United States leads by four heading to singles

MEDINAH, Illinois (AP) -- Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley helped stake the Americans to their biggest lead in the Ryder Cup in more than 30 years. Ian Poulter, eyes bulging and fists shaking with every clutch putt, at least gave Europe a lot of momentum over the final frantic hour Saturday at Medinah.
Right when it looked as if the Americans were a lock to win back the cup, Poulter birdied his last five holes to win a crucial point and keep everyone guessing. Steady chants of "USA! USA!" gave way to snappy serenades of "Ole, Ole" as both sides trudged to the team rooms in darkness to prepare for 12 singles matches on Sunday. 
The Americans still had a big lead, 10-6. Europe at least had hope.
"The last two putts were massive," European captain Jose Maria Olazabal said after watching Poulter stay undefeated in this Ryder Cup by rolling in one last birdie putt from 12 feet. "That gives us a chance. It's been done before in the past. Tomorrow is a big day." 
Only one team has ever rallied from four points behind on the final day -- the United States in that famous comeback at Brookline in 1999. Olazabal remembers it well. He was in the decisive match when Justin Leonard rolled in a 45-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole. 
Is the Spaniard a big believer in fate? 
"I believe momentum will come our way," Olazabal said. "Why not tomorrow?" 
The final two matches Saturday were a showcase of what the Ryder Cup is all about -- one brilliant shot after another, birdies on every hole, suspense at every turn. 
Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia were on the verge of blowing a 4-up lead to hard-charging Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker, hanging on when Donald matched two birdies with Woods, including a tee shot into the 17th that plopped down 2 feet from the cup. 
Their 1-up win kept Woods winless for the first time in a Ryder Cup going into Sunday. Woods and Stricker lost all three of their matches, even though Woods made five birdies on the back nine for the second straight day. 
Woods was thinking more of the big picture. 
"Being up four is nice," he said. "We are in a great spot right now to win the cup." 
Poulter and Rory McIlroy were 2 down with six holes to play against Jason Dufner and Zach Johnson when McIlroy made a 15-foot birdie putt on the 13th, and Poulter took it from there. 
"We had to make birdies, and wow! Five in a row. It was awesome," Poulter said. "I've got the world No. 1 at my side, backing me up. It allowed me to hit some golf shots." 
The crowd was still buzzing as it filed out of Medinah, and Poulter grinned. 
"It's pretty fun, this Ryder Cup," said Poulter, who raised his career record to 11-3-0. 
It's been plenty fun for the Americans, who have not lost any of the four sessions since the Ryder Cup switched to the current format in 1979. Mickelson and Bradley were flawless in foursomes, matching a Ryder Cup record for largest margin with a 7-and-6 win over Donald and Lee Westwood. 
Mickelson and Bradley have been so dominant that they have yet to play the 18th hole in any of their three matches. They didn't play in the afternoon, part of the master plan by U.S. captain Davis Love III to make sure his players were fresh for Sunday. Love became the first U.S. captain since 1979 to make sure each of his players sat out at least one match before the final day. 
Now, he finds out if it will work. 
"We're not disappointed," Love said of the late rally by Europe. "We haven't lost a segment yet, and we're just going to try to keep that string going."
Source:
http://www.rydercup.com/usa/news/united-states-leads-ryder-cup-four-heading-singles

Ryder Cup 2012: Poulter and McIlroy give Europe something to cling to

Ewan Murray at Medinah

Europe's Ian Poulter, right, and Rory McIlroy celebrate beating Jason Dufner and Zach Johnson of the USA at the Ryder Cup. Photograph: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

José María Olazábal must summon the inspiration of Seve Ballesteros one more time. If he does so successfully, an indelible mark will be etched into Ryder Cup history. Europe require something akin to the miraculous to retain the trophy earned in Wales two years ago, after a Saturday in which the USA emphasised their fierce desire for retribution. But, crucially for Olazábal, a European triumph remains just about possible. How the late Ballesteros, who revelled in defeating Americans, would adore it if his compatriot could preside over a European turnaround from 10-6 behind.
On just a single occasion in the past have Europe recovered from a position of trailing going into the Sunday singles matches to win this event. In 1995 at Oak Hill, that deficit sat at only two points; here, the USA have advanced to what history informs us must be an unassailable home lead. Mustn't it?
How a patriotic, noisy crowd have lapped it all up by cranking up the atmosphere with the confirmation of each US point. They are perfectly entitled to do so, even if some of the whooping reaction to poor European shots remains in bad taste.
There was the very real danger that the final hours of one of the finest sporting events on the planet will suffer from an anticlimactic backdrop, which have would be mightily unfortunate, until Europe closed the day on a high. Ian Poulter and Rory McIlroy clinched victory over Jason Dufner and Zach Johnson on the 18th green, moments after Sergio Garcia and Luke Donald had done likewise in opposition to Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker.
The United States need to reach 14½ from 12 singles points to confirm victory. Europe must race to 14 to retain the cup.
Olazábal need not look too far to decipher where it has all gone wrong. Europe's captain has presided over a team in which arguably no player has performed to his full capabilities, Poulter aside, an affliction that will trouble nobody more than those competitors themselves.
For all that putts have been missed, not enough birdie opportunities have been created by Europe on a course that is clearly set up for low scoring. For some, such as McIlroy and Lee Westwood, there is the possibility that this may be one competition too many at the end of a hectic season. McIlroy has seamlessly dealt with virtually every golfing scenario that has been thrown his way, and by the age of just 23, but the pressures attached to being a world No1 at the Ryder Cup should not be underestimated.
There have been flaws, inconsistencies and anomalies, too, in Olazábal's selection process. For all but Saturday's denouement, the Spaniard has presided over a pretty lame Ryder Cup defence, in stark contrast to what was widely expected.
"Our boys are not making the putts," Olazábal admitted earlier in the day. "And it's true that, you know, some of them haven't performed to their expectations."
Or those of their captain, one presumes. Olazábal's opposite number, Davis Love, has no such concerns. The USA have taken on Europe with passion, vigour and have displayed putting excellence as routine. When observers highlight the value of an accurate short game in the Ryder Cup, particularly when played on this side of the Atlantic, they are not simply resorting to tired cliche.
"The guys are just playing very well," Love said. "They have bought into what we are doing. These guys make my job easy, they came here really prepared. They are out there playing their own game, playing with their friends and having fun. I'm excited by the amount of fun the are having. This is what the Ryder Cup is all about; a team being out there enjoying themselves."
Love played in the team that rallied from 10-6 behind on Saturday to win the 1999 Ryder Cup by a point. That was, and remains, a record recovery margin.
After they held a 5-3 lead on Friday evening, key for the USA was garnering further momentum in Saturday's foursomes session. They collected exactly that, with victory for Justin Rose and Poulter against Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson the only point Europe could return.
Keegan Bradley partnered Phil Mickelson to a 7&6 demolition of the players ranked three and four in the world, Luke Donald and Westwood. Bradley, making his Ryder Cup debut, has played with a panache that will render this one of the finest rookie performances ever witnessed, regardless of what transpires on Sunday.
Graeme McDowell and Westwood were removed from the European contingent for the fourballs. McDowell looked to be suffering from fatigue while Westwood's form had quite simply deserted him at an inopportune juncture.
That shake-up could not contain the Americans. With Europe desperately seeking an aggregate victory from the afternoon session, all they could do was draw. Only the erratic form of Woods could afford Europe some valuable afternoon respite.
Woods has displayed moments of brilliance over the Ryder Cup's opening two days but they have been offset by some of the most wayward driving of his illustrious career. If nothing else, he continues to provide box office entertainment.
Watson and Simpson this time provided the biggest margin of fourball victory, 5&4 over Rose and Francesco Molinari. Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar saw off Paul Lawrie and Nicolas Colsaerts; the Belgian almost secured a stunning half with an approach shot to the last that spun back over the hole.
For the first time since the current Ryder Cup format began, in 1979, the USA are yet to lose a single one of the first four sessions.
"We're certainly giving 100% out there," insisted Donald. "We're going to still fight. And it's not over until Sunday."
Olazábal must summon the team talk of his life before Europe take to the singles format. It would prove a stunning shock, alas, if even that proved enough to halt an American victory charge.