When will Rory McIlroy tee off at the Ryder Cup? Friday foursomes and tee time explored
Rory McIlroy will compete in the seventh Ryder Cup of his career as he tees up on Friday, September 29, for the foursome session.
McIlroy is grouped with Tommy Fleetwood for the Friday foursome. The European pair will face off against good friends Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay at the Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome.
McIlroy and Fleetwood are teaming up for the first time in their third appearance together in the Ryder Cup. On the other hand, Cantlay and Schauffele were paired together in the last edition. The duo played two foursomes and remained undefeated as the US recorded its biggest victory since 1967.
The 34-year-old Northern Irishman has a mixed record at the biennial event, having won 12 matches, lost the same number of matches, and tied four. In the last two editions, he has gone 3-6-0. In the foursomes, he has an average record of 5-5-1. An in-form McIlroy is essential for protecting Europe's reign at home.
Fleetwood is appearing in his third straight Ryder Cup and has a record of 4-2-2. He has won both of the foursomes he has played. He was last seen at the BMW PGA Championship, where he finished sixth.
Schauffele and Cantlay are appearing in their second Ryder Cup, and both had excellent results last time. While Schauffele ended the tournament at 3-1-0, Cantlay remained undefeated, finishing at 3-0-1, and was the joint-highest scorer for the US team.
While the American duo may have an advantage on paper, it won't be easy for them to conquer the European fortress. However, fans can surely expect some exciting golf on Friday.
Tee times explored for the Friday foursomes of the Ryder Cup
The 2023 Ryder Cup will tee off at 1:35 am ET with Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton pairing up together against the American duo of Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns. While Rahm has been the winningest player of the PGA Tour 2022-23 season, Scheffler ended the season as World No. 1, so it's not going to be an easy match for either of the sides.
The second foursome match will begin at 1:50 am ET, with Viktor Hovland teaming up with rookie Ludvig Aberg. They will take on Max Homa and the Open Championship winner Brian Harman.
Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka will face Rickie Fowler and Collin Morikawa for the third match, which will tee off at 2:05 am ET.
Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood will conclude the morning foursome session with their match against Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay.
Here's the schedule for the Foursome session of the Ryder Cup 2023:
Match 1: 1:35 am ET
- Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton (EU) vs. Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns (USA)
Match 2: 1:50 am ET
- Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Åberg (EU) vs. Max Homa and Brian Harman (USA)
Match 3: 2:05 am ET
- Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka (EU) vs. Rickie Fowler and Collin Morikawa (USA)
Match 4: 2:20 AM ET
- Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood (EU) vs. Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay (USA)