2014 RYDER CUP: SATURDAY MORNING FOUR-BALLS

Saturday morning fourball results

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Watson and Kuchar traded birdies with Justin Rose over the first three holes, followed by a halves of the 4th and 5th. But it was Rose who kicked off the birdie-fest with a 25-foot bomb at the 5th for an impressive halve. Kuchar then birdied 6 to go 2-up, but that was the last hole the Americans won outright.

Stenson birdied 7 to get back to 1-down. Then at the 8th, Rose sank a long, curving left-to-righter for birdie to square the match. The two teams halved 9 through 11, including Rose holing from the apron and Watson sinking a 10-footer to keep the match square. At 11, Rose nearly holed his approach from the fairway, but Kuchar holed a 30-footer to keep the match square.

At the 12th, the Europeans grabbed a lead they would not relinquish when Stenson sank a 20-foot left-to-right putt to go 1-up. Rose grabbed another birdie at 13 to go 2-up. The Americans almost coughed up a 3-up lead when Stenson lashed his approach to just 18 inches resulting in a conceded birdie. But Kuchar kept the U.S. in the match with a stunning hole-out from off the green, halving the hole. However, Rose and his hot putter would not cool off to give Watson and Kuchar any room; he nailed one last birdie at 16 to close out the Americans.

It is especially remarkable that Watson and Kuchar made nine birdies, but still lost 3 & 2. But this is precisely the kind of drama that makes the Ryder Cup so utterly compelling.

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Following a mea culpa from captain Watson, the two youngsters were back on Saturday morning — and after surrendering a 2-up lead through the 4th, they carved up the two experienced Europeans. At the 5th, Kaymer went OB; Spieth capitalized with a birdie to get back to 1-down. Then at the 6th, Bjørn suffered a bogey, while Spieth nailed a birdie to square the match. Then at the par-3 7th, Reed successfully negotiated a blind approach, leaving himself 18 inches from the jar and a conceded birdie to tie the Great Dane, Bjørn. Spieth struck again with birdies at 10 and 11 to go 2-up, then Reed dished out two more birdies at 13 and 14 to put a dagger in Bjørn and Kaymer.

Afterward, Spieth spoke with a maturity and experience well-beyond his 21 years:

"It's huge. You could tell when we turned our match around, it seemed like every match started to turn around. Guys behind us went from one-down to one-up, and the guys ahead of us were playing such consistent golf. "I think at the worst, we were up in one and tied in the other three. So we knew we were off go a good start and we knew this morning was a really big time for us to get back and get square. Hopefully, those guys behind can do it. We did our part this morning, and we're going to try to do the same this afternoon."

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On Saturday morning, Poulter came alive with a birdie at the first, which Jimmy Walker took back at the fifth with a conceded birdie. McIlroy got 2-up with birdies and the 8th and 9th, which Fowler and Walker carved back at the next two holes. Walker then got the Americans their first 1-up lead of the match, while Rickie Fowler got close to the 15th hole and had the opportunity to go 3-up.

Poulter then set off an explosion of cheers and celebration by chipping in from off the green for a halve. Charged up, Poulter then birdied the 16th to go back to all-square. Fowler had the best chance to win the match at the 18th hole with a long eagle chance, but couldn't swing the putt home.

Fowler and Walker's 0-0-3 record really does not do justice to the monumental battles they have had with McIlroy, Poulter, and Sergio García. And setting aside Poulter's 5 & 4 loss on Friday morning, all three have been arguably the best players for Team Europe.

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