Ryder Cup 2014: Schedule, pairings announced for Saturday’s foursomes matches

The pairings are out for Saturday afternoon’s foursomes at the Ryder Cup, and with one match still out on the course from the morning, the best the USA can hope for is a 6-6 tie at the start of the final two-man session. It’s more likely they will be trailing by a point heading into the format where they were wiped out on Friday.

The biggest news coming out of the foursomes announcements is that Tom Watson is sitting the duo of Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson for the second straight day. That was the USA side’s most valuable two-man team in 2012 at Medinah, and they beat the powerhouse pairing of Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy on Friday morning. But they looked worn down in the afternoon. They should certainly be well-rested for Sunday singles after sitting an entire day -- something that seemed unfathomable at the start of the week.

One reason Keegan and Phil could be back on the bench is the play of the three rookies is leaving Watson little room to add them to the lineup. Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed dominated their match for the second straight day, and there was no way they were being benched again after Watson was panned for doing so on Friday afternoon. They draw Justin Rose, the best overall player in the entire cup so far, and Martin Kaymer. It’s the tastiest matchup on paper.

For the European side, Sergio Garcia is back in the lineup and back with Rory McIlroy. It’s the highest ranked pair possible, featuring the No.1 in the world and the No. 3 in the world. But the two managed only a half point in two matches on Friday. They get Jim Furyk and Hunter Mahan in the second match of the afternoon. That American duo ripped through the Westwood/Donaldson pairing in the morning four-ball.

With the US likely trimming the two-point deficit they started the day with, this afternoon session will be critical for their chances on Sunday. There can be no repeat of Friday’s implosion in this foursomes format. Here’s the entire match board for Friday: