Keegan Bradley
The United States were leading Europe by an overall score of 8-4 in the Ryder Cup after Saturday's second round of foursomes which the Americans won 3-1.
Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson's 7-and-6 victory over Lee Westwood and Luke Donald tied the mark for most lopsided score in an 18-hole team match. It also improved Bradley to 3-0, the best Ryder Cup start for a rookie since 1995. The lone bright spot for the Europeans came from Ian Poulter and Justin Rose, who came back to defeat Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson for the only point of the morning for the European side.
Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley of the United States steamrolled Europe's Lee Westwood and Luke Donald 7 and 6 in the second of Saturday's morning foursomes at the Ryder Cup.
Mickelson, who is playing in his 37th Ryder Cup match which ties Billy Casper for the most by a US player, needed another magical shot on the final No. 12 hole after after an errant tee shot.
Rookie Bradley aggressively got it out of the trees and then Mickelson's approach landed 20 feet away, spun left and carried down the slope to within a foot of the cup.
Westwood missed a birdie putt and Donald failed to convert his par putt as the Americans routed the European duo at the Medinah Country Club course.
Mickelson and Bradley got off to another hot start by making birdie on the first two holes and they never took their foot off the gas. They closed it out in dramatic fashion by winning five of the final seven holes.
The two hit it off together in fine style on Friday, winning in both foursomes and fourballs to ignite the US charge that resulted in a 5-3 overnight lead.
On the par-four opening hole, Mickelson hit a fantastic approach leaving it about a foot from the cup for an easy birdie which Europe conceded. Donald missed his seven footer and the first point went to the Americans.
Mickelson hit another great shot on the par-three second as his tee shot landed about 12 feet away while Westwood pulled his drive 20 yards left into the water and the US was off to the races.
Europe's putting woes continued on the difficult par-four sixth as Donald lipped out an eight footer and the Americans went 3-up.
Team USA posted back-to-back birdies as Bradley just missed his eagle attempt, giving Mickelson a short putt to win the hole and a 4-up lead through seven.
English pair Justin Rose and Ian Poulter defeated Americans Webb Simpson and Bubba Watson 1 up in the lead Ryder Cup foursomes match on Saturday to give Europe a much-needed point.
The English pair got off to a superb start when Poulter sunk a four-footer for birdie at the first and they had a let off at the second when Simpson missed from a similar distance in a bid to level the score.
But the same player made amends at the next by hitting to two feet with his approach shot. The birdie putt was conceded and Poulter missed for a halve from 18 feet.
The Americans took the lead at the par-five fifth, reaching the green in two and taking two putts from forty feet for the winning birdie.
Rose and Poulter weathered the early storm and restored parity at the ninth after Watson had blasted deep into trees off the tee. Poulter again supplied the winning birdie putt from six feet.
The English pair then went one up at the 10th when Simpsom missed a seven-footer for par.
Two holes later there was drama as both Poulter and Watson saw their approach shots scamper down the steep bank to the right of the green. The English managed to salvage par from there, but Simpson saw his chip hit the rim of the green and roll back down to his feet.
The two-hole lead stood firm until the 16th when Rose first drove into the rough and two shots later hit a poor chip, eventually missing a six-foot bogey putt which would have halved the hole.
It went to the last where Simpson's eight-footer to win the hole and halve the match slipped agonisingly past.
Jason Dufner and Zach Johnson defeated Nicolas Colsaerts and Sergio Garcia 2 and 1 in a Ryder Cup foursomes on Saturday.
The momentum went straightaway to the Americans with Johnson grabbing a birdie at the par-three second and Colsaerts missing a short par putt at the fourth.
Johnson missed a four-footer which would have put the Americans three ahead at the next and an American bogey at the sixth cut the margin to one hole where it stayed through to the turn.
The Europeans got back to all square at the 11th through another big Colsaerts putt but they made a mess of 12 and promptly dropped 13 as well to fall 2 down.
A Garcia chip in at the 16th gave hope, but Colsaerts hit it into the water at the par-three 17th to hand the Americans victory.
Americans Jim Furyk and Brandt Snedeker defeated Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell 1-up in a foursome rematch at the Ryder Cup, avenging a loss a day earlier to the Northern Irish duo.
Team USA hung on to beat Europe on Saturday after their comeback fell short in Friday's opening match of the 39th Ryder Cup.
On Friday the Northern Irishmen prevailed at the 18th after the Americans had pulled level from being three down after 11 holes.
McIlroy and McDowell then lost their afternoon fourballs, while Snedeker and Furyk were rested.
Snedeker needed to shake off the disappointment of a missed final drive in Friday's loss.
He got some early help on day two from partner Furyk who rolled in his birdie putt on the par-four No. 1 to give the USA a 1-up advantage early.
McIlroy started showing some frustration on the par-five fifth when he missed his 20-foot birdie attempt.
Snedeker made his birdie putt but didn't hang around, pumping his fist as he marched across the green to the sixth hole.
Europe got one back on the par-three eighth when McIlroy putted in for par.
Furyk won the par-four 11th hole for the US after McDowell missed a 20-foot birdie opportunity.
Europe cut the US lead to one after McIlroy rolled in just the second birdie putt of the match for the Northern Irishmen on the par-four 16th.
McIlroy hit a long straight drive down the fairway followed by a McDowell approach onto the green, giving McIlroy a good chance at a birdie. He would make it but that is as close as they would get.