Europe keeps one-point Ryder Cup lead

[John]

SUTTON COLDFIELD, England, Sept. 28 (UPI) -- Tiger Woods and Davis Love III teamed Saturday to record just two birdies, but they still cruised to victory over Darren Clarke and Thomas Bjorn and help the United States break even in the morning foursomes matches at the Ryder Cup.

Europe went into the afternoon fourball matches with a 6 ½ - 5 ½ lead.

Woods failed to win a match Friday while partnering Paul Azinger and Mark Calcavecchia, leaving the world's No. 1 player with a 3-8-1 record in golf's most significant international event.

American Captain Curtis Strange, saying he had no intention of resting Woods, teamed him with Love Saturday and they produced a 4 & 3 victory at The Belfry.

After losing the opening hole with a bogey, the Woods-Love team won the second with a par and did not trail again. They finished off Clarke and Bjorn with a birdie at the par-5 15th and were then paired again for the afternoon foursomes, where they took on the unbeaten team of Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood.

The United States' own unbeaten team of Phil Mickelson and David Toms also won Saturday, defeating Pierre Fulke and Phillip Price, 2 & 1. It was the first appearance of the week for Fulke and Price.

Mickelson and Toms, who won one match and came from behind to halve another Friday, rallied again Saturday by winning three straight holes beginning at the 13th.

Westwood and Garcia defeated Stewart Cink and Jim Furyk Saturday, 2 & 1; and Colin Montgomerie and Bernhard Langer enjoyed a 1-up victory over Scott Verplank and Scott Hoch.

Verplank and Hoch rallied from a 2-down deficit to level the match at the 15th, but Montgomerie and Langer regained the lead with a birdie at the par-5 17th and both sides parred the difficult final hole to leave the Europeans with the victory.

Other afternoon matches found David Duval and Calcavecchia meeting Niclas Fasth and Jesper Parnevik, Toms and Mickelson playing Montgomerie and Harrington, and Hoch and Jim Furyk facing Clarke and Paul McGinley.

By placing Montgomerie with Harrington, European Captain Sam Torrance broke up the successful team of Montgomerie and Langer.

After Saturday afternoon's four fourball matches, the Ryder Cup will come down to Sunday's 12 singles matches. The United States won 8 ½ of the possible 12 points at The Country Club three years ago to create the biggest comeback in Ryder Cup history.

The Americans came back from a four-point deficit to win that competition, 14 ½ - 13 ½.


Copyright © 2002 United Press International

[Google]

 

[fluff]

Now, Sutton Coldfield is probably meaningless to most everyone here, but it is the birth place of my fantasy boyfriend, Stan Collymore.
This has nothing to do with golf however.

The US did smoke the singles last time but I'm obviously hoping the Europeans can win the cup back.

[John]

I really hope the US can do it. There are some stars on the team, if they can just pull it out.

Although I have to say, I love Sergio's reactions over the last 2 days to every good shot his partner hits. It's priceless. Like when his partner hit the green on the nasty 10th, and Sergio actually jumped in his arms!

[fluff]

Well the US couldn't do it.
The Europeans reclaimed the Ryder cup