Luke Donald defended Jon Rahm after the US PGA champion Brooks Koepka appeared to accuse the Spaniard of behaving like a “child” in the immediate aftermath of a bruising opening day for the United States at the Ryder Cup.
Rahm holed out dramatically on the final green so that he and Nicolai Højgaard could salvage half a point against Koepka and Scottie Scheffler. Europe lead 6½ to 1½ in Rome with the US failing to win a single match in a day for the first time in Ryder Cup history.