Saturday's fourballs
D Johnson and M Kuchar bt N Colsaerts and P Lawrie 1 hole
What was meant to be the first match went off second to give Colsaerts more time after his morning match went to the 17th, but it did not help the European pair make a good start. Birdies from Kuchar at the second and fourth gave the American pair an early two-hole lead, but they bogeyed the sixth to open the door. Colsaerts responded with his second birdie of the day on the seventh to get back to all square, but Lawrie only made his first birdie to halve the 15th and then recorded a solid par on the 16th to get the match back to all square.
However, just when the momentum appeared to have shifted to Europe, Johnson delivered a hammer blow with a birdie from 25ft on the par-three 17th to get back in front with one to play. There was still time for more drama on the 18th as Colsaerts’s approach pitched just inches away from the flag, spun back and caught the edge of the hole before finishing 12ft away. The Belgian could not find another birdie when it mattered and the US pair held on for the win.
J Dufner and Z Johnson lost to R McIlroy and I Poulter 1 hole
Dufner and Johnson got off to a flying start when Johnson birdied the first and McIlroy found water on the second before Poulter failed to get up and down from the edge of the green. Poulter reduced the deficit on the fourth but McIlroy’s birdie on the fifth after a superb bunker shot was matched by Dufner.The message had no doubt filtered through that victory was essential and after the 14th was halved with birdies, Poulter and McIlroy both hit superb bunker shots on the short 15th to guarantee a birdie that the Americans could not match and get back to all square.
Poulter was as pumped-up as ever and celebrated wildly when he made it four birdies in a row from 15ft on the 16th, while another clutch birdie putt from nine feet on the 17th had team-mate McIlroy shaking his head in admiration. Again the quality of golf was stunning in the gathering gloom and after Dufner holed for birdie from three feet, an inspired Poulter followed him in from three times the distance to complete a remarkable win.
B Watson and W Simpson bt J Rose and F Molinari 54
