The European team needs to capture eight of the remaining 12 points in Sunday singles at the Ryder Cup, and veteran Luke Donald started things off on the right foot. Donald was chosen by Jose Maria Olazabal to lead off and capture the first point, and he delivered. Donald is 10-4-1 in the Ryder Cup, and he instantly pounced on Bubba Watson and never surrendered the lead. Donald pushed it to 4-up on the back side, slowly choking off Bubba, one of the Americans’ emotional leaders. Watson made things interesting by winning back-to-back holes down the stretch, but Donald clinched it on the 17th green, 2&1. With USA needing 14.5 points to clinch, the lead is now at 10-7.
The next three matches after Donald-Watson are all-square, and the Euros will likely need to take two of three if they want to get the momentum going and entertain a shot at a Sunday comeback. Webb Simpson led Ian Poulter for much of the match, but the Englishman rolled one in for birdie on No. 12 to pull it even. Poulter is the heart and soul of the European team, and if Simpson were to knock him off (or halve it), it would be a huge blow. In addition to that second match, the Rory McIlroy-Keegan Bradley and Justin Rose-Phil Mickelson matches are all-square on the back side at Medinah.
Paul Lawrie is currently the only other European leading a match, rolling over 2012 FedExCup winner Brandt Snedeker through the first 12 holes. Lawrie is 4-up on Snedeker and will likely clinch the second point of the day for the Euros with that upset.
