Europe come back strongly (3rd Lead)

By Peter Auf der Heyde Oct 2, 2010, 18:32 GMT

Newport, Wales - If the US dominated the first two sessions of play at the Ryder Cup at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales, it was Europe who looked strong in the early stages of the third session on Saturday.

When the first of the two foursomes and four fourballs of the third session teed off on Saturday afternoon, the US were leading 6-4 and although that will remain the score at the close of play later Saturday, Europe was looking strong with an hour to play and were up in all six matches.

Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods, who had earlier beaten Miguel Angel Jimenez and Peter Hanson 4&3 to take their run of wins in international competition to six, looked out of sorts as Luke Donald and Lee Westwood won five of the opening seven holes to be 5-up through seven in their foursome.

Padraig Harrington and Ross Fisher were 2-up through six in their fourball against Jim Furyk and Dustin Johnson, as were Martin Kaymer and Ian Poulter against Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler who had played through three holes.

PGA champion Kaymer, who - with Westwood - gave away two match- winning putts against Furyk and Fowler in the second session, admitted that he was mentally tired after playing so much golf. 'Physically, I am fine, but mentally I realize that I have played a lot.'

The Irish duo of Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy were 2-up through 6 in the second foursome match on the 2010 course.

Both other matches - between Hanson and Jimenez against Bubba Watson and Jeff Overton and the Molinari brothers Francesco and Edoardo against Stewart Cink and Matt Kuchar - the Europeans were 1- up having played five and four holes respectively.

American captain Corey Pavin did not want to accept fatigue as a reason why his team was not doing as well in the session as they had done earlier.

'I think they are playing the same amount of golf as we are, so that can't be the reason.'

The unusual situation of playing fourballs and foursomes at the same time was made necessary after organizers were forced to re-schedule the format in an attempt to catch up some time after more than seven hours was lost on Friday due to a lengthy rain interruption.

In fourball matches, each golfer plays his own ball and the player with the lowest score on a hole wins the hole for his team. If two or more players are equal the hole is halved.

In foursomes matches the golfers from one team play alternate shots and whichever team has the better score wins the hole.

Organizers are hoping that they will be able to finish the competition on Sunday, but as rain is predicted for Sunday, it could well be that play will go into Monday for the first time in Ryder Cup history.

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