Ryder Cup: Advantage USA as Europe fade in Saturday fourballs

The final act of Saturday’s roller-coaster ride came to a shuddering halt by the 18th green. Lee Westwood’s last play – an ineffectual, downright terrible putt from two feet that missed the cup and resulted in another American point – had sucked the wind out of his fellow European players, who had gathered by the greenside.

Once their condolences, commiserations and pats on the back were offered, Westwood slithered away, up and over the footbridge, with barely a word to anyone. He, more than anyone, knew it was a self-inflicted sucker punch.

As Westwood disappeared from sight, the rest, among them Capt Darren Clarke and new on-course general Rory McIlroy, stood shoulder-to- shoulder to watch the final fourballs match on the big screen.

Burst bubble

There, the news didn't get any better. The momentum from the morning foursomes – which Europe took by 2½ to 1½, to close the gap to one point, 5½ to the US's 6½ – had been burst by the Americans.

Clarke, hand to chin, watched on the screen as a ray of hope appeared in the form of Henrik Stenson’s chip-in for eagle on the 16th. Minutes later, though, it was all over as Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth, largely a spectator, closed the deal on the Par 3 17th for a 2 and 1 win over Stenson and Justin Rose.

When all the shouting and shot-making came to an end, the Americans had a three- point advantage to take into the singles. And, for Westwood especially, there was bewilderment over what had unfolded during the afternoon.

With a point or, at the very least, a halved point within his grasp, his putting had betrayed him. On the 16th. On the 17th. And, most damaging of all, he missed a short putt on the 18th.

As a captain's wild card pick – and the man deemed to be Clarke's general, on the course and in the locker-room – Westwood, competing in his 10th Ryder Cup, failed to deliver.

There was a degree of sympathy from others who have been in similar shoes. Pádraig Harrington referred to the voices that came from the grandstands as he stood over his putt.

“There was a lot of poor call-outs on Lee when he was over his putt on the 18th hole,” he said. “And it wasn’t like he could step off it because if he did the whole crowd would have gone mad.”

From Clarke, there was understanding.

“It was a downhill, right-to- left putt that he would probably make nine times out of 10,” he said. “But you add Ryder Cup pressure, and he missed it. It happens in professional golf. He’s disappointed . . . he’s a veteran and he’s done this many, many times. He’s disappointed more for the team than for himself.”

After taking the second session of foursomes to reinvigorate their challenge, the fourballs reversal was akin to a smack in the face.

There were raised eyebrows at Clarke's decision to split the new version of the Spanish Armada, with Rafa Cabrera Bella benched, for the fourballs and Sergio Garcia put in with an out-of-synch Martin Kaymer, who lost to Phil Mickelson and Matt Kucahr.

Apparently, the reasoning behind that decision was taken before Garcia and Cabrera Bella made a spectacular fightback in the foursomes to recover from a four-hole deficit after 12 holes to halve their match with Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth.

Before that comeback took on a life of its own, the pairings for the fourballs had already been submitted.

Invincible for the Europeans as the partnership of McIlroy and Thomas Pieters, who won both foursomes and fourballs to be the strong arm of their team’s quest for a fourth straight Ryder Cup success.

The Irish-Belgian axis first took out Mickelson and Rickie Fowler by 4 and 2 in the foursomes and then claimed a 3 and 1 win in the fourballs over Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka.

Fire men

“The U-S-A are petrified, Rory’s on fire,” sang a small group of his supporters. But, for the most part, it was Pieters who was really on fire. The younger Belgian hit a huge drive onto the fifth green, holed his eagle putt for a two and went on to make seven birdies. He took to the Ryder Cup like a duck would to water.

For his part, McIlroy took satisfaction from the morning foursomes win, especially given that Mickelson (who had a 3-0 career record in matches over him) had been on the receiving end.

“When I saw the draw, I was like yes, I get to have ago at him again,” McIlroy said. “My record against him in the Ryder Cup isn’t what I would like it to be. So personally I may be wanted it a little bit more for that reason.”