Europe in transition relieved of Ryder Cup by American firepower and putting prowess

Patrick Reed

A European team in transition fell 17-11 to the USA at Hazeltine National but more than any tactical errors by Darren Clarke and his assistants, the big question remaining after the first European defeat since 2008 must be the selection process and the omission of Paul Casey and Russell Knox.

Why world No 13 Casey was not persuaded to join the tour and play and why world No 19 Knox was passed over in favour of Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer or Thomas Pieters are questions that only crop up with the benefit of hindsight.

Still, they are worth asking.

By all accounts, Clarke’s vice-captains never waivered when it came to choosing Westwood and Kaymer and it was Pieters’ brilliance in Rio and Denmark that denied Knox in the end.

Would the Scot have delivered more than Westwood or Kaymer? It’s hard to see how he could have been less effective but that's the captain's prerogative and Clarke must live and die by those decisions.

That said, it smacks of hubris to think that Europe can afford to go to the US with a transitional team and leave a two-time PGA Tour winner such as Knox at home, especially when he is ranked 19th in the world.

Clarke’s loyalty to Westwood was certainly not repaid on Saturday when the English veteran was afforded a place in the fourballs (and a chance to rebuild his confidence for the singles) and showed weaknesses that were cruelly exposed under the cosh.

Not sticking with the Spaniards Rafa Cabrera Bello and Sergio Garcia can be explained by the fact that Clarke and his team had to submit their fourball line up when the Spaniards were four down to Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed and not when they were snatching a half point on the 18th.

But having fought their way back from 4-0 on Friday morning to level the scores briefly on Saturday before falling three points behind, Europe’s putting was not at the required level on a course that was set up to favour the more attacking team.

The USA won the singles 7.5 - 4.5 when the Europeans failed to run the tables early or at least capture four of the top six matches, it was over.

The key to that was the outstanding Patrick Reed, the battling qualities of Rickie Fowler and the brilliance of veteran Phil Mickelson. That trio delivered two and a half points at the top of the order when Europe desperately needed most matches to go their way. 

While Henrik Stenson beat a struggling Jordan Spieth 3 and 2 and Pieters came from two down after two to beat Jimmy Walker by the same margin, European talisman Rory McIlroy roared himself to a standstill and fell to Reed on the 18th.

The Americans simply putted better when it really counted and the lack of rough on a soft Hazeltine National allowed them to attack with impunity without fear of disaster.

The early exchanges in the top match were electrifying with McIlroy seemingly hellbent on silencing anyone who so much as cheered, never mind jeered.

Yes, the atmosphere was rabidly pro-American — well over the top — but the finger wagging and shushing from both players was overdone. The golf itself was enough with Reed going eagle-birdie-birdie-birdie from the fifth.

McIlroy, who’d edged one up when he birdied par-five third, lost the fifth to Reed’s two, then saw every move he made matched by the American.

The high point of their duel arguably came at the par-three eighth where McIlroy’s 60 footer found the bottom on the cup and he wore himself out screaming, ‘I can’t hear you’ as loud as he possibly could while cupping his hand to his ear.

Not to be outdone, Reed rolled in his 20 footer for a half and made his own gestures and McIlroy could only laugh, offer a fist bump and shoulder squeeze.

It was nice sporting gesture in a Ryder Cup that was somewhat marred by the abusive comments from the crowd though complaining about it rings hollow when so many US putts were falling on a set up that Justin Rose complained was of “Pro-Am” level difficulty

Rose, of course, was annoyed that his superior ball-striking counted for nothing against the hugely wild Fowler and he could make just four birdies against three bogeys as he fell one up to Fowler, who was just level par.

Rory McIlroy loses it on the eighth

"Setup-wise, this course can be as tough as you want it to be, there's no doubt about it. I think today, I think if we were all to be honest about it, I thought the setup was incredibly weak. I thought it was very much a Pro-Am feel in terms of the pin placements. They were all middle of the green.

"I don't quite understand that to be honest with you, world-class players, 12 world-class players here and 12 world-class players here in 30 minutes time, and we want to showcase our skills. We want to be tested. For example, the water holes out there, all the pins were as far away from the water as possible.

"I mean, the pin on 17 is an absolute, you know, a joke. It's a 9-iron into the middle of the green and you stiff it. So with a match on the line, you kind of feel like you want to have something -- you want a player to step up a little bit more than they have to.

"Even 18, if you hit a good drive down there, you've got a wedge into the green, and if you hit a wedge to the middle of the green, you're within 12-foot of the pin. So I just felt coming down the stretch, it was a little soft.”

McIlroy was also asked what he’d like to see at Hazeltine National when a major event is next staged there and as a frustrated putter, who saw wilder hitters beat him, he said: “I hope it has more rough, just to say, but that’s about it."

He was referring to his Friday morning foursomes loss to Fowler and Mickelson, who hit it all over Minnesota and still won 1 up.

Against Reed, he missed a six footer for par on the ninth that would have put him one up, then lost the 12th to a par and could only halved the par-three 13th in bogey as his energy levels dropped alarmingly.

When Reed birdied the 16th to go two up, McIlroy snatched a hole back with a par at the 17th but Reed birdied the last brilliantly from 10 feet, meaning McIlroy never got to hit his six footer.

“I think all the energy that I’ve expended this week, it sort of caught up with me on the back nine today and it caught up with me on the back nine yesterday, as well, playing with Thomas,” McIlroy said.

"I wanted to try to take the bull by the horns and try and -- you know, there's a lot of leaders on this team. It isn't just me. There’s a whole lot of guys that have more experience than me. 

"I wanted to go out there and lead by example and give off the right energy and put as much blue on the board as possible. I felt like I succeeded somewhat, definitely because of a great partner I had in Thomas.

"But I tried to do the same thing today. I just ran out of steam on the back nine. I felt not physically, but mentally just a little — I was trying to summon up energy. 

"I was trying to do everything I could. I was taking on loads of fluids and trying to eat plenty and just trying to give it my all, just one last round of golf before I have a little bit of time off. It just wasn't meant to be.

"I mean, Patrick played incredibly well all week, and you know, there's not really much more I could have done. Maybe if I would have been 10-under, like Sergio out there today, I might have been able to get a halve like he did.

"Yeah, I tried my best. I tried my best for this team, for these group of guys around me, and it just wasn’t meant to be today. 

The final day of the #RyderCup in 120 seconds http://pic.twitter.com/x9SuJC0mF5

— Ryder Cup Team EUR (@RyderCupEurope) October 3, 2016

"But you know, that will galvanize us. It will make us stronger to come back in Paris and I wouldn’t be surprised if you see a very similar team setup in 2018 and we try to get this thing back.”

McIlroy played down the abuse he got from US fans and insisted that he would not be encouraging the French to retaliate in 2018. 

“Definitely, first and foremost, we wouldn’t encourage any sort of retaliation,” he said to applause from his team mates. "That's just not who we are. That's not what we do.

"There won't be -- and we'll be making that clear. We want to play this tournament in the manner in which it should be played. And between us, the 12 players and vice captains and captains on this team and between the 12 players on the U.S. Team, it was played on the manner in which it should have been played. 

“We have no problems with anyone on either team, and really, it’s just a very small minority; 95 percent of the people out there, the American gallery are absolutely fantastic, they really are."

While Cabrera Bello was superb as he came from two down after four holes to beat Jimmy Walker 3 and 2, the Americans were in the ascendency in most of the other matches with Mickelson and Garcia halving an epic match that saw them produce a betterball of 11 under par.

The left hander jumped in the air in delight, a la his six-inch Masters winning jump. And Garcia had the grace to joke about the abuse he got from American fans without sounding bitter.

“Today was definitely a little bit better, I would say,” Garcia said of the galleries. “Obviously I still — I definitely know I haven’t won a major (laughter)."

Patrick Reed

Pádraig Harrington, who denied Garcia the Open in 2007 and the US PGA in 2008,  sat behind the Spaniard and raised his arms in mock triumph. 

The Mickelson-Garcia match was one of the last to be decided but the end for Europe came swiftly afterwards.

With the Americans 9.5-6.5 ahead overnight, they needed just 5.5 pts to win the Ryder Cup and got them quickly.

Brandt Snedeker beat Andy Sullivan 3  and 1, then Brooks Koepka defeated Danny Willett 5 and 4 as Zach Johnson beat Matt Fitzpatrick 4 and 3.

Ryan Moore’s 1 up win over Westwood got the Americans to the winning number and the remainder of the afternoon was anti-climactic as the USA celebrated and Dustin Johnson beat Chris Wood 1 up as Kaymer took an academic point from Kuchar with the match decided.

McIlroy was magnificent for Europe for most of the week but his high energy approach was unsustainable and Reed arguably beat both the Ulsterman and Pieters for player of the tournament honours.

“I knew today was going to be tough going against a guy like Rory, especially with how he was playing earlier this week,” Reed said. “To come out and play as well as we did, especially on that front nine, it was definitely something fun to be a part of and pretty sure fun to watch.”

It was one of the highlights of a week that made it clear that the Ryder Cup is something beyond golf — a mixture of showbusiness, business and UFC mixed with a major championship level field.

The furore over the blog penned by Danny Willett’s brother certainly affected him and Clarke’s line up earlier in the week.

Asked to describe his first Ryder Cup experience, Willett said: “Shit….Being honest. Sorry, would you like me to elaborate? Really shit (laughter).”

Ryder Cup Notes — Sunday, Oct. 2
 
United States Breaks Three-Cup Losing Streak

The United States team beat Europe 17 to 11 in the 41st Ryder Cup, their first victory since 2008.  Davis Love III’s final Captain’s pick, Ryan Moore, clinched the Cup for the U.S. on the 18th Hole.
 
Patrick Reed led the way for the United States with 3.5 points, while Brooks Koepka and Brandt Snedeker each scored three.  For Europe, three players failed to record a point: Matthew Fitzpatrick, Andy Sullivan and Danny Willett.

12 Deep

All 12 members of Captain Davis Love III’s U.S. Ryder Cup team had a hand in winning at least one match this week at Hazeltine, and, in fact, this feat was completed by the end of Saturday afternoon’s session. The last time every member of a U.S. Ryder Cup Team earned at least one win in a single Ryder Cup was in 1975 at Laurel Valley, when Arnold Palmer’s squad bested Europe, 21 to 11.

Finishing Touch

Since 1979, the United States has entered Sunday singles with at least a 3-point lead on three occasions and secured the Ryder Cup twice (2016, 1981). The lone exception: 2012 at Medinah (led 10-6, lost 14½ over 13½).

Pieters Sets European Records

With his 3 and 2 Singles victory on Sunday versus J.B. Holmes, Thomas Pieters set the European rookie record for most points and wins in a single Ryder Cup.  His four wins surpass the previous record of three set by several European greats, including Sir Nick Faldo, José María Olazábal and Sergio Garcia.  Additionally, the four points scored by Pieters puts him past the 3½ tally set by Paul Way (1983), Sergio Garcia (1999) and Paul Lawrie (1999).

Slick Picks

Davis Love III’s four Captain’s Selections – Rickie Fowler (2-1-0), J.B. Holmes (1-2-0), Matt Kuchar (2-2-0) and Ryan Moore (2-1-0) – combined on a 7-6-0 record this week at Hazeltine. The quartet’s 7 combined victories set a new mark for combined wins from Captain’s selections in a single Ryder Cup. The former mark of 6 was shared by the 2010 and 2012 United States Teams (the U.S. made just two Captain’s picks from 1989-2006, before evolving to its present allotment of four in 2008).

Phil Eyes History

With his 45th match today, Phil Mickelson trails only Sir Nick Faldo’s 46 matches for most all-time, while his 11th Singles match ties Arnold Palmer for most by a United States player.  After a 2-1-1 record this week, Mickelson is up to 18 wins all-time, trailing Palmer (22), Billy Casper (20) and Lenny Wadkins (20).

On Saturday, Phil Mickelson eclipsed the tie held for the record of Most Four-Ball Matches won that was shared win Wadkins and Palmer. Mickelson now has 8 wins at Four-Ball. Wadkins and Palmer are tied for second with 7.

Rookies in Singles

The six rookies for Europe finished with a 2-4-0 record today, while the United States team’s two rookies Brooks Koepka and Ryan Moore won each of their matches.
 
Prior to Sunday’s Singles session and dating back to 1999, European rookies were a combined 8-17-6 in the Singles format.  During the same stretch, U.S. rookies were 14-14-3.  The last rookies to win a Singles match occurred for both sides in 2014, when Jamie Donaldson (Europe), Patrick Reed (U.S.) and Jimmy Walker (U.S.) accomplished the feat for their respective sides. 

Gimmes

• Since 1979, the team who wins the Singles session has won the Ryder Cup 15 of the 19 times, including today.
• Rafa Cabrera Bello (2-0-1) was the lone European without a loss during the 41st Ryder Cup; while Brandt Snedeker remained unbeaten as well, turning in a perfect 3-0-0 mark.
• European players entered Sunday’s Singles matches with a combined 13-13-2 record, while the United States players were collectively 13-11-2.
• Dating to 2008, European players who participate in five sessions were 4-0-1 in Singles entering Sunday.

 
Victory Formation

Matches ended on the following holes:

• Hole 14 – 4
• Hole 15 – 1
• Hole 16 – 9
• Hole 17 – 4
• Hole 18 – 10

 
Captain’s Picks Update — 

Europe: 5-7-0

• Martin Kaymer 1-3-0
• Thomas Pieters 4-1-0
• Lee Westwood 0-3-0

United States: 7-6-0

• Rickie Fowler: 2-1-0
• J.B. Holmes: 1-2-0
• Matt Kuchar: 2-2-0
• Ryan Moore: 2-1-0

Rookie Report

Europe: 7-9-1

• Rafa Cabrera Bello: 2-0-1
• Matthew Fitzpatrick: 0-2-0
• Thomas Pieters: 4-1-0
• Andy Sullivan: 0-2-0
• Danny Willett: 0-3-0
• Chris Wood: 1-1-0

United States: 5-2-0

• Brooks Koepka: 3-1-0
• Ryan Moore: 2-1-0

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New Trailer BMW Films – “The Escape”

BMW USA releases a new trailer for the upcoming BMW Films – The Escape. The 30-seconds footage features Clive Owen, Dakota Fanning and Jon Bernthal, and what we believe is the all-new BMW G30 5 Series. Gunfire, car crashes and of course some excellent driving in a new BMW with Owen at the helm are present.

“The Escape,” a short film from Academy Award® nominated director Neill Blomkamp (“District 9,” “Elysium”) features once again original BMW Films star and Oscar® nominated actor Clive Owen (“Closer,” “Children of Men”), who reprises his role as The Driver.

BMW not only brought back Owen for “The Escape,” but also Bruce Bildsten as Creative Director, Brian DiLorenzo as Executive Producer and David Carter, who in addition to serving as a creative consultant, co-wrote the film alongside Blomkamp. The trio then brought together a group of producers and designers to bring the film to life.

“The Escape” will premiere on Sunday, October 23, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. EST on BMWFilms.com.

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Space Gray Metallic BMW 6 Series gets some flashy bronze wheels

BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe is one of the most appealing cars ever designed by the wizards in Munich. The elongated lines and soft rounded edges create a sleek and sporty design, which has given the four-door coupe a solid customer base. The BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe has, however, been out on the market for several years, and it’s slowly starting to show some signs of aging.

While the tourer is by no means old, the addition of some aftermarket parts – in many cases – will give it a quick makeover. Crowd’s favorite aftermarket parts today are a set of custom wheels.

The same approach was taken with this BMW 6 Series, receiving a set of Vossen VFS-308 wheels in a gorgeous Bronze finish. The wheels come in sizes of 20×9 and 20×11.5 in the front and rear, respectively. These wheels are part of the Vossen Precision Series model range. They are lightweight, rigid, offering an alternative to classic wheels.

Matched with the grey exterior paint job, the wheels will certainly bring even more eyeballs to this beautiful gran coupe. And as always, some will appreciate the daring approach, while others would be vocal against cannibalizing such an elegant vehicle. The 6er Gran Coupe not only delivers beautiful lines, but also plenty of power to make for a fun drive. The BMW 650i Gran Coupe seen here comes with a a with a 4.4-liter BMW TwinPower Turbo V8 powerplant, which delivers 445 horsepower to the rear wheels. It combines two turbochargers with variable valve control (Double-VANOS and Valvetronic) and high-precision direct injection, allowing for smooth and efficient power delivery, as well as impressive performance with this model.

The BMW 6 Series with this V8 powerplant can accelerate from 0-62mph (0-100km/h) in just 4.5 seconds. Full media gallery of this vehicle is available below.

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Video: Rare Manhart MH4 550 BMW M4 Caught near the Nurburgring

The guys from Manhart Performance are known in the BMW community for their incredibly fast cars that also come with ludicrous amounts of power. Most of the M models that come out these days end up getting a special treatment. The BMW M4 was no exception and shortly after it was launched, the Manhart team revealed the MH4 550 model.

As the name suggests and you might’ve guessed, the Manhart MH4 550 comes with a retuned version of the 3-liter straight six twin-turbo engine. Thanks to the plethora of upgrades, the car has 550 HP to do whatever it pleases with, up about 120 HP from the stock 431 HP of the S55 mill. The torque figure went through the roof though, from 550 Nm (406 lb-ft) to 820 Nm (604 lb-ft).

This was possible due to the new ECU map, K&N air filter as well as a new exhaust with catless 3″ downpipes. The sound was also changed accordingly. Other changes revolve around other performance factors. For example there’s a new KW Clubsport coilover system now installed under the sheet metal, set up according to Manhart’s own racing specifications.

Of course, the visuals matter as well and on the outside you’ll notice Manhart’s 21-inch performance wheels, all of them wrapped in Continental Sport Contact SP tires. Behind those wheels you’ll find BMW M5 F10 6-piston, 400mm drilled rotors up front and BMW M5 F10 2-piston, 360mm drilled discs round the back. There’s also an M Performance splitter up front and an Akrapovic difusser round the back.

The video claims that only five of these cars were ever made. Given their price tags, they are a rare sighting and a head turner everywhere they go.

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Is the BMW 7 Series’ true main rival the Audi A8?

Every time we mention the BMW 7 Series, it seems that a certain other car is mentioned as well. I think we all know what that other car is. It’s the Mercedes-Benz S Class, obviously. These two cars, the 7 Series and S Class, have been going at it for decades. They’ve been considered main rivals for ages now, so much so that it’s almost expected for one to be mentioned with the other. However, at least with this new generation of 7 Series, might another car be its really main rival instead?

Think about the 7 Series’ objective at the moment. It’s designed to be more technological, sportier and more stylish than its competition. None of those words describe the new Mercedes S Class. Not that the S Class doesn’t have impressive technology, good performance or style, because it has all of those things. But they aren’t its main goal. The S Class’ main goal is to be the most luxurious car on the market and it’s exactly that. But the 7 Series is meant to give you 80 percent of that luxury while providing a more thrilling driving experience and far superior technology. Something it does.

But there’s also another car that has that same objective — the Audi A8.

Now, we’re not saying definitively that the main 7 Series rival is the A8, we’re just wondering if maybe that’s a more fair comparison. The Audi A8 is definitely more glamorous than the S Class, with its crazy LED lights and massive wheels. It’s the flashy car, while the S Class is the stately car. Its interior is also much more modern and contemporary, compared to the old-world luxury of the Benz. And while the S Class is more about wafting its passengers in complete silence and comfort, the A8 has a sportier and more aggressive attitude. Sound familiar?

Now, the Audi A8 can’t match the 7 Series, in terms of technology. But that’s simply because it’s far older. The Audi A8 we have today debuted back in 2011, so the 7 Series has a solid five years on it. However, Audi has claimed that the next-generation A8, which should be debuting next year, will be the most technologically advanced car in the segment. Again, does that sound familiar?

While the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S Class might be long-time competitors and rivals, it seems that both cars are going in opposite directions as of late. Whereas Mercedes is getting back to its luxury-first roots, BMW seems to be headed in a more modern, tech and performance-oriented direction. It’s a very similar direction to where Audi has been headed with its A8 for some time.

So is it maybe time for a new rivalry for the BMW 7 Series?

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Selfridge in fitness race as Challenge Tour hots up

Sam Walker. Picture: Phil Inglis

Injured Chris Selfridge remains the best of the Irish with four events to go before the Challenge Tour Grand Final in Oman.

But the Moyola Park man, who had to withdraw with a recurrence of his wrist injury in Kazakhstan. faces a race against time to be fit to compete at the crucial part of the season.

He’s just over €1,000 outside the top-45 who will contest the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final from November 2-4.

Gary Hurley is 68th with €20,447 after he finished tied 31st in the Kazakhstan Open and picked up €3,330.

Disappointed to be forced to withdraw from the Kazakhstan Open this week with a reoccurring hand injury. Hope to be back in action ASAP. http://pic.twitter.com/ya1DkIPGxK

— Chris Selfridge (@selfridgec595) September 30, 2016

Ruaidhri McGee and Kevin Phelan, who both missed the cut in Almaty, are 90th and 94th in the Road to Oman standings with Cormac Sharvin 135th, Rory McNamara 154th, the retired Damien McGrane 158th, Gavin Moynihan 168th, Brian Casey 176th, Gareth Shaw 205th, Alan Dunbar 228th, Simon Thornton 231st and Jeff Hopkins 259th.

As for Kazakhstan, Sam Walker won his second European Challenge Tour title of the season as he claimed a one-stroke victory in torrential rain at Zhailjau Golf Resort.

Walker carded a three under par round of 69 to finish one shot clear of overnight leader Jordan Smith, securing his second title in six events after winning the Vierumäki Finnish Challenge in August.

The Birmingham man finished with an 18 under par total after rounds of 69-67-65-69. Just 15 golfers finished their final rounds under par as bad weather made for tricky playing conditions.

He started the final round with a bogey on the first hole, just his second across the 55 holes he had previously played, but immediately recovered with a birdie on the second hole and a further gain on the fourth hole.

Two birdies on the eighth and ninth holes were followed by a bogey on the tenth hole, and his birdie on the par five 15th hole saw him draw level with Smith with just four holes to play.

Smith, who finished level par on the day, bogeyed the 16th hole and Walker parred his final four holes to secure the €72,000 first prize.

“It’s amazing,” an emotional Walker said. “To go through what I’ve been through over the last three months, working hard, trying to get my career back on the mend, to win in Kazakhstan just tops it all off. The biggest one of the year, and I’ve won it.

“It’s unbelievable. I said at the Rolex Trophy I just have to concentrate and try and finish in the top 15. If I didn’t do that, I said I’d be hanging my clubs up, throwing my shoes away and getting another job somewhere else.

“But it’s all paid off, the training, the help I’ve received from my wife and my trainer Darren is great.”

Victory in Almaty propels Walker up to second place in the Road to Oman Rankings, just less than 18,000 points behind Smith who returns to first place.

With just five events of the season left to play, Walker highlighted the importance of his fifth victory in his Challenge Tour career.

“Finishing at the top of the rankings has never been a goal. But finishing in the top 15, you’re guaranteed a lot of tournaments next season on the European Tour. It would be nice to go on and win again.

“It would nice to win the Order of Merit but I’m second now and a long way ahead of third. There are five more events to play and it would be nice if I could win again.”

Reinier Saxton finished in solo third place on 14 under par with Duncan Stewart, who carded a superb four under par in awful weather conditions, a low for the day, and Ryan Fox both a shot back on 13 under par.

Final scores

270 S Walker (Eng) 69 67 65 69, 

271 J Smith (Eng) 67 66 66 72,

274 R Saxton (Ned) 70 66 66 72, 

275 D Stewart (Sco) 71 69 67 68, R Fox (Nzl) 71 66 66 72, 

276 G Porteous (Eng) 69 66 67 74, 

277 J Senior (Eng) 69 68 68 72, P Widegren  (Swe) 69 68 68 72,

278 K Samooja (Fin) 70 66 69 73, D Frittelli (RSA) 67 72 69 70, T Detry  (Bel) 69 69 71 69, 

283 G Hurley (Irl) 67 70 73 73

Missed cut

144 R McGee (Irl) 71 73

149 K Phelan (Irl) 73 76

WD C Selfridge  (Nir) 75 WD

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McIlroy and Pieters left alone against the storm

Rory McIlroy brushed off foul-mouthed attacks by rowdy US fans to keep Europe’s Ryder Cup hopes barely alive with another rip-roaring performance at Hazeltine National.

The world No 3 formed a dream team with Belgian bomber Thomas Pieters crushed Brooks Koepka and US Open champion Dustin Johnson in the afternoon fourballs by 3 and 1 to win their third match from three outings.

The win was a rare bright spot for Darren Clarke’s charges as the USA won the session 3-1 take a 9.5-6.5 lead into today’s 12 singles as the big six of Lee Westwood and Danny Willett, Martin Kaymer and Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson all lost.

It looked as though Westwood would be a hero for Europe and snatch a half with a two footer for birdie at the 18th but he barely grazed the hole and the Americans took a vital point.

As the dust settled, it became clearer that McIlroy is Europe's strong man and he appeared to get more fired up the more he was heckled, having a fan ejected by marshals  when he was told to “suck a dick” as he walked to the eighth tee.

Daring US fans to keep it up today, McIlroy said: “It’s a tough environment for us to come and play in. We expect that. It's same for the US guys when they come to play in Europe. 

“You have to keep your concentration out there. It's been a long day and sometimes emotions run high.

“Again, we're just glad to get it done and move on, help Europe get another point on the board.”

Asked if the abuse drove him on, McIlroy added: “It fuelled me a lot. The more they shouted, the better we played. I hope they shout at us all day tomorrow.”

Pieters added: “The heckling, it just pumps us up. So hopefully the same for tomorrow.”

It sounded good at the time but McIlroy and Pieters soon realised that they were the only European winners on a very good afternoon for Davis Love.

Europe's stellar pairing have been surpber all week — they’ve never trailed in 49 holes,  won 21 of them and only lost 11. And yet they must win their singles at No 1 and No 3 versus Patrick Reed and JB Holmes respectively if Europe are to have any chance of stopping the USA getting early momentum in their quest for the five points they need to win back the trophy.

After crushing  Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler 4 and 2 in the foursomes there was to be no let up on the fourballs in the afternoon as the put big hitters Johnson and Koepka to the sword.

“They played really good,” Koepka said. "Hats off to them. They were impressive to watch. Both of them were in it every hole. They both had looks every hole and that’s what you've got to do."

The Americans are formidable opposition but McIlroy and Pieters were off the mark early, racing into a two up lead after five holes.

The sixth was halved in birdie fours before McIlroy made up for a clumsy three-putt by Pieters at the seventh by slotting a 30 footer for birdie that forced Koepka to follow him in from 10 feet just to remain two down.

When Johnson and Koepka both three-putted the par-three eighth for bogeys to go three down, the Americans left themselves with a huge task and McIlroy added to their pain by hitting his approach inside four feet at the ninth before tapping in to put them four up.

McIlroy then matched a birdie by Koepka at the 10th, rattling in 12 footer to put the European pair eight under for the first 10 holes.

The Americans won the 11th and 12th, lost the 13th and 14th, then won the 15th when McIlroy drove out of bounds and the 16th when the Co Down man got a “mud ball” and hooked his approach into the lake. 

But it all ended with a Pieters birdie at the 17th that gave the Europeans a betterball of 11 under par.

Skipper Clarke took a huge gamble putting McIlroy and Pieters out in foursomes. But he also took a chance by leaving out the in-form Rafa Cabrera Bello and Chris Wood and bringing back Danny Willett to partner Lee Westwood while recalling Martin Kaymer to partner Garcia,

Willett and Westwood were left to take on Ryan Moore and Holmes but after the fourball shared eight birdies in first six holes, the English duo edged ahead when Westwood made his third successive birdie at the seventh. 

With Moore struggling, Holmes made three back nine birdies to take them to the 17th all square but while he found water with his tee shot there, Moore made par and both Willet and Westwood bogeyed to allow the Americans to go one up in the match for the first time.

Westwood stitched his approach to the last but incredibly missed his birdie putt to remain winless in the week when he was hoping to surpass Nick Faldo as Europe’s leading points winner.

Phil Mickelson and Matt Kuchar proved too strong for the struggling Martin Kaymer and Spaniard Sergio Garcia and were nine under to the European’s seven under as they claimed the point by 2 and 1.

The anchor match on Saturday is regarded a key to momentum and the USA had a stellar pairing in Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth, who bounced back from their halved foursomes with Garcia and Cabrera Bello by beating Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson 2 and 1

Rose and Stenson were three under and one up through three holes but Reed was sensational for the Americans, playing the four-hole stretch from the fifth to the eighth in five under.

Not only did he birdie at the fifth, seventh and eighth punctuated by a hole-out from the fairway for an eagle three at the sixth.

While Stenson birdied the 12th and Rose the 13th to cut the gap to one hole, Reed birdied the 14th to restore the American’s two up lead.

Even Stenson's late chip in for eagle at the 16th proved in vain and as the singles order emerged it became clear that Europe need 12 McIlroy's on Sunday when they have only three or four.

The Americans, and Love, needed no rreminding of Medinah.

"Me bringing it up? In the team room?" Love asked. "No, we keep looking forward. But trust me, the six captains, we talk about it, because we've learned — we've brought up every year from, well, I don't know how far back our stats go on The European Team. But yeah, that's our job, is to look at the stats and figure out a lineup, think about — we got slowed down on the pairings tonight because we got guys that played on a lot of teams sitting there going, remember when we did this and remember when we did that.

"Sure, 2008, 2012, 2012, 2014 were all talked about, but that's our job. That's the reason why we're the captains. That's the reason why those guys said, I will come and help, is because they have experience. So yeah, we talked about it, and we threw a lineup out there based on that.

"I'll never forget the conversation Darren Clarke and I had Sunday night at Medinah on the back porch of the hotel. He and I will have another conversation about this lineup, you know, no matter what the outcome is.

"We've seen it before, and we use that experience to our advantage, and you know, hopefully every one of those 12 matches will just go play their match and try to win their point, do the best they can for the team."

Clarke arrived with two media helpers and manager Chubby in tow and while he tried to sound upbeat, the mood was grim as they trudged away with a collective "onwards" following a brief media conference with only a handful of press.

Clarke said: "In Medinah, obviously, they were four points behind, one point worse than what we are now.

"But teams have come back from that deficit, not just there, but elsewhere. So it's still game on. As I've just said there, there's 12 points to play for tomorrow. We are currently three points behind. But I've got a team that, yes, they were disappointed whenever we came off the golf course, as naturally they should be, I would expect them to be that way.

"But we sat and had a team meeting afterwards with the players and the caddies, and some of the players spoke up, and we had a really good, strong meeting afterwards. And those guys fully believe that they have the talent and the desire to put a result in tomorrow."

Asked about Westwood, he said: "Well, Lee played fantastic all day. I don't know how much of the golf that you watched; he played fantastic all day. The shot that he hit out of the bunker, to hit it to where he did -- to hit the shot that he did, to get it that close, and indeed the one that Danny hit out of the bunker to get it up there. You know, he gave himself every opportunity.

It was a downhill, right-to-left putt that he would probably make nine times out of ten, but you add Ryder Cup pressure and he missed it. It happens in professional golf. But his golf all day was fantastic. He's disappointed, but he's ready to get out there and play again tomorrow."

Asked how Westwood was psychologically, he said: "Lee's fine. He's a veteran and he's done this many, many times. He's disappointed, and he's disappointed more for the team than himself when he came off the golf course. He's now back focused on what he needs to do tomorrow."

Singles - USA v Europe

1. Patrick REED v Rory MCILROY 11:04 AM
2. Jordan SPIETH v Henrik STENSON 11:15 AM
3. J. B. HOLMES v Thomas PIETERS
4. Rickie FOWLER v Justin ROSE
5. Jimmy WALKER v Rafa CABRERA BELLO
6. Phil MICKELSON  v Sergio GARCIA
7. Ryan MOORE v Lee WESTWOOD
8. Brandt SNEDEKER v Andy SULLIVAN
9. Dustin JOHNSON v Chris WOOD
10. Brooks KOEPKA v Danny WILLETT
11. Matt KUCHAR v Martin KAYMER
12. Zach JOHNSON v Matt FITZPATRICK

from News - Irish Golf Desk http://ift.tt/2dJBjUX