FOURBALLS
MATCH BY MATCH
ROSE & RAHM v KOEPKA & FINAU A nervy start for rookie Tony Finau, coming within inches of putting the opening shot of the Ryder Cup in the drink.
Finau hit back with a sublime chip in for eagle at the sixth followed immediately by the ridiculous as he carved the next tee shot out of bounds.
The Europeans shared a manly chest bump on the 12th as Justin Rose chipped in only for Finau to get an outrageous break off a railway sleeper with his approach to the 16th to take it to the wire.
Jon Rahm finding the rough and Rose splashing the water guarding the 18th green handed the initiative and the match.
USA WIN 1 UP McILROY & OLESEN v JOHNSON & FOWLER Edging one up with a par at the eighth must have been a boost for Thorbjorn Olesen carrying an out-of-sorts Rory McIlroy.
Enter Rickie Fowler, racking up back-to-back birdies around the turn for a one-up advantage.
Make that three when Dustin Johnson joined the party with his own double whammy on 12 and 13.
The Europeans must have thought they had the 14th sewn up with both on the dancefloor and the Yanks miles away.
Cue Fowler to drain a monster putt for birdie, with the match over two holes later.
USA WIN 4&2 CASEY & HATTON v SPIETH & THOMAS Romping to three up, scoring five under after seven on his own ball, Jordan Spieth looked unstoppable. And when Justin Thomas started getting in on the act the writing seemed on the wall by the turn.
But Paul Casey salvaged some hope, sticking it to 10 feet on the 11th to pull one back. When he won the next hole too the pendulum was swinging Europe’s way.
Tyrrell Hatton’s stunning approach to the 13th levelled and suddenly it was the Americans left to stem the bleeding. Thomas was the man to do it on the 15th, reopening a slender lead they clung on to down the stretch.
USA WIN 1 UP MOLINARI & FLEETWOOD v REED & WOODS Alarm bells start ringing when Patrick Reed starts chipping in – as he did on 10 to go two up. So it was crucial Francesco Molinari answered straight away with consecutive birdies to level.
Europe desperately needed a lift and Tommy Fleetwood stepped up with a gutsy birdie on the 15th and a 20-footer at the next.
All that was left was for Molinari to hammer home the final nail on 17 to ensure a rare blue point.
EUROPE WIN 3&1 FINAL: EUROPE 1 USA 3