2014 Ryder Cup results: The best and worst of Saturday’s four-ball session

The wind was down at Gleneagles for Saturday morning Ryder Cup four-ball, and these world class players started pouring in birdies on every hole. The USA won the session and cut their deficit from two points to one point. Europe will begin Saturday afternoon’s foursomes session with s 6.5 to 5.5 advantage. It was the format they dominated on day 1 to build their lead, but the USA may have swung some momentum with their response Saturday morning. Here are some of the highlights of those four matches.

The Justin Rose/Henrik Stenson 3&2 win over Matt Kuchar/Bubba Watson was one of the best matches in Ryder Cup history. It only went 16 holes, but of the 32 potential scores between the two teams, 21 were birdies. The four-ball total of 21-under was a Ryder Cup record, and the two teams did it with two holes to spare.

While the US side was a large contributor to that record setting number of birdies, it was the Europeans who set the individual record and went 12-under through their first 16 holes. The match featured 10 straight red numbers from Rose/Stenson, including six in a row from Justin Rose on his own ball. I labeled Rose Europe’s most dangerous weapon at the start of the week, but I could have never imagined this kind of streak. There were too many highlights to pare it down to one shot of the match. Putt after putt rolled in for the Englishman, who had his own fist-pump highlight montage before he ever made the turn. Just a sampling of all the celebrating Rose did during his historic birdie run:

Kuchar and Bubba would have won the match nine times out of 10. They were perfect out of the gate, taking a 2-up lead and continued to put their ball in solid position from tee-to-green. But Rose’s putter, and Stenson’s approach shots, were just too much.

Even at the very end, when it looked most bleak, the Americans still punched back in the form of Kuchar bombing in a putt from off the green. He tossed his putter in celebration, but it was still worth just a half point to keep their hopes alive. Rose would end it a hole later, not with the putter this time, but rather a stupid recovery shot to a foot for the 10th straight and final birdie.

The putting, the wedge shots, the approaches dropped on top of flag sticks, and then all the goofy celebrations of birdie after birdie -- this match was hard to keep up with, but it was one of the best ever.

Justin Rose has been the clear player of the Cup so far, but the best team going right now is the American rookie duo of Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth. After steamrolling through four-ball on Friday morning, Tom Watson opted to bench the rookies. He was panned for the decision after the show they put on in the morning, and Watson said both were “very upset” at the benching.

They responded again with another blowout four-ball win Saturday morning, never giving Thomas Bjorn and Martin Kaymer a chance after the match made the turn. The fell 2-down right away, but turned it on from there to close out the Euros on the 15th green with a 5&3 victory. That’s two wins that ended early and were never really competitive on the back nine.

Neither rookie has been significantly better than the other -- both are rolling in putts and hitting brilliant chips around the green. That should play well for the foursomes alternate-shot, which is the biggest adjustment and most difficult format for these pros.

Fluff is a legend, but Jim Furyk’s caddie had absolutely no time or enthusiasm for this double fist bump attempt from Hunter Mahan’s caddie.

That attempt came just after Mahan made an eagle to keep the pressure on Jamie Donaldson and Lee Westwood. Furyk had an abysmal 1-8-1 record in the four-ball format, but he and Mahan cruised in this match. The American duo never trailed because they never even lost a hole. They had a multi-hole cushion by 4th tee and it was never really close after that for two USA vets who desperately needed a win. They’re back out again in the afternoon.

Michael Jordan’s cigar at 7 a.m. doesn’t sound too appetizing, but he’s certainly someone who makes it work and look cool.

None! There were poor approaches and some chunked chips, but there was no ghastly shot that would rise to the level of what usually qualifies for this space. This was a session full of birdies and pretty solid play all around.

So many of Rose’s reactions to his various birdie putts highlighted the morning session, but this wink at Bubba Watson right after he matched the American with a long birdie putt provided the best photo.

via Harry How/Getty

Winking at your opponent in match play is the kind of thing you can pull off when you’re on that kind of roll.

This category should just go to Rose’s entire round, but Ian Poulter finally joined the competition late in the critical anchor match. Poulter has been awful all week and had no impact on the matches, which isn’t surprising given his mediocre season but still different to see from Europe’s Ryder Cup hero. However, the European pest decided to make a few golf shots over the final four holes against Jimmy Walker and Rickie Fowler. The biggest came at the 15th, where he chipped in for a crucial halve of the hole to keep alive his side’s chances for a halve or win of the match (via Adam Sarson)

It came at the most important time, just when it looked like the USA would take three of four points in the morning and pull the overall competition even. The shot ignited the crowd, and woke up Poulter, who drained an eagle putt on the next hole to pull the match even. That’s where it stayed all the way into the house -- a difficult ending for the Walker/Fowler pair who probably should have a win (or two) at this point, but just keep halving everything.

Here are Saturday morning’s results and the schedule for the final two-man session of this Cup: