Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia come up short in loss to Phil Mickelson-Keegan Bradley

Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley, in a sloppy Friday morning fourball slog that nobody seemed to want to win, were the last guys standing. The U.S. anchors survived a 1-up victory over Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia to give the U.S. a one-point edge heading into the afternoon matches.

Some five and a half hours after teeing off in the final match of the opening round, Mickelson drilled a short birdie putt to put the point in the U.S. column.

In a match that went back and forth and in which the Americans were 2-up and then lost the lead on the 15th hole, Bradley’s eagle-3 on No. 16 proved to be the shot of the day as McIlroy’s game fell apart down the stretch. Following a huge drive that split the fairway on the 520-yard par-5, Bradley smashed a baby cut 243 yards to some 10 feet from the pin.

McIlroy reached the green with an iron from the right rough some 230 yards out. But misreading the speed on the green as he did much of the day, the world No. 1 came up short with his long eagle putt before Bradley rolled his in to get the contest back to all-square.

A Bradley pump fist, high-five with Lefty, and a thigh slap ensued.

“That eagle he made on 16 was so tight. Oh, man,” gushed Mickelson after the round. “That was just awesome. What a big eagle that was.”

NBC Sports’ lead anchor Johnny Miller agreed.

“That eagle that Bradley made, those two perfect shots to make eagle on 16 turned the matches,” Miller said.

The match may not have been over but McIlroy played the next two holes as if he were mailing it in. Despite a Tiger Woods twirl of his club and a stare down of his ball, the European leader came up short with his tee shot to the par-3 17th.

All four lads made par so no harm, no foul -- until the 18th, where all hell broke loose for the Europeans’ dream team. Here’s how it happened:

Bradley drove into the rough, Mickelson striped it down the center, and McIlroy stepped up to the plate to the oohs and aahs of the guys in the TV booth (“Just the best driver of the golf ball.” “Outrageously impressive.”). The four-time major winner proceeded to lose his shot left as Garcia found the fairway

The fun was just beginning.

Bradley, coming up short of the green, faced a couple of bunkers and a steep slope up to a front pin placement. Garcia blocked his approach shot well right into really deep stuff.

Mickelson landed in one of those front bunkers, after which McIlroy shanked his third shot into a buried lie in the same trap, causing his shoulders to droop as he grabbed his face with his hand.

Bradley pitched his shot onto the putting surface, Garcia located his ball and barely chunked it forward into the sand. When he and his partner finally hit the green, each was putting for five.

Meanwhile, Mickelson’s short-game wizardry was on display, as he splashed out for what appeared to be a gimme birdie putt. Blah, blah, blah, three missed putts by Team Euro and Bradley and the stage was set for Mickelson to put the game away.

“At 44 years old,” intoned Nick Faldo, “Phil’s heart must be racing.”

Nothing but bottom of the cup for the popular southpaw, and it was onto a short intermission before the afternoon wave.