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Team USA Plays early not so much after Lunch!

Posted on September 27, 2014 by admin

Well as predicted Team USA came out in the morning matches and narrowed the gap to one point, 6 1/2 to 5 1/2 favoring Team Europe. Too bad they still can`t seem to recover after lunch and play the same way in the afternoon.

Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson came back from two down after six against Bubba Watson and Matt Kuchar to finish the match 3&2 on the 16th green.Their combined score at that point was a Ryder Cup record of 12-under, not much the Americans could do about that match.

Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed of the USA completed a 5&3 victory over Thomas Bjorn and Martin Kaymer to make it two points from two for the rookie Texan pairing who trailed by two after four holes but recovered to level with a 15-footer at the par-three 6th from Spieth.

Team USA’s Jim Furyk finally got the better of Lee Westwood in fourballs having picked up two halves in his seven previous matches against the Englishman. Partnered with Hunter Mahan, Furyk’s 16th partner in his ninth Ryder Cup, they defeated Westwood and Jamie Donaldson 4&3. Mahan’s birdie at the 1st meant the USA were never behind and it was the Californian who was the dominant partner, making five birdies.

The session all went down the fourth and final game with Rory McIlory reunited with Ian Poulter, the partnership that began the Miracle of Medinah last time out from 10-4 down. Europe were two up at the turn, level at the 12th and one down at the 13th. Fowler made a great putt for a half at the 17th to send the match up the 18th and from the rough on the right of the fairway he was the only one of the four to reach the green in two and had a 20-footer for eagle and the match, but he left it slightly short and left. The young American is undefeated at Gleneagles but has still to win.

Saturday Morning Fourball Results:

3&2 Team Europe      Rose/Stenson vs. Watson/Kuchar

4&3 Team USA          Furyk/Mahan vs. Donaldson/Westwood

5&3 Team USA          Spieth/Reed vs. Bjorn/Kaymer

A/S                             McIroy/Poulter vs. Fowler/Walker

Prediction        Team USA 5 1/2 Team Europe 6 1/2

Actual Result   Team USA 5 1/2 Team Europe 6 1/2

Unfortunately Team USA came out flat again in the afternoon and was destroyed by Team Europe who won three matches, two of them decisively, and split the other match. The only Team USA players to gain any points were the rookie team of Spieth/Reed who split with Kaymer/Rose and have won points in everyone of their matches.

Team Europe`s surprise player may well be Dubuisson who teamed with Mcdowell to hand Fowler and Walker their first loss of the session. McIlroy partnered with Garcia again and gave the ``modest`` Spaniard more chances to celebrate excessively. The other match saw the popular Kuchar/Johnson duo outlasted by the equally popular Donaldson/Westwood Team Europe pairing.

Saturday afternoon foursomes:

2&1  Team Europe     Donaldson/Westwood vs. Kuchar/Johnson

3&2  Team Europe      Garcia/McIroy vs. Furyk/Mahan

AS                               Kaymer/Rose vs. Spieth/Reed

5&4 Team Europe       Dubuisson/Mcdowell vs. Fowler/Walker

Totals after completion of play Day 2:

    Team USA 6  Team Europe 10

Team USA enters the final day of 12 singles matches they need to win 8 matches and tie one other while Team Europe only needs 4 wins to retain the cup. A massive hole to climb out but the good news, it`s been done twice, once in 1999 by the Americans at Brookline and of course by the Europeans in 2012.

Not much to lean on but I`m pretty sure Captain Watson will be bringing it up at every opportunity. Team USA needs some early momentum and I`m thinking I`d have my rookies off early in the morning and hope they can create some magic!

 


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