Americans bounce back to once more stamp their authority
GAME 1 DJohnson & Koepka LOST TO McIlroy & Pieters 3&1
JOHNSON and Koepka were fiveunder after 11 holes but found themselves three down.
McIlroy was revelling in his role as the hostile crowd’s favourite target. Birdies at the seventh, ninth and 10th – the last resulting in another explosion of emotion at something said from the stands – took Europe four up.
Pieters eagled the short par-4 fifth to help, and when the Americans hit back by winning 11 in par and 12 through Johnson’s birdie, the Belgian responded with two birdies to go four up again. A couple of loose McIlroy shots allowed the US duo some hope, before Pieters’ birdie at 17 ended the match.
GAME 2 Holmes & Moore BEAT Willett & Westwood 1UP
AFTER his hapless performance on Friday, Lee Westwood responded to his recall with a solid performance only to falter at the death.
Three birdies in a row from the fifth from the veteran allowed the Euro duo to slip in front and then, after JB Holmes had levelled the match with a pinpoint approach to the ninth, Westwood rolled in a monster putt at the 10th to reclaim the lead.
Holmes again had a response with birdie at the 13th and both Westwood at 14 and Holmes at 15 had chances to go ahead but missed.
At the short 17th both Willett and Westwood couldn’t get up and down from the fringe to hand the Americans a gift lead.
And although Westwood hit inside three feet at the last, he missed his third short putt of the day to lose one down.
GAME 3 Mickelson &Kuchar BEAT Kaymer & Garcia 2&1
MANY were surprised that Captain Clarke opted not to keep the Garcia/Cabrera Bello partnership together after their success in the morning and although Kaymer supplied a first-hole birdie for a half, he couldn’t contribute much the rest of the way.
Sergio’s birdie on seven kept the margin to one down but Mickelson’s huge birdie putt at 10, the first of a series of telling interventions by America’s team leader, restored the Americans’ two-up lead.
Kuchar followed with another monster birdie putt at the 13th and then Mickelson again weighed it with a three at the 14th, to go to three up.
The German made an eight footer to keep his team alive at 15 and birdies by both Europeans at 16 staved off defeat again, but Mickelson matched Garcia’s birdie at 17 closed it out.
GAME 4 Reed & Spieth BEAT Rose & Stenson 2&1
FEARS the Texan twosome might have run out of gas after their morning collapse were dismissed by Reed’s brilliant performance, including a five-under run through four holes on the front nine saw them three up at the turn.
But once again the two young Americans wilted in the final holes, and Stenson’s three at the 12th – even after a heckler upset him – and Rose’s birdie two at the 13th got them to just one down.
But Reed continued to carry his partner and back-to-back birdies took the pair to dormie three, only for Stenson to chip in for eagle at 16 to extend things.
But at the 17th Spieth got the par three as Stenson’s chip burned the hole and the US prevailed 2&1.