The United States go into Sunday’s Ryder Cup singles with a two-point lead after battling Europe to a dramatic draw over an extraordinary stretch of closing holes at Valhalla Golf Club on Saturday.
Both sides won one match with two others halved in the afternoon fourballs to leave the US with a nine-seven lead in a competition that will be decided when all 12 players from each side square off on Sunday in head-to-head singles matches.
Sergio Garcia and American Anthony Kim launch the series of decisive showdowns beginning at 16.03om GMT.
The Americans are trying to pry the Cup loose from Europe, who have won the last three meetings and five from the last six. The United States last won the trophy in 1999.
Europe sliced a point from the US lead of three in Saturday morning’s foursomes and were in position to draw even closer in a final series of holes of agonising pressure.
”It was America’s day Friday, it was our day today,” said Europe captain Nick Faldo. ”We clawed in there, hung in there. That was the goal, to chip at the lead they had.
”The team was really up, very upbeat. We know and we believe we have a great opportunity.”
US captain Paul Azinger had a different spin.
”We took some blows today. They played great, and we only lost one point today,” Azinger said. ”We’re happy about that.
Dramatic moments on the greens had putts roll tantalisingly over edges, die just short, lip around and out, and once fall in after spinning 360-degrees around the hole with 40 000 fans at Valhalla roaring and groaning in reaction.
”You know, the putting and the shots have been amazing,” Faldo said. ”These guys are able to produce unbelievable stuff at times.”
In the end, Europe’s Ian Poulter and Graeme McDowell beat Kenny Perry and Jim Furyk one-up to neutralise Boo Weekley and JB Holmes’ earlier two and one win against Lee Westwood and Soren Hansen.
The victory by Weekley and Holmes, who halved against the same pair in Friday’s fourballs, ended Westwood’s Ryder Cup unbeaten streak at 12, seven wins and five halves, leaving him tied with Arnold Palmer for the longest unbeaten run.
Sergio Garcia and Paul Casey halved with Americans Steve Stricker and Ben Curtis, whose compatriots Mickelson and Mahan also finished all square against Swedes Robert Karlsson and Henrik Stenson.
The last match of a gruelling 11 hours of golf came down to eagle putts at the 547-yard 18th for rookie Mahan and Karlsson, who had birdied four holes in a row from the 12th to turn a two-up US lead into an all-square nail biter.
Mahan’s bid curled left just below the cup, and Karlsson’s slid by the left side to halve the match.
”He’s a darned good player,” Mahan told reporters. ”I haven’t seen much of him, but he’s really good. It was a great match.”
Moments earlier, Poulter made a par putt to preserve a one-up win for his third point of the matches and celebrated with a wild-eyed roar toward his European teammates.
”This is emotional,” said Poulter, a controversial wildcard pick by Faldo. ”I felt that I had to do something this week and I’ve given everything.”
Just before that finish, Steve Stricker recovered from a dreadful approach shot that went from the fairway into heavy straw short and right of the 18th green.
The American punched out beautifully, using the slope to run the ball onto the green before sinking a birdie putt to salvage a halve that sent US captain Paul Azinger into a joyous jig.
The heart-pounding finishes typified the high drama that has so far marked the competition with nine of the 16 matches not sealed until the 18th hole. – Reuters