GALLLACHER v MICKELSON AFTER BOTH GET SATURDAY OFF

EUROPE LEAD BY FOUR POINTS

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE

Europe dominated this afternoon's foursomes session to take a commanding 10-6 lead into the final day's 12 singles of The Ryder Cup at Gleneagles.
Lee Westwood edged closer to becoming Europe's record points scorer as he recorded a second foursomes win alongside Jamie Donaldson, before Victor Dubuisson and Graeme McDowell beat Jimmy Walker and Rickie Fowler 5 and 4.
Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy recorded their first win of the point with a 3 and 2 victory over Jim Furyk and Hunter Mahan, and Justin Rose converted a six footer on the final green to snatch a half alongside Martin Kaymer against Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed.
That meant that for the second day running the home side won a record three-and-a-half points from the afternoon session to move within sight of an eighth victory in the last ten contests.
"We are not finished. We have a lot of work to do and we have to be on it in the morning," insisted European captain Paul McGinley, who was a vice-captain in Chicago two years ago when José María Olazábal's side recovered from the same 4pt deficit for a memorable "Miracle at Medinah" victory.
And World Number One McIlroy added: "There is no complacency on our side. We know it's the score it was in Medinah two years ago."
US Captain Tom Watson said: "First of all, we have come back from 10-6 down (at Brookline in 1999). They know it and I'll reiterate it.
"Our rookies played some magnificent golf and tomorrow let's see what happens. We have the players to come back. Credit to the Europeans, they played some great golf. It seems the foursomes is their forte."
With a 5-3 lead overnight, Rose and Stenson had given the home side the perfect start with an amazing 3 and 2 win over Bubba Watson and Matt Kuchar, the home pair making ten better-ball birdies in succession from the seventh to finish 12 under par for 16 holes.

Rose played the starring role, again, holing miles of putts.
“If it was the U.S. Open, he’d be leading by eight right now,” NBC’s Johnny Miller said. “Fantastic play by Rose tee to green, and his putter has been super hot. The hole’s a foot wide.”
Jerry Foltz was on the course reporting on the match for NBC and said of Rose that “he feels like Superman right now. I thought he played pretty well on Friday , but this has been an incredible display.”
However, that was the only morning four-ball win for McGinley's side as Jim Furyk and Hunter Mahan beat Lee Westwood and Jamie Donaldson 4 and 3 and rookie pair Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed beat Thomas Bjørn and Martin Kaymer 5 and 3.
It took some belated heroics from Ryder Cup talisman Ian Poulter to ensure he and McIlroy claimed half a point against Jimmy Walker and Rickie Fowler to keep the home side in front by 6 1/2 to 5 1/2.
Poulter holed a pitch from short of the 15th green for birdie to avoid going two down and also birdied the par five 16th, but by that stage had already been left out of the afternoon foursomes.
McGinley kept faith with Westwood and Donaldson and was rewarded with a hard-fought 2 and 1 win over Zach Johnson and Matt Kuchar, which gave Westwood his 23rd point in The Ryder Cup, half a point more than the late Seve Ballesteros and just two short of the record held by Sir Nick Faldo.
McDowell and Dubuisson then cruised to a 5 and 4 win - their second foursomes success - over Walker and Fowler, with McDowell once again hailing his rookie French partner.
"I can't say enough about how talented this kid is," McDowell said. "He might be the best player I have played with since Rory McIlroy, and that's saying a lot."
The other two matches were far closer, with Garcia and McIlroy halving ten holes in succession against Furyk and Mahan before birdies on the 14th and 16th sealed victory.
"I would love to take credit for it but I think Rory beat three guys today," Garcia said. "I was not at my best but Rory calmed me down a lot."
Rose and Kaymer won the 12th and 15th to get back to all square against Spieth and Reed and were then given an amazing let-off on the 16th, Reed missing from two feet for par after his opponents had made an ugly six.
The US pair won the 17th to take a lead up the last, but found an impossible lie in a greenside bunker and were forced to play away from the pin. 

Kaymer had a more straightforward shot from the same hazard and, when Spieth missed his birdie attempt, Rose converted from five feet to snatch a half.
"We had our chances but when we were walking up the 18th I said to Justin we deserve at least a half," Kaymer said. "I said let's put it on the green and make three but we had a good up and down instead."

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GALLACHER v MICKELSON IN  SINGLES 

AFTER BOTH HAVE SATURDAY OFF

Neither European Ryder Cup rookie Stephen Gallacher nor American veteran Phil Mickeson got a game today in either the four-balls or the foursomes   and the luck of the draw has paired them as the fifth of the 12 singles ties off the tee in Sunday's singles.
The matches are 
11.36 McDowell v Spieth
11.48 Stenson v Reed
12.00 McIlroy v Fowler
12.12 Rose v Mahan
12.24 Gallacher v Mickelson 
12.36 Kaymer v Bubba Watson
12.48 Bjorn v Kuchar
01.00 Garcia v Furyk
01.12 Poulter v Simpson
01.24 Donaldson v Bradley
01.36 Westwood v Walker
01.48 Dubuisson v Johnson  

PHIL MICKELSON NOT GRIPING ABOUT 

BEING LEFT IDLE ALL SATURDAY 

FROM GOLF DIGEST.COM

By Jim Moriarty

 For the first time in 20 years, Phil Mickelson, the man who has played more Ryder Cup matches than any other American, was left out of both the four-ball and foursomes in the same day. 
The 44-year-old five-time major champion and his Medinah CC dance partner, Keegan Bradley, found out in the team room at lunchtime that, not only were they being sat out in the morning four-ball but they'd be relegated to cheerleading in the afternoon foursomes, as well. "This is my 10th Ryder Cup," Mickelson said. "Whatever it takes to win. I just want to go home with a victory."
Mickelson and Bradley were the unbeaten marquee American team two years ago at Medinah when Davis Love III decided not to play them on Saturday afternoon after they won their morning match, 7 and 6, saying they needed the rest. 
The next day the U.S. fell victim to the biggest comeback in Ryder Cup history, losing the competition by a single point.
In their Friday morning four-ball match at Gleneagles, Mickelson and Bradley beat Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy, by one hole, but in the afternoon foursomes, Mickelson putted poorly and Bradley struggled with his ball-striking. That led to captain Tom Watson's decision to rest them on Saturday morning.
Their absence in the afternoon came as a shock, however, on a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course that favours big hitters. 
+It later emerged that Mickelson sent Watson several texts, asking to be played on Saturday afternoon. The US captain turned them all down.