By Frank Pingue
FARMINGDALE, New York (Reuters) -Tensions boiled over during an intense Ryder Cup match on Saturday that Europe’s Justin Rose said started after he asked Bryson DeChambeau’s caddie to move out of the way for his birdie putt.
Rose, playing alongside Tommy Fleetwood in a fourball match against DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler, felt Greg Bodine was in his eyeline while he lined up a 15-foot birdie putt.
“I was ready to hit my putt. I didn’t feel like that space was being honored,” Rose said after he and Fleetwood earned a 3&2 win.
“I maybe made my feelings known. Asked him to move. Maybe not as politely as I could have done but in the scenario, it’s coming down the stretch. We both have a lot on our minds and it’s intense out there.”
At first there did not appear to be an issue but things took a turn as the group made their walk to the 16th tee and suddenly golfers, caddies and even European vice captain Francesco Molinari were arguing.
DeChambeau shared words with Fleetwood and the Englishman’s caddie Ian Finnis, Scheffler’s caddie Ted Scott got into an exchange with Molinari until Fleetwood walked in between them to diffuse the situation.
While that was happening Rose and Scheffler were walking behind the others having a conversation before they all arrived at the 16th tee where Finnis said “Let’s just all chill out. Let’s play.”
After Europe sealed the winning points, all four players and their caddies shook hands on the green.
“I said to them, if I should have done it a different way, I apologise. But other than that, I had to step up and hit a huge putt with a lot going on,” said Rose. “From my point of view, I was just trying to protect my own sort of environment to execute.”
According to Rose, who has gone 2-0 this week for a European team who lead the U.S. 11-1/2 to 4-1/2 entering Sunday’s singles session, insisted the situation was over.
“It’s up to them if they want to take it the wrong way but from my point of view, there’s no malintent,” said Rose. “Hope to win the match because Tommy and I were unbelievable today and huge match against Bryson and Scottie.
“We were kind of aware of what that meant not to us but to the whole place.”
(Reporting by Frank Pingue, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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