GLENEAGLES, Scotland — After a disappointing end to the day Friday, the U.S. Ryder Cup team tightened the matches in the Saturday morning four-balls at Gleneagles, whittling a 5-3 first-day lead by Europe to 6 ½ to 5 ½ entering Saturday's afternoon foursomes (alternate shot).
The morning matches came down to the climactic final match between Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter against Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker, which ended in an all-square halve, but before some remarkable fireworks.
McIlroy and Poulter had a 2-up lead the turn, but a Fowler holed-out birdie splash from a greenside bunker on No. 10 but the Europeans' lead to one and that was the turning point in the match, ratcheting up the intensity and setting the stage for an epic back nine.
A Walker birdie on No. 11 evened the match and then a Walker birdie putt on No. 13 gave the Americans a 1-up lead, which would last until the 15th hole, where finally there was a Poulter Ryder Cup moment _ an amazing chip-in for birdie from about 75 feet with Fowler waiting to make his four-footer for birdie.
Poulter, who's made a name for himself as a player made for the Ryder Cup, had struggled all day Friday and for much of this match, but after he holed the chip he went into one of his signature bug-eyed celebrations. When he retrieved his ball from the cup and walked stone-faced to the side of the green, there was a cool moment when he caught eyes with U.S. captain Tom Watson. Watson nodded congratulations and Prouler broke into wry smile.
That halved hole saved the Europeans from heading to 16 two holes down. Instead, buoyed by his moment, Poulter holed a birdie putt on 16 to win and the teams went to the 17th tee all square.
It stayed that way to 18, where they halved the hole, and the match.
For Fowler, it was incredibly the fifth halved match of his Ryder Cup career, which stands at 0-1-5. He's played well, but he's still seeking his first career win.
"That half match was huge for us,'' European captain Paul McGinley said.
"That that half point might be crucial,'' Poulter said. "It was nice to get the juices flowing. Not much has gone in the hole for me this week, so it was great to be able to do that. There was a lot of emotion. It's been waiting to come out. It took way too long to do so.
"That 15th hole was very much looking like the U.S. team was going to go 2-up with three to play. It's a funny game sometimes.''
Earlier, there was scintillating action in the match between Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson against Bubba Watson and Matt Kuchar. The four combined for 23 birdies _ 12 by the Europeans and 11 by the Americans. Rose and Stenson, as they did twice on Friday, won the match 3&2.
Rose and Stenson finished with 10 straight birdies to win the match on 16. The Americans responded by winning the next two matches to cut the deficit to 6-5 with that final match still on the course.
"It was definitely an experience of a lifetime,'' Stenson said.
After that Rose-Stenson match extended Europe's lead to 6-3, Jim Furyk and Hunter Mahan beat Europeans Lee Westwood and Jamie Donaldson 4&3 and Rookies Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed took down Thomas Bjorn and Martin Kaymer 5&3.
There were some interesting omissions by both captains for the Saturday afternoon alternate shot, with Watson not playing Phil Mickelson, who sat out the morning session as well, and McGinley not playing Poulter despite him getting hot late in his morning match.
McGinley also sat Stenson despite the fact that he's won three points, because the Swede's back was tightening up.
The afternoon pairings featured, in order, Zach Johnson and Kuchar against Westwood and Donaldson, Jim Furyk and Hunter Mahan against Sergio Garcia and McIlroy, Spieth and Reed against Rose and Martin Kaymer and Walker and Fowler against Victor Dubuisson and Graeme McDowell.
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