EUROPEAN

• Europe claws back at Ryder Cup

  
  

  Louisville, KY (Sports Network) - The European side took 2 1/2 points in Saturday's foursomes to cut the deficit, but the U.S. still leads 7-5 after three sessions of the Ryder Cup Matches at Valhalla.

  While the Americans still hold the lead, it was an impressive morning for Europe considering stalwarts Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood were both benched for the first time in their Ryder Cup careers by captain Nick Faldo.

  Ian Poulter and Justin Rose of Europe trounced Stewart Cink and Chad Campbell, 4 & 3 in the first match.

  Justin Leonard and Hunter Mahan, a perfect 2-0 for the Americans, only managed a halve against the European pair of Miguel Angel Jimenez and Graeme McDowell.

  Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim blew a 4-up lead on Saturday and were upset by the European tandem of Henrik Stenson and Oliver Wilson, who was playing his first ever Ryder Cup match. Europe took the third match, 2 & 1.

  The only full point for the U.S. in the morning came from Kentucky's own Kenny Perry.

  He teamed with Jim Furyk to take out the reigning British Open winner and PGA Champion Padraig Harrington and Robert Karlsson, 3 & 1.

  "We scraped and made great pars," said Perry.

  "That's foursomes.

  That alternate-shot, there's a lot of ebb and flow out there." Poulter and Rose have been Europe's best team by far, accumulating two wins. On Saturday, the European pair jumped all over the U.S. pair with five wins in the first seven holes.

  The Americans got their first win at the 10th when Rose missed a 10-foot birdie effort. The U.S.

  won the 12th and 13th holes to cut the deficit to 2- down, but Europe answered.

  Poulter drained an eight-foot par save at 13. Cink's effort from six feet lipped out and the U.S. was 3-down with four to play.

  The match ended at 15. Campbell hit another poor drive, a common occurrence Saturday morning, and Cink's second for the team landed in water.

  The Europeans were at 12 feet for birdie and when Campbell's fourth missed the cup, the Americans conceded the match.

  "We got off early and kept it going," said Poulter, who was considered a controversial captain's pick for Nick Faldo, but has two wins. "It was key to put blue paint (Europe's color) on the board this morning. Let everyone see it and try and get a bit of a buzz." Kim and Mickelson looked outstanding again early on, grabbing a 4-up lead through six. Unfortunately, Kim struggled and Europe won seven, eight, 10 and 12 to square the match.

  Europe moved ahead at the 15th after Kim hit a spectator, then watched the ball trickle into the water. The U.S. conceded the hole and Mickelson holed a gutsy five-footer to halve No. 16.

  Wilson, who made his Ryder Cup debut Saturday morning, played solidly, but couldn't get a putt to fall. That changed on the 17th. Wilson drained a 25- footer for birdie, then Mickelson missed a 20-footer to give Europe another full point.

  "I've been waiting to hole that putt all year," said Wilson. "It was nice to hole that, especially against Anthony and Phil." In the Leonard/Mahan match, Europe drew first with a conceded victory at three.

  Jimenez and McDowell got a 2-up lead, but Leonard sank a 10-footer for birdie to win No. 8.

  The Americans squared it at 12, but Europe moved back ahead at 13. Mahan kicked in a three-footer to win the 14th and once again pull the Americans even.

  The sides halved the next three, but Mahan hit a spectacular approach from the bunker at 17 to 15 feet. Leonard, unquestionably the best putter on the course all week, converted the birdie effort to go 1-up with one to play.

  Mahan hit a poor drive at 18 and Leonard could only muscle his second short of the green. McDowell took an aggressive line at the flag, but came up just shy of the putting surface in a greenside bunker.

  Jimenez blasted out to three feet, but Mahan could get no closer than eight feet.

  Leonard finally missed one and if McDowell could convert his short one, Europe would earn a halve.

  McDowell did just that to get Europe within a point.

  "It was a good halve," said Leonard. "Both sides played really well. There was some good golf out there." In the anchor match, Perry and Furyk won four of the first five holes. Europe got it down to a 2-down deficit by seven and it stayed there until 14 when Furyk rolled in a six-footer to send his side 3-up with four to play.

  Karlsson hit a great second to six feet at 15 to set up a birdie for Harrington.

  That cut the gap to 2-down, but Furyk calmly ran home a four- footer to halve 16 and guarantee at least a half point for his side.

  The Europeans, needing to win the hole to extend the match, missed the green at 17 and Perry played a beautiful approach to 12 feet. Harrington needed to sink his chip and ran it several feet by. The Europeans then conceded the match.

  In the afternoon fourballs, first up will be a rematch from the final match of Friday.

  Boo Weekley and the Americans' other Kentucky native, J.B. Holmes, meet Westwood and Soren Hansen.

  Garcia and Paul Casey will tangle with Steve Stricker and Ben Curtis.

  Paul Azinger sent Perry and Furyk back out against Poulter and McDowell.

  Azinger split up his most successful pairings in the afternoon and took one of each to anchor his final team match.

  Mickelson and Mahan will take on Stenson and Karlsson in the last fourball.

  09/20 13:09:59 ET