Rory McIlroy throttles Rickie Fowler to land Europe's first Ryder Cup singles points

Rickie Fowler once again finished runner-up on one of golf's biggest stages. But while that's more than respectable when we're talking about majors, when it's a Sunday singles match at the Ryder Cup, well ... it's not quite as impressive.

What was impressive was the way Rory McIlroy, the best golfer in the world with no close second, took care of Fowler and firmly set the tone for Europe in its bid to hold off any Sunday USA charge.

"I was obviously excited to play Rickie," McIlroy said after the round. "We've become pals this year, and I was happy to get on the right side of this one."

He was on the right side from the very first hole, birdieing five of the first six and establishing a 5-up lead by the sixth hole. Fowler would never get closer than 4 down, and by the 14th hole, it was all over, the first match to end even though it was the third to begin.

McIlroy went 2-1-2 in his five matches, a reliable and solid partner across the board and money in the bank while on his own. Fowler, meanwhile, continued a hard-luck streak that left him 0-2-3 even though he was one of the United States' strongest players.

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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Facebook or on Twitter.

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