Rose & Stenson Set Pace But USA Rally

Post by Sports Writer Derek Clements

We witnessed the greatest match in Ryder Cup history at Gleneagles today as Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson beat Bubba Watson and Matt Kuchar 3&2 with the help of 12 birdies, including ten in succession. Both figures are new records. Between them the four players recorded 21 birdies, which is another record.

It was a stunning performance on a morning that otherwise went America's way.

Jim Furyk and Hunter Mahan defeated Jamie Donaldson and Lee Westwood 4&3, and moments later Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth produced a stunning finish to defeat Thomas Bjorn and Martin Kaymer 5&3. It meant that Europe led 6-5, and all depended on the outcome of the match between Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter against Jimmy Walker and Rickie Fowler. When that match finished all square, it meant that Europe led 6.5-5.5.

If anything, the noise around the first tee was even louder than it had been on the first day of the 40th Ryder Cup, but that probably had much to do with the fact that Europe were leading 5-3.

Paul McGinley and his team certainly slept better than their American opponents, and woke up to another glorious autumn day in the foothills of the Scottish Highlands. Gleneagles is a beautiful place at any time, but never more so than when the sun peeks its head over the horizon and casts glorious shadows over the hills and valleys.

In saying that, many of the players were well wrapped up as they strode to the first tee against a cacophony of sound.

Match one saw Rose and Stenson, unbeaten on day one, taking on Watson and Kuchar. Watson worked the crowd into a frenzy once more as he smashed his opening tee shot away, and opened up with a birdie that put the US ahead straight away.

The second match brought together Ryder Cup veteran Westwood and rookie Donaldson against Furyk and Mahan. On Friday, Furyk achieved an unwelcome record when he became the US player with more defeats than any other, while Mahan still carries the scars from Celtic Manor in 2010. Mahan was out of the blocks like Usain Bolt, a birdie at the first edging the US in front in that match too.

Then came Bjorn and US Open champion Kaymer, taking on Spieth and Reed, the American rookies who thrashed Ian Poulter and Stephen Gallacher 5&4 in the opening fourballs, only to be dropped in the afternoon. The young Americans had a point to prove, but it was a Kaymer birdie at the first hole that put Europe one up.

And then there were McIlroy and Poulter, the world no 1 and the man for whom the Ryder Cup is everything. Poulter needed a big day after his defeat with Gallacher, and he and McIlroy faced Walker and Fowler. There was a moment of pure comedy when an EastEnders fan yelled out: "Rickie!" in the style of Patsy Palmer. The crowd laughed. Poor old Fowler looked utterly bemused.  Poulter get exactly the start he needed when he birdied the first hole. Europe one up.

There are signs that Rose may well have inherited the Poulter mantle this time. He played beautifully on Friday and was quickly off and running again today. A birdie at the second squared the match. Watson, revelling in the atmosphere, hit back with a birdie of his own at the third. Rose and Watson each birdied the fifth before Kuchar made a two at the sixth. Then it was Stenson's turn to birdie the seventh. Rose then holed a 20-footer for a three at the eighth. It was breathless stuff. They had managed eight birdies in eight holes and were all square.

The sensational golf continued, with the ninth, 10th and 11th holes all halved with birdies. Rose and Stenson had reached turn in a betterball score of 31, but still couldn't shake off Watson and Kuchar. By the time they reached the 12th, Rose had already managed five birdies of his own.

Westwood birdied the second to force a half with Mahan, and the Americans went two up thanks to a Furyk birdie at the third. Mahan made his third birdie of the day at the seventh hole and the bad news for Europe was that they were three down. Westwood and Donaldson birdied the eighth and ninth holes but only managed to half each hole.

Kaymer followed his birdie at the first with another at the second for a half, and Bjorn's birdie at the third put Europe two up. It looked good, but it didn't last. The Europeans dropped shots at the fifth and sixth and they, too, were all square. Bjorn did manage to birdie the seventh, but Reed matched him and when Spieth birdied the ninth, the Americans were one up.

Like Kaymer, Poulter birdied the first and second. Walker matched him on the par-five second hole and birdied the fifth to square the match. It looked like the European pair were going to edge in front when McIlroy holed a brilliant birdie putt on the par-three sixth, but Fowler followed him with a great putt of his own.

McIlroy, who had started quietly, birdied the eighth, holing another good putt and finally the Europeans were back in front. In truth, there was scarcely any wind and conditions were perfect for low scoring. The four European pairs were all playing well enough, but the Americans just happened to be playing a little better.

McGinley needed something to happen to give his players a boost. If McIlroy or Poulter could produce a moment of magic, the road would reverberate around the course and, perhaps, inspire more great deeds.

McIlroy duly obliged with yet another birdie at the ninth to put himself and Poulter two up, but the Americans got it back to one when Fowler holed a chip at the next, and Walker levelled things at the 11th. He also won the 13th and matched McIlroy's birdie at the 14th. Poulter finally burst into life at the 15th - having missed the green in two he holed a pitch and, for the first time at this Ryder Cup, we saw the Poulter eyes and chest beating. In the end, it only got the Europeans a half but it just might have been the moment Poulter was looking for.

And The Postman delivered again at the 16th, holing a 12-footer for another birdie to square the match. The 17th was halved with pars, and off they went to the 18th, a par five that all could reach in two. McIlroy almost produced a grandstand finish - his pitch for an eagle finished two inches from the hole. Seconds later, Walker came within a whisker of holing his bunker shot. And so it was left to Fowler, the only one of the group to hit the green in two, to see if he could make the eagle that would give the USA a precious point. He couldn't make it and the spoils were shared.

But the most astonishing golf came in the first match. When Stenson birdied the 12th and Rose the 13th, and Stenson the 14th and 15th, the Europeans had managed nine birdies on the trot and were 11 under par but just two up.