Go Europe! Day 2 Ryder Cup Afternoon Wrap-up

Post by Sports Writer Derek Clements

They may have to rename Victor Dubuisson the Laughing Cavalier after he played brilliantly with Graeme McDowell to destroy Jimmy Walker and Rickie Fowler 5&4 as Europe finished the second day of the Ryder Cup leading 10-6 - they need four more points to retain the trophy. McDowell described the Frenchman as the best young golfer he had played with other than Rory McIlroy.

After an amazing morning of golf, it all began again at 1.15pm with Jamie Donaldson and Lee Westwood leading Europe off in the foursomes against Zach Johnson and Matt Kuchar. Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy were reunited and took on Jim Furyk and Hunter Mahan, fresh from their morning victory, Martin Kaymer and Justin Rose faced Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed.

"Just tell me if I am giving you too much information. And let's just go out there and have some fun." With those words, McDowell ushered Dubuisson to the first tee to face Fowler and Walker. McDowell likes to talk. Dubuisson is a listening sort of a guy

There was a see-saw start to the opening match - Johnson and Kuchar won the first and fourth, Westwood and Donaldson the second and fifth. That made it all square. They also won the sixth but lost the eighth and then took the ninth with a birdie to reach the turn one up. Donaldson, thriving on his Ryder Cup debut, then holed a good putt to take the 10th. Two up to Europe.

A brilliant eagle two at the 14th kept Kuchar and Johnson in the match, but the Europeans birdied the 16th to go dormie two. A half at the 17th was good enough for a 2&1 win. Westwood was delighted: "When you only drop one shot in 17 holes and are five under par in foursomes then you have played pretty well. I don't feel I have to justify my selection - it's all about getting points for the team, and we've done that."

There were high hopes for the partnership of Garcia and McIlroy and they duly won the opening two holes. This was McIlroy's fourth match in two days, so you can be sure that he was hoping for an early finish. But back came the Americans to win the third with a par. The sixth was halved in two, as was every hole up to the 14th, where Mahan's drive was so bad that Furyk was only able to move the ball forward a few feet. Europe birdied the hole to go two up with four to play. A birdie at the 16th game them the match 3&2.

Kaymer and Rose also edged in front early on, a par proving to be good enough at the third before the German hit a poor tee shot at the fourth and handed the hole to Spieth and Reed. And when they lost the sixth and seventh, suddenly they were two down. In truth, Kaymer was playing poorly and it was possible that Rose was beginning to feel the pace.

But they kept plugging away and won the 12th with a par to reduce the deficit to one hole. They should have squared the match at the 13th, but Kaymer missed a six-footer, and he missed another opportunity to win the 14th. They finally squared the match at the 15th when the young Americans failed to save par, and escaped with a half at the next when Reed missed a tiddler. However, Reid and Spieth took the 17th and went down the 18th one up. But Rose maintained his unbeaten record, a birdie securing a half.

It was all one-way traffic for McDowell and Dubuisson. They won the second, third and fifth holes to move into a commanding three up lead, which increased to four when McDowell holed a terrific birdie putt at the sixth. Incredibly, they went five up when the Americans double-bogeyed the eighth.

Dubuisson and Walker both hit beautiful tee-shots at the par-three 10th and halved the hole and the Americans finally got a hole back at the next with another birdie. But a European par at the 13th was good enough to take them five up with five to play and they parred the next to win the match. "I have been inspired by playing in the Ryder Cup and by playing alongside Graeme McDowell. It's been a dream," Dubuisson said.

Derek Clements is a sports journalist with a particular passion for golf with over 12 years of experience covering golf and other sports including Chief Sub-Editor on the sports desk of The Sunday Times. To contact Derek email direct via [email protected]