites in Rome.

Hovland told reporters that he believed they couldn't have performed much better in their collaboration against Sam Burns and Collin Morikawa in the fourballs, as they once again teamed up with the goal of achieving a hat trick.

It's enjoyable to have a shared language and mutual understanding, particularly when it comes to humor and cultural references. He is exceptional and rarely misses a shot, making it effortless for both of us when we are both performing at our best and benefiting from each other's skills.

I believe that even if we had faced other opponents, we would have been formidable to beat today. It's clear that Scottie and Brooks weren't performing at their best, which resulted in our 9&7 victory.

Hovland and Aberg celebrate a historic win.

Carl Recine/Reuters

Aberg added: "Its an unbelievable time for me to be here to play alongside one of the best players in the world in Viktor and to be playing against other world-class players.

"Today was quite surreal at times. Almost pinch myself at times but obviously super happy with it and looking forward to this afternoon."

Fleetwood Mac perform again

Europes own "Fleetwood Mac" found their tune again as Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood defeated Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth.

competition at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome, Italy on September 29, 2023.

Phil Noble/Reuters

Ryder Cup: Fleetwood Mac helps Europe soar to start of dreams, rocking US with opening sweep

McIlroy told reporters that yesterday was an incredible day, as the duo successfully defeated Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay 2&1 in the morning and achieved the same scoreline against a highly successful American pair who had a record of 8-2 as a team in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup.

"We had a great time last night, but we were aware that the Americans might be feeling the effects and were determined to start this morning with a bang. Our goal is simply to prevent them from achieving that."

McIlroy and Fleetwood (right) toast another win together.

David Cannon/Getty Images

Rahm's remarkable performance in the tournament continued as he and Tyrrell Hatton secured a 2&1 victory over Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele. However, there was a small consolation for Team USA on Saturday morning, as Max Homa and Brian Harman finally recorded the visitors' first win of the week. The duo defeated Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka 4&2, with Homa hoping that this result would ignite a sense of motivation among their teammates.

"We know how good we are," Homa told reporters.

"Everybody knows how good the man to my left is. We obviously are in a big hole but we have the right guys to dig ourselves out of it."