Foursomes round-up: Reed and Spieth set up whitewash

Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth 3&2 Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose

The American pairing quickly picked up where they left off at Gleneagles two years ago and got red on the board early thanks to good birdie putts from Spieth at the second and third to go two up. The roles were then reversed on the seventh when Spieth stitched his approach, leaving Reed to tidy up for birdie and go three ahead. A slip up with a bogey at the ninth allowed Europe to pull one back but Reed and Spieth did not look like missing when it came to the green. Clutch putts at the 10th, 11th and 13th maintained their lead before Reed rolled in a birdie putt from 10 feet at the 16th to close out the match.

Rickie Fowler and Phil Mickelson 1 up Rory McIlroy and Andy Sullivan

As topsy-turvy matches go, this couldn’t have been much more so. It was a thriller. Europe took the fourth and the sixth after a Mickelson drive out of bounds to move into an early two up lead. However, the next three holes all went the way of the Americans as McIlroy first found the water at the seventh, then a bunker at the eighth while Fowler pitched in for birdie at the ninth. Sullivan came into his own at the 11th with a big birdie putt to bring the match back to level before McIlroy rolled in birdies at the 13th and 14th to put Europe one up with four to play. But then it would all turn around. A bogey at the 15th cut the deficit to one before Fowler sunk a birdie putt at the 16th and it was all square. When Sullivan found the water with his tee shot at the 17th the Americans were suddenly dormie and pars at the last gave the home side another point.

Zach Johnson and Jimmy Walker 4 &2 Segio Garcia and Martin Kaymer

While the first and last match went the way of the US from early on, Garcia and Kaymer were endeavouring to dilute the board with blue. A shaky US start saw them bogey the first two holes and allow Europe to go one up. However, Johnson and Walker were hanging in there and managed a good half at the seventh when Johnson sunk a birdie putt. The gap remained at just one until the 12th when Kaymer missed a par putt, bringing the match back to level. From there the US pair kicked on. Two long putts from Walker on the 13th and 14th quickly had them two up before a duffed pitch from Kaymer at the 15th meant it was dormie three. Another birdie at the 16th and it was all over.

Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar 5&4 Lee Westwood and Thomas Pieters

In reality this match was over within the space of the first seven holes and it was the experienced Westwood who failed to perform. A bogey at the first put the US ahead before Westwood missed a three foot par putt on the second to double the deficit. That seemed to set the tone and the US pairing drove home their advantage with a birdie for another win at the fourth before Westwood drove in the water at the seventh and they were suddenly four down. After eight holes it was five and, while Pieters did pull one back at the ninth, Johnson and Kuchar were always comfortable and finished it out on the 14th.