Oh, how the Americans must detest those alternate shot formats. For a second day running, Europe dominated the foursomes to strengthen their grip on the Ryder Cup here on the PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles to move into Sunday's all-decisive singles with fate in their own hands.
After a morning when the United States appeared to rejuvenate their own quest to win the trophy with an impressive fourballs session that reduced the gap to a mere point, Europe responded in emphatic fashion: another 3½ to ½ point haul from the foursomes enabled Paul McGinley’s men to go to bed with a 10-6 lead and the prospect of sweet dreams.
Hold on a minute! A four-point lead? The exact same lead and scoreline as the Americans had going into the final day’s play at Medinah two years ago? With such thoughts, Europe’s captain McGinley warned his players that the job at hand is very much unfinished.
Yet, this was another hugely impressive foursomes performance with Europe winning three matches – Jamie Donaldson and Lee Westwood accounting for Zach Johnson and Matt Kuchar 2 and 1; Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy beating Jim Furyk and Hunter Mahan by 3 and 2, and Graeme McDowell and Victor Dubuisson defeating Jimmy Walker and Rickie Fowler by 5 and 4 – to take an iron grip on this 40th staging of the Ryder Cup.
The fourth match was halved, with Justin Rose and Martin Kaymer stubbornly sticking to their task to birdie the final hole against USA rookies Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed. It mean that, over two days, Europe had not lost a foursomes match and the Americans had not won a foursomes match. Unheard of really, but potentially definitive in the context of the winning and losing of this edition of the Ryder Cup.
In truth, the partnership of McDowell and Dubuisson has proven to be one for the ages. McGinley, whose captaincy to date has been one where he hasn’t put a foot wrong, saw the potential for such a pairing in the early part of this year and cultivated it. It has been shown to be a masterstroke.
In facing Walker and Fowler, the European pair were aware that it was their American opponents’ fourth straight outing. “We were aware of that. We were fresh. We wanted to show them how energetic and how ready we were,” admitted McDowell afterwards.
And what a show they put on, reeling off three birdies inside the opening six holes in the difficult alternate shot format to move four up. It was a lead that proved to be unassailable; and although planted in the bottom match, their win evoked roars that resonated around the course before two of the other foursomes were completed.
The only one to finish ahead of them was the top match where Westwood and Donaldson featured six birdies in the 17 holes it took them to account for Johnson and Kuchar.
McIlroy and Garcia, too, were impressive – garnering five birdies – in defeating Furyk and Mahan on the 16th. “It is great to the put a point on the board for Europe and edge us closer to trying to retain this cup,” said McIlroy, who was the strongman in the partnership.
As Garcia admitted: “I think Rory beat three guys today in foursomes. It’s not easy to do. I was not at my best, but he calmed me down a lot. I started a little bit nervous. I think the two putts I made on six and seven, I think it was, or six and eight, they were important for me to calm myself down a little bit, and then I started playing a little bit better, but he played amazing.”
Now, the final leg is arguably the most difficult for McGinley’s team. Having come in as raging hot favourites and put themselves into a position to retain the trophy, the final 12 singles will be decisive. Europe need another four points to retain the trophy and four and a half from 12 to win it again outright.
SATURDAY FOURSOMES
Donaldson/Westwood bt Johnson/Kuchar 2&1
Kaymer/Rose halved with Spieth/Reed
Garcia/McIlroy bt Furyk/Mahan 3&2
Dubuisson/McDowell bt Fowler/Walker 5&4
Europe 10 USA 6
