Saturday Morning Foursomes | Ryder Cup 2008

Match 9 Cink/Campbell lost 4&3 vs Poulter/Rose

Match 10 Leonard/Mahan halved Jimenez/McDowell
Match 11 Mickelson/Kim lost 2&1 vs Stenson/Wilson
Match 12 Furyk/Perry won 3&1 Harrington/Karlsson

Europe wins session 2.5 – 1.5
America leads 7-5 overall

After a disappointing opening day, Europe rallied to win the morning foursomes on Saturday and reduce America’s lead to just two points. Ian Poulter and Justin Rose led the way, comprehensively beating Stewart Cink and Chad Campbell, but the real hero of the day was rookie Oliver Wilson. He and Henrik Stenson recovered from 4-down against the Americans’ top pair of Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim to win 2&1, with the Englishman sinking a 20-foot putt on 17 to close out the match. Elsewhere, Graeme McDowell holed a nervy four-footer on the last to ensure he and Miguel Angel Jimenez took a half from a gripping match against Justin Leonard and Hunter Mahan. America’s sole victory came from veteran duo Jim Furyk and Kenny Perry, who eased past a below-par Padraig Harrington and Robert Karlsson.

Poulter and Rose hit the ground running in their bid to get the European challenge back on track. Rose ripped the opening drive of the Saturday morning foursomes, Poulter’s approach hit the flag for a tap in birdie that the Cink/Campbell pairing couldn’t match and the floodgates opened for Faldo’s in-form duo who opened up a 5-hole lead after seven holes. Cink and Campbell rallied, but the Englishmen eventually closed it out on 15 to win 4&3 and weigh in with a crucial point. With Poulter to play in the afternoon with Graeme McDowell, the captain’s pick is the only man to play all five matches.

America’s danger pair Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim was also fast out of the blocks, moving to three up after four holes. But Oliver Wilson, playing his first Ryder Cup, quickly settled and as the match moved into the back nine, he and Henrik Stenson reduced the arrears to just one as both Americans began to hit a few ragged shots. A wild drive from Kim on the 12th saw the match squared and  when Mickelson found the trees on 15 and Kim dunked in the water, Europe, incredibly, went 1-up. But the real drama was to come on 17 as Wilson sunk a 20-footer for birdie that Mickelson couldn’t match, thus ensuring a famous victory.

Perhaps the crucial match involved the surprise pairing of Graeme McDowell and Miguel Angel Jimenez, both of whom were on the wrong end of fourball defeats on Friday afternoon. Their opponents, the Texan duo of Justin Leonard and Hunter Mahan, came into the match in great form after two wins on the opening day, but it was the Europeans who quickly seized the advantage with birdies at the third and fourth. The Americans inevitably found a way back into the match and by the 12th they were level. Step forward Miguel Angel Jimenez; the Spaniard hit a stunning iron shot into 13th leaving McDowell a straightforward birdie to restore the advantage. He was at in again on 15, almost hitting the hole with his approach, before McDowell weighed in with a brilliant save on 16. The match appeared to turn on 17, with Leonard sinking a 15-footer for birdie after driving into a bunker, but Europe refused to give up and McDowell converted the Spaniard’s bunker shot on 18 to birdie the last and sneak a half. 

In the bottom match, a clearly exhausted Padraig Harrington was once again paired with Swede Robert Karlsson against a rested Jim Furyk and Kenny Perry, but the Irishman’s valiant efforts again proved to no avail as the Americans turned in a supremely confident performance to win 3&1.

Saturday Afternoon Fourballs

Match 13 Weekley/Holmes vs Westwood/Hansen
Match 14 Curtis/Stricker vs Garcia/Casey
Match 15 Perry/Furyk vs Poulter/McDowell
Match 16 Mickelson/Mahan vs Stenson/Karlsson