| United States | 10-6 | Europe |
ORDER OF PLAY
Foursomes (Friday)
| United States | 2-2 | Europe |
| Jim Furyk/Brad Snedeker | won 1up | Rory McIlroy/Graeme McDowell |
| Phil Mickelson/Keegan Bradley | won 4&3 | Luke Donald/Sergio Garcia |
| Jason Dufner/Zach Johnson | won 3&2 | Lee Westwood/Francesco Molinari |
| Tiger Woods/Steve Stricker | won 2&1 | Ian Poulter/Justin Rose |
Fourballs (Friday)
| United States | 3-1 | Europe |
| Bubba Watson/Webb Simpson | won 5&4 | Paul Lawrie/Peter Hanson |
| Phil Mickelson/Keegan Bradley | won 2&1 | Rory McIlroy/Graeme McDowell |
| Tiger Woods/Steve Stricker | won 1up | Lee Westwood/Nicolas Colsaerts |
| Dustin Johnson/Matt Kuchar | won 3&2 | Justin Rose/Martin Kaymer |
Foursomes (Saturday)
| United States | 3-1 | Europe |
| Bubba Watson/Webb Simpson | won 1up | Ian Poulter/Justin Rose |
| Phil Mickelson/Keegan Bradley | won 7&6 | Lee Westwood/Luke Donald |
| Jason Dufner/Zach Johnson | won 2&1 | Sergio Garcia/Nicolas Colsaerts |
| Jim Furyk/Brad Snedeker | won 1up | Rory McIlroy/Graeme McDowell |
Fourballs (Saturday)
| United States | 2-2 | Europe |
| Bubba Watson/Webb Simpson | won 5&4 | Justin Rose/Francesco Molinari |
| Dustin Johnson/Matt Kuchar | won 1up | Nicolas Colsaerts/Paul Lawrie |
| Tiger Woods/Steve Stricker | won 1up | Sergio Garcia/Luke Donald |
| Jason Dufner/Zach Johnson | won 1up | Rory McIlroy/Ian Poulter |
EUROPE won the last two fourballs matches last night to keep alive its slim hopes of retaining the Ryder Cup at the Medinah Country Club in Illinois.
Ian Poulter was the star of the show, firing birdies in the last five holes of his round to turn a two-hole deficit into a one-hole victory, to make the score 10-6 to the United States.
However, only once has such a lead been overturned on the final day - by the Americans in Brookline in 1999 - and, with so many European players out of form, it is hard to see them repeating that feat.
Davis Love III's men require just four-and-a-half points from 12 singles matches while Jose Maria Olazabal's team must win eight matches to retain the Cup in what would be a thrilling tie.
But, while the Americans have regularly sunk their putts, their European counterparts have just sunk - often injudiciously into the drink.
Friday
It will not show in the record books, of course, but Europe actually started pretty well in the opening session of foursomes on Friday.
Twice the visiting pairings held leads in all four matches - but never were those leads greater than 1up and, ultimately, half of the advantages could not be kept.
The experienced Phil Mickelson and impressive rookie Keegan Bradley got the first result on the board with a 4&3 win over Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia.
Northern Irish major-winning pair Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell responded to win 1up against Jim Furyk and Brandt Snedeker.
But the Americans restored their lead as Jason Dufner and Zach Johnson beat the out-of-sorts Lee Westwood and Francesco Molinari, who still awaits his first Ryder Cup point.
The opening session ended 2-2, with Ian Poulter and Justin Rose combining well to beat Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker, but that was as good as it got for Europe.
The Americans had dominated the second part of the foursomes and carried that momentum into the afternoon fourballs matches.
Mickelson and Bradley were again paired together, and the duo delivered, winning the first three holes against world number one McIlroy and his compatriot McDowell.
The 'Macs' fought back but a brilliant tee-shot on 17 by Mickelson to within three feet of the pin secured the point for the USA.
Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson had already scored for the Americans with a 5&4 thrashing of Paul Lawrie and Swede Peter Hanson, again after a good start.
The Watson-Simpson partnership was nine-under for the first 10 holes for a lead of six and subsequently finished the match on the 13th green.
Much was being made of Olazabal opting to leave out Poulter, Donald and Garcia, and - while it is easy to be wise after the event - the decision came under even more fire after Martin Kaymer struggled badly in his opening appearance.
Former world number one Kaymer has been in poor form in the run-up to Medinah and it would have surely been better to play him in the morning foursomes to see what shape he is in.
Justin Rose could not protect the German's ball and the Europe pair went down 3&2 to Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar.
At least wildcard Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts had showed up. The 29-year-old rookie hit eight birdies and an eagle in a record-breaking debut round of 62 as Europe won its second point against the Woods-Stricker pairing.
Indeed, while Colsaerts has been a rare positive for Europe, the iconic Woods has been one of the few Americans to struggle.
Woods was even dropped for the first time in his Ryder Cup career for the Saturday morning foursomes, although this was in line with Love III's decision to rest every player in at least one of the sessions.
Saturday
The Americans did well without him anyway, as they continued to dominate proceedings from the start.
Mickelson and Bradley could seem to do no wrong again as they blew away the English pairing of Westwood and Donald.
A 7&6 crushing gave the Mickelson-Bradley partnership its third win of the weekend and a place in the record books for the biggest Ryder Cup victory in foursomes golf.
Elsewhere, Zach Johnson and Dufner reprised their partnership to good effect, prevailing 2&1 against Garcia and Colsaerts - while McIlroy and McDowell fought another close battle, only to lose on the final hole to Furyk and Snedeker.
There had been some joy on the 18th for Europe earlier when Poulter and Rose held on for victory over Watson and Simpson after the latter missed a seven-foot birdie chance.
But Europe was drowning in a sea of red on the scoreboard as the Americans recorded their second consecutive 3-1 session to take their overall lead to 8-4.
Then, in the Saturday evening fourballs, it started to look really scary - and actually pretty miserable - for the visiting defending champions.
This time, the host's form pairing was Watson and Simpson as they made up for that final hole defeat in the foursomes to hammer Rose and Molinari 5&4.
Europe's only bright spot in the session looked to be Garcia and Donald as they won four of their first eight holes against the hapless Woods-Stricker partnership.
Meanwhile, the other two matches were tight affairs but generally leaned in favour of the Americans who had their eyes undoubtedly set on another 3-1 session and an almost unassailable 11-5 lead.
Dustin Johnson and Kuchar put the Americans a step closer to that target, cruelly winning with a Johnson birdie at 17 after Lawrie had drawn Europe level on 16.
It meant the USA had made it into double figures in terms of the overall score, and Love III's team was not even giving up on matches that looked to have passed well by.
For, while Woods has played some pretty ragged golf this weekend, he has actually thrived on the back nine and a birdie charge reduced Garcia and Donald's four-hole lead to just one at the 13th.
A see-saw battle then commenced with Donald extending the lead back to two at the 15th before it was back down to a one-hole difference at the 16th after Woods converted an eight-footer.
Inevitably, the match ended with the pairs heading down the 18th fairway and onto the green where Stricker had a glorious chance to deny Europe a vital point.
If it had been Woods putting, it would have probably been another tale of what might have been for the Europeans.
But, as it happened, Stricker's putt lipped out and Woods' already inglorious Ryder Cup record has been further tarnished by three successive losses this weekend.
The Americans may have a handsome lead overall but there can be no doubt that Woods will put pressure on himself to make a contribution in the Singles. Whether that is good news for his opponent or not is hard to tell.
Back to the fourballs, and only minutes after just Europe's second point of the day, it got a third courtesy of Poulter.
Dufner and Zach Johnson had been in control of their match and looked good for their third successive victory but Poulter always seems to raise his game for the Ryder Cup, and the Hitchin man did it again last night.
First, though, Poulter's partner McIlroy showed his class at the 13th, holing a 15-foot birdie to halve the Americans' long-held two-hole lead.
Poulter and McIlroy seemed to take great heart from the fact that half a point at least was now within their grasp and they duly levelled the match at the 15th through Poulter's birdie and Dufner's miss.
Then, at the 16th, the Europeans took the lead for the first time as Poulter curled in and let out a penetrating scream.
At last, it seemed that Europe was playing with some passion and belief - but Poulter and McIlroy were aware that they had to finish the job.
Poulter and Johnson shared birdies at the par-three 17th, sending a third match of the evening down the final fairway... and onto the final green.
McIlroy made par with a tough effort from the edge before Dufner exerted pressure on Poulter by converting a birdie from four feet.
In contrast to Dufner's shot, Poulter had an eminently missable putt from 10 feet.
However, more magic from the flamboyant Englishman gave Europe the match by the tightest margin. The session had been tied at 2-2.
That still makes it 10-6 overall to the Americans, and it is a lead which should still see them to victory today.
But, at least, thanks to Poulter, Europe has a sliver of a chance of defending its crown - and what a comeback that would be!
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