Starting the second day of Ryder Cup matches with a 3-5 deficit, the United States had some work to do with eight points up for grabs Saturday at Le Golf National. Unfortunately for the Americans, they didn't do quite what they needed to.
Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth salvaged the only point for the USA on Saturday morning, giving Europe an 8-4 lead overall heading into the afternoon foursome matches.
Europe now needs just 6 1/2 more points to win back the Ryder Cup.
Below is the foursome pairings, a recap of Saturday's fourball matches and we'll continue to update on the foursomes that are just getting underway.
No match is within one hole
All four matchees are at least a 2-hole difference. Stenson/Rose's 2-up lead on Johnson/Koepka is the closest match on the course.
After cutting their deficit to 3 down, Woods/DeChambeau then lost the 12th to fall four down with six to play.
EUR leads 2. USA leads 2
Tiger, Bryson bounce back nicely
Woods and DeChambeau just birdied the 10th and 11th holes to win two back. They are now 3 down through 11.
Same situation overall. EUR leads 2. USA leads 2
Tiger, Bryson fall futher behind
Woods and DeChambeau are now 5 down through nine holes after Tiger missed another makeable putt. And as he has all week, Tommy Fleetwood sinks his putt to give the Europeans the hole. This European duo is a force. Well on their way to a 4-0 record this week.
Meanwhile, Spieth/Thomas won the eighth hole over McIlroy/Poulter (that's four out of five for Spieth/Thomas) and builds their lead to 2 up.
EUR leads 2. USA leads 2.
Tiger just can't catch a break
Woods misses a short par putt on the eighth hole and Tommy Fleetwood capitalizes to put Woods and DeChambeau 4 down after just eight holes.
Woods looks deflated. Just can't get anything going.
EUR leads 2. USA leads 2 in the afternoon foursomes.
Spieth & Thomas catch fire
As they have in both fourball matches this week, Spieth and Thomas have hit their stride in foursomes on Saturday. The pair won three consecutive holes (4-6) to take a 1-up lead on McIlroy and Poulter.
Woods and DeChambeau, meanwhile, dropped another hole and are 3 down to Molinari and Fleetwood.
Simpson and Watson have caught fire themselves thanks to taking he 6th and 7th holes. They are 3 up on Garcia and Noren.
EUR leads 2 matches. USA leads 2 matches.
Europe leads in three afternoon matches
The combo of Koepka/Johnson lost the 8th hole to Rose/Stenson and are now down a hole headed to the ninth.
EUR leads 3. USA leads 1 in afternoon foursome matches.
Tiger makes a putt, but only for a halve
Woods sank a putt on the fifth hole but Fleetwood put one in right on top of him. Woods/DeChambeau are 2 down to the dominant pairing on Fleetwood and Molinari.
Overall picture still the same. EUR leads 2. USA leads 1, one match all square
Tide shifts back toward European side
Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka made a mess of the fourth hole and are now all square with Rose and Stenson. And Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter won the first two holes over Spieth/Thomas. So now the Europeans lead two matches, the USA leads one and one is all square.
Tiger and Bryson fall down early
Woods is back on the course for the afternoon, this time with DeChambeau for foursomes play. On the first, DeChambeau lips out a birdie attempt and Molinari sinks his to give the Europeans a 1-up lead in the afternoon's third match.
Hope for the USA early in afternoon
The first two matches are off in the afternoon session and the Americans put themselves in a good spot in each.
In the opening match, Koepka and Johnson won the first hole over Rose and Stenson when Stenson missed a relatively short putt to halve the hole.
In the second match, Simpson sank a birdie putt on the first green to grab a 1-up lead for the USA with Bubba Watson over Garcia and Noren.
Foursomes pairings
Here's the lineup for afternoon matches:
Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka vs. Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson
Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson vs. Sergio Garcia and Alex Noren
Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau vs. Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood
Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas vs. Ian Poulter and Rory McIlroy
While you were sleeping
Rory McIlroy/Sergio Garcia vs Brooks Koepka/TonyFinau
After not making a birdie in Friday’s foursome matches, McIlroy made four on the front-nine and helped guide teammate Garcia to a 4-up lead thru 13 holes. Then the Americans climbed back to within one after yet another great bounce on No. 16 set Finau up for a birdie. Team USA came up short as Europe wins, 2 and 1.
Paul Casey/Tyrrell Hatton vs. Dustin Johnson/Rickie Fowler
Casey birdies five of the first six holes, while Fowler claimed three to keep the European lead to just two. It fluctuated between 2- and 3-up from there through No. 15. Johnson didn’t win a hole until his second birdie of the day on No. 11. Europe wins, 3 and 2.
Francesco Molinari/Tommy Fleetwood vs Tiger Woods/Patrick Reed
Team Moliwood took a 1-up lead to the back-nine, but a Woods birdie on No. 10 squared the match. Molinari responded, as he’s done time and time again versus Woods, with three consecutive birdies to take a 3-up lead through 13. Reed’s struggles continued to Saturday morning. His score has been used on just four holes: One birdie, two pars and a bogey. He hasn’t won a hole today for the Americans. Europe wins, 4 and 3.
Ian Poulter/Jon Rahm vs Justin Thomas/Jordan Spieth
What a match this has been. Poulter, a fan favorite here at Le Golf National, took it upon himself to keep the Americans at all-square for seven of the first 10 holes. Birdies from Spieth, Thomas and then Rahm gave the Americans a 1-up lead through 13. Ultimately, Thomas and Spieth came through for the Americans to at least keep this Ryder Cup within reach. Thomas makes a few critical putts down the stretch and they win it. USA wins, 2 and 1.
USA under pressure
All eyes are on Tiger Woods and Patrick Reed and Justin Thomas and Jordan Speith as the Americans need points from them to stay in the game.
Reed does his first "shush" of the crowd after his birdie on the ninth to halve the hole. Reed and Woods are one shot behind Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari.
Thomas and Spieth are all square against Ian Poulter and Jon Rahm through eight.
The other two matches (Finau-Koepka and Johnson-Fowler) seem too far out of reach for Team USA.
Tiger's first birdie putt
Woods finally cards his first birdie of the day, a long putt on the par-4 seventh, and tries to get his partner Patrick Reed going. They're now down by one to Fleetwood and Molinari. Reed can't hit a fairway to save his life.
No stopping Rory
The Europeans have all the momentum and Rory McIlroy has taken control of the first match. He's won three holes, and along with Sergio Garcia, has taken a commanding 4-shot lead against Tony Finau and Brooks Koepka through nine.
After not making a birdie in fourballs Friday, Rory is in the zone. This Ryder Cup is falling apart for Team USA.
Casey on fire
Paul Casey has four birdies in his first five holes as he returns to the Ryder Cup for the first time since 2008. The Englishman was one of Thomas Bjorn's captain's picks and is coming off T-11 at the Tour Championship. Casey and Tyrrell Hatton are 1 up against Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler as the Euros have dominated fourballs so far.
Make that five birdies in six holes for Casey and now 2 up.
Finau holes out from bunker
Tony Finau, playing in his first Ryder Cup, holes out from a bunker on the fifth and celebrates with a big fist pump. But then Rory McIlroy matches him with a long birdie putt. The Euros remain 2 up in Match 1 and lead three of the four matches.
DJ's horrific start
Things are not going well for Dustin Johnson, who has found water on the first two holes. On the opening hole, his tee shot went to the edge of the water and he chipped out before his third spun into the water. The Americans were already in trouble as Rickie Fowler's tee shot also landed in the drink. They conceded the hole to Paul Casey and Tyrrell Hatton without a putt.
On the second hole, DJ finds water again, but Fowler birdies the par 3 to get the match back to even. Goes to show that not even the world's No. 1-ranked player is immune to the pressure of the Ryder Cup.
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