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“Fleetwood Mac” on fire as Europe calls the early tune – ARN News Centre
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PAUL ELLIS/ AFP
Europe picked up just where they left off by storming into an early lead in the Ryder Cup foursomes on Saturday, with crowd favourites Tommy Fleetwood and Rory McIlroy – dubbed Fleetwood Mac – winning the first three holes of the first match.
Unsurprisingly, European captain Luke Donald decided to use the same four foursomes combinations that swept the board 4-0 on Friday morning, and it was again looking a good policy after the early exchanges with Europe leading in two, level in one and down in one after the first hour’s action.
He did shuffle the order slightly, sending McIlroy, who won both his Friday matches, and Fleetwood out first, perhaps as part of a strategy to get the crowd firing early on, and how it paid off.
Unlike on Friday, opposite number Zach Johnson did not keep his gun pairing of Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth kicking their heels until the afternoon, putting them out as his lead pair.
However, they were horribly off-beam early on as Fleetwood’s 35ft (11 m) putt on the second ignited the crowd.
The first three Americans pairings missed the first fairway from the tee, and a double bogey by world number one Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka gifted Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg the first. They surged on to win the next three to be four up after four.
If the crowd wasn’t pumped up enough already, the presence of Seve Ballesteros’s son Javier on the first tee as a huge poster of the Spanish superstar was rolled through the grandstand pushed them over the edge.
“Seve is an inspiration every time,” said Donald. “He was the ultimate European Ryder Cup player who made everyone else play better. He had so much passion for this event and wanted to win at all costs. We always respect Seve and he is a big part of the Ryder Cup for all of us.
The Americans know they need to start the fightback early if they are to have any chance of ending Europe’s 30-year unbeaten run at home.
Europe’s 6 ½-1 ½ overnight advantage equalled the record biggest day one lead, was the first time they have led after the first session since 2006 and had the U.S. reeling after failing to win a single match in a day for the first time.
The numbers already had people looking at the event’s biggest comebacks. No team has previously overcome more than a four-point disadvantage after a session. In the Miracle of Medinah in 2012 Europe trailed by six with two Saturday afternoon matches still playing, both of which they won to propel them to one of the greatest comebacks in sport.
Since then, however, big leads have generally led to big wins, most recently at Whistling Straits two years ago when the U.S. turned their 6-2 first-day lead into a crushing 19-9 victory.
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Indian chess star Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu produced a brilliant final-round victory to win Norway Chess 2026, capping a dramatic finish to one of the year’s most prestigious tournaments.
Entering the final day half a point behind leader Wesley So, Praggnanandhaa knew only a win would give him a realistic chance of claiming the title. The 19-year-old delivered under pressure, defeating Vincent Keymer with the white pieces to secure the full three points and surge to first place.
The victory lifted Praggnanandhaa to 18 points, enough to overtake Wesley So and clinch the Norway Chess crown in Oslo.
So, who had led the standings heading into the final round, drew his classical game against Alireza Firouzja before winning the Armageddon tiebreak. However, the extra points were not enough to keep him ahead of the charging Indian grandmaster.
Firouzja completed a strong campaign to finish third overall.
Elsewhere, world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen signed off in style with a classical victory over reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, delighting home fans with a final-round win.
Final Standings
- Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu – 18 points
- Wesley So – 17 points
- Alireza Firouzja – 15.5 points
Assaubayeva dominates women’s event
In the Norway Chess Women’s tournament, Bibisara Assaubayeva completed a dominant campaign to secure the title after having already wrapped up first place with a round to spare.
The final day featured three decisive classical games, eliminating the need for Armageddon tiebreaks.
Women’s world champion Ju Wenjun handed Assaubayeva her first classical defeat of the tournament, while Zhu Jiner defeated Humpy Koneru to secure second place overall. Anna Muzychuk also ended her campaign on a high note with a victory over Divya Deshmukh to finish third.
Norway Chess women’s final standings
- Bibisara Assaubayeva – 16.5 points
- Zhu Jiner – 16 points
- Anna Muzychuk – 15 points
Praggnanandhaa’s triumph marks another major milestone in the young Indian grandmaster’s rapidly rising career and further strengthens India’s growing influence at the highest level of world chess.
The battle for the Norway Chess 2026 title is set for a thrilling finish after a dramatic Round 9 left three players firmly in contention heading into the final day in Oslo.
Tournament leader Wesley So maintained his narrow advantage after drawing his classical game against Magnus Carlsen before winning the Armageddon tiebreak to secure valuable extra points.
The standout result of the day came from Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, who defeated reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju with the black pieces. The victory earned Praggnanandhaa three points and moved him to within half a point of the tournament lead.
Meanwhile, Alireza Firouzja kept his championship hopes alive by overcoming Vincent Keymer in Armageddon after their classical game ended in a draw.
With one round remaining, Wesley So leads the standings on 15.5 points, followed by Praggnanandhaa on 15 points and Firouzja on 14.5 points, setting up a nail-biting conclusion to the tournament.
Assaubayeva seals women’s title
In the women’s competition, Bibisara Assaubayeva secured the Norway Chess Women 2026 title with a round to spare.
Assaubayeva drew her classical game against Anna Muzychuk, who later claimed the Armageddon win. However, the result was enough to guarantee Assaubayeva an unassailable lead at the top of the standings.
The only decisive classical result in the women’s event came from Zhu Jiner, who defeated Divya Deshmukh to move into second place.
Elsewhere, Humpy Koneru and Ju Wenjun drew their classical encounter before Ju Wenjun claimed the Armageddon victory.
After Round 9, Assaubayeva tops the women’s standings with 16.5 points, ahead of Zhu Jiner on 13 points and Anna Muzychuk on 12 points.
Praggnanandhaa wins Norway Chess 2026 title after stunning comeback
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