Ian Poulter, a Ryder cup veteran, tees off on the first hole at the Medina Country Club.
Graham Murtagh
Staff Writer
Autumn hung around the Medinah Country Club in Illinois, and as the leaves turned crisp and red, the big leader board at the 39th Ryder Cup took on a rubicund glow as well, as the US powered into a 10-6 lead at the end of Day Two. It was another nervous European performance from a team that has so far failed to find its stride in the competition, with countless strokes being left out on the beautifully manicured course.
European hopes of a fight back from the disappointing two-point deficit facing the team from the end of Day One were quickly dashed. The only European point of the morning foursomes was carved out by Ryder Cup stalwart Ian Poulter and his playing partner Justin Rose. Snatching a crucial score, the pair put paid to the challenge of Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson in the end, although it could hardly have been described as an easy victory. Nerves crept in as the Europeans double-bogeyed the 16th and saw their comfortable two hole advantage cut to just one. A deft touch from Poulter at the tee on 17 allayed concerns though and the pair closed out on the final hole to win 1up. Poulter described the victory as “absolutely key” and one can imagine the furious nods of agreement by European Captain Jose Maria Olazabal on that point, for the morning session was otherwise lost by the team 3-1.
The most spectacular of misfires was the order of the day for the English pairing of Luke Donald and Lee Westwood. The duo failed to bring any kind of challenge to the in-form coupling of the tournament, Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley, and found themselves five down at the turn. By the 12th, it was all over – both former world number ones had suffered a tournament record-equaling 7&6 defeat, and a further point was added to the US tally. The rot had set in when Westwood unmercifully buried his tea shot in the water off number two, and aqua proved to be the undoing of another European point as well – Sergio Garcia and the undoubted star of the competition so far, Nicholas Colsaerts, had held Zach Johnson and Jason Duffner to all square, but the challenge faded when the Belgian sent his ball swimming at the penultimate hole, and the match was lost 2&1. In the last remaining match, the Northern Irish contingent of Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell came undone on the final green, with Jim Furyk and Brandt Snedeker exacting revenge on the 18th after losing themselves in similar style on Friday.
Four points ahead heading into the afternoon fourballs, US Captain Davis Love III’s comfort must have been the antithesis of his European opposite number’s feelings. Love III decided to rest his most impressive performers, Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson, instead opting to send out Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker to face Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia for the afternoon’s play. In what has become a hallmark of the tournament for Tiger, it was a day of nearly, but not quite; the Europeans held off the challenge of a resurgent Woods and Stricker to win on the final green in a thrilling finish. Much like play the day before, Woods would occasionally remind the crowd why he had dominated the golfing world for so long, but wayward drives were also on show. Woods has yet to contribute a single point to the US total, a mark of the difficulties he is facing at Medinah.
Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson again ran out against Justin Rose and Francesco Molinari and dispensed with them by going 5up with four to play. It was an off-key performance from Rose that lacked the sparkle that fans are usually treated to, but none can discredit the display of Watson, whose infectious good humour appears to be having a consequent positive effect on his play. Nicholas Colsaerts and Paul Lawrie were beaten by a stunning 20-footer casually rolled in by Dustin Johnson on the 17th. Playing with Matt Kuchar, the Americans had been two up at one stage, but the match had been leveled by the 16th thanks to Lawrie. Johnson’s put lit up the home crowd, and when the 18th was halved, another splash of red adorned the leaderboard yet again.
It looked as though all hope was lost, but then again, there was still Ian Poulter. The man who lives for the Ryder Cup once again proved why as, playing with world number one Rory McIlroy, he strung together five birdies in the closing holes to pull a victory for Europe out of the jaws of defeat, and ensure that the afternoon’s play and points were shared equally between the two teams. A fifteen foot putt that rattled its way home on the last made sure of victory over Zach Johnson and Jason Duffner and, just as in the morning, Poulter’s influence on the team became all the more pronounced.
That victory in the final match assured Europe of being a full four points behind heading into the final day’s play – the singles matches which routinely provide the most excitement in the Ryder Cup. Back in 1999, the US team overturned a four point deficit to take home Samuel Ryder’s prized grail, and Jose Maria Olazabal remained upbeat about the team’s chances.
“I believe the momentum will come our way”, he said. “Why not tomorrow?”.
