MEDINAH, Ill. – Sunday’s Singles session to decide the 39th Ryder Cup is under way at Medinah County Club. Check back for updates throughout the day.
ALL TIMES ET
6:20 p.m. – Tiger Woods misses a 3-footer to save par at the 18th hole and then concedes Molinari’s par putt to halve the hole. That makes the final score of the Ryder Cup: Europe 14 1/2, U.S. 13 1/2.
6:09 p.m. – Kaymer makes a clutch 6-footer to save par on the 18th hole and complete a stunning European comeback that allows them to retain the Ryder Cup. Stricker put the pressure on, though, when he made his own 8-footer to force Kaymer’s hand. Europe wins: 1 up and retains the Ryder Cup
6:03 p.m. – Woods grabs a 1-up lead when Molinari chips long and misses a 12-footer coming back for par at the 17th hole. Unless Stricker can win the 18th hole up ahead, though, this match may be moot.
5:50 p.m. – Martin Kaymer holes a clutch 5-footer for par to win the 17th hole and go 1 up after Stricker’s 7-footer caught the lip and spun out. That’s the point Europe needs to retain the Ryder Cup. Can he get it to the house?
5:45 p.m. – Woods and Molinari halve the 16th hole with pars so the match remains square. Woods missed an 18-footer for birdie there while Molinari’s attempt was from 10.
5:38 p.m. – Dufner wins America’s third match when Peter Hanson is unable to save par from the bunker for a potential halve. The U.S. needs a point-and-a-half in the final two matches to win the Ryder Cup. Europe needs just one. Both matches are all square. U.S. wins: 2 up.
5:30 p.m. – Dufner, who lead 4 up at the turn, has bogeyed the 17th hole from the back bunker so he’ll take a 1-up lead over Hanson to the final hole. The final two matches are all square with three holes remaining.
5:28 p.m. – Furyk misses an 8-footer to save par at the 18th hole and Garcia picks up the seventh point for Europe, which now leads 13-12 and only needs one point to retain the Ryder Cup. Europe wins: 1 up
5:20 p.m. – Westwood two-putts from 18 feet for par to win his match with Kuchar. The overall score is tied at 12 now and the U.S. only leads in one of the four remaining matches. The other three are all square. Europe wins: 3 and 2
5:18 p.m. – Molinari makes a 15-footer for birdie at the 14th hole to square his match with Woods.
5:02 p.m. – Believe it or not, Tiger Woods just picked up his first lead of his match with Molinari when he holed a 7-footer for par at the 13th hole. The U.S. now has two points on the board and leads in three matches.
4:59 p.m. – Zach Johnson becomes the second unbeaten American when he defeats Graeme McDowell with a par at the 17th hole. The victory was the just the second for the Americans in the first seven matches. U.S. wins: 2 and 1
4:47 p.m. – Zach Johnson makes a 10-footer at the 16th hole to save par and preserve his 2-up advantage over McDowell. That means he’ll at least earn a half point for the U.S. which owns 1-up leads in the next two matches and trails in another. The last two matches are all square.
4:35 p.m. – What a turnaround. Rose wins the 17th and 18th holes with birdies – the last from 12 feet – to beat Mickelson and win the fifth match for the Europeans. Europe wins: 1 up. The overall score is now 11-11.
4:33 p.m. – Furyk drains a 12-footer at the 14th hole to take a 1-up lead over Garcia. The Americans now lead in four matches, trail in two and two are all square.
4:28 p.m. – The United States finally wins a Singles match as Dustin Johnson beats Nicolas Colsaerts when the first Ryder Cupper from Belgium bogeys the 16th hole. Johnson is 3-0 this week after winning two Four-ball matches with Matt Kuchar. U.S. wins: 3 and 2
4:25 p.m. – What a great scene at the 17th hole. Mickelson nearly holes a chip for birdie, racing after the ball and putting his hands on his head when it skids past the hole. Rose answers with a 30-footer for birdie that brings a smile and applause from Mickelson and squares the match.
4:20 p.m. – The emotional Poulter is now unbeaten in four matches after defeating Simpson with a conceded birdie at the 18th hole. His overall record improves to 12-4 and he has never lost in four Singles matches. Europe is even with the U.S. at 10-10. Europe wins: 2 up.
4:16 p.m. – Rory McIlroy, who made it to the golf course with 11 minutes to spare, parred the 17th hole to beat Bradley, who narrowly missed a 15-footer to extend the match. Europe wins: 2 and 1
4:10 p.m. – Dustin Johnson and Jim Furyk have just put red back on the board for the Americans – Johnson with a conceded birdie at No. 14 after missing from 18 feet for eagle and Furyk with a 10-footer at the 12th. The U.S. now leads in five matches – and needs 4.5 points to win the Ryder Cup.
4:05 p.m. – The 43-year-old Lawrie has added the second point for Europe by beating Snedeker with a conceded birdie at the 15th hole. Snedeker missed a 12-footer that would have sent the match to No. 16. Europe wins: 5 and 3
3:54 p.m. – Brandt Snedeker just made a 10-footer for birdie at the 14th hole to extend his match with Lawrie. That stopped a string of three straight bogeys that helped put the Scot 5 up and dormie.
3:45 p.m. – Mickelson blasts out of the greenside bunker at the par-5 14th to 4 feet for a birdie that gives him a 1-up lead – one of just three matches in the red right now.
3:37 p.m. – McIlroy regains a 1-up advantage when he gets up and down for birdie from the bunker at the 14th hole. Bradley had hit his second shot behind a tree and tried unsuccessfully to scoot his third through the same bunker. He blasted out to 4 feet and made the put to put the pressure on McIlroy.
3:34 p.m. – Garcia holes a chip for eagle at the 10th hole to square his match with Furyk – one of seven matches that are even right now.
3:25 p.m. – Peter Jacobsen just said Poulter is a cross between Rod Stewart and Sid Vicious. “One minute he’s smiling and the next he’s screaming, ‘Come ‘on."’” The Brit’s match with Simpson is all square through 14 holes.
3:21 p.m. – Lawrie, playing in his first Ryder Cup in 13 years, continues to dominate Snedeker, making birdie at the 12th hole to open a 4-up advantage. “That is an upset there,” NBC’s Johnny Miller says.
3:18 p.m. – Europe’s first point is finally on the board after Donald blasts out of the greenside bunker at the 17th hole to tap-in distance. Watson has a chip from the back left and barely makes the green, then sprints to congratulate Donald. Europe wins: 2 and 1
3:16 p.m. – The middle of the U.S. lineup is responding well with Dufner 4 up through eight holes, Zach Johnson 2 up through nine and Dustin Johnson and Jim Furyk both 1 up through 10 and eight, respectively. Europe leads in three matches and five are all square.
3:08 p.m. – Chants of “U-S-A” erupt as Watson holes a chip for birdie at the 16th hole. Donald misses his 30-footer to halve but still leads 2 up with two holes remaining.
3:07 p.m. – Bradley has won two of his last three holes to square his match with McIlroy while his buddy Mickelson has just done the same on Rose with a birdie at the 11th.
3 p.m. – After conceding Watson’s birdie putt at the 15th hole, Donald misses a 6-footer of his own that would have won the match. He missed an even shorter putt at the 14th hole that would have put him 5 up and Europe’s first putt on the board. Watson remains dormie at 3 down.
2:54 p.m. – Woods missed a 4-footer for birdie at the third hole and suddenly was 2 down. Molinari bogeyed the fourth, though, so the lead is 1 up.
2:45 p.m. – Zach Johnson has never trailed in his match with Graeme McDowell. He just won the seventh hole with a par to go 3 up.
2:32 p.m. – The first five matches are on the back nine and Europe leads in four after Paul Lawrie birdies the ninth to go 3 up on Snedeker. Simpson’s birdie at the 10th hole has given him a 1-up advantage over Poulter, who is the emotional center of the European team.
2:30 p.m. – Molinari draws first blood in his match with Woods, who was bunkered on the second hole and misses a 10-footer for par. In the first match, Donald is now 4 up after Watson misses an 8-footer to save par at No. 12.
2:25 p.m. – Rose nearly holes his approach at the ninth hole so he goes back to 1 up when Mickelson can’t make birdie from 12 feet. Four matches behind, Furyk misses a 10-footer for eagle and halves the hole after Garcia blasts to a foot for birdie. Their match remains square.
2:14 p.m. – What fun – Colin Montgomerie talking about McIlroy’s gaffe. “It’s absolutely ridiculous at this level,” the former Ryder Cup captain said. “Quite unbelieveable. … Where is the captain? Where are the vice captains? Where is his caddy. But he’s done OK. He’s the one guy on our team who doesn’t need to practice.”
2:11 p.m. – A 4-footer for birdie at the par-3 eighth has squared Mickelson’s match with Rose for the second time. Donald, meanwhile, continues to dominate – holing another short birdie putt at the 11th hole to go 3 up on Watson in the first match.
2:06 p.m. – Bradley raises his long putter in salute to the crowd after he drains a 15-footer at the par-3 eighth to narrow his deficit with McIlroy to 1 down. Minutes later, Dustin Johnson gets the gallery excited when he makes a 25-footer at the sixth hole to go 1 up.
2 p.m. – Poulter makes a clutch 5-footer for par at the eighth hole to square the match after Simpson shanks his tee shot near the concession stand. As Tiger Woods and Francesco Molinari tee off in the final, Europe leads in four matches, the U.S. one and six are all square.
1:49 p.m. – Paul Lawrie takes a somewhat surprising 2-up lead over Snedeker, the recent FedExCup champion, when he answers the American’s birdie with a 10-footer for eagle at the fifth hole.
1:46 p.m. – The see-saw battle continues as Poulter wins the par-5 seventh after Simpson drives it in the trees and takes six to reach the green, then concedes the Brit’s birdie putt. Simpson is 1 up.
1:43 p.m. – Graeme McDowell tried to put up the front bank of the first hole and made bogey, then lost the third hole when Zach Johnson wedged close and he couldn’t convert from 10 feet to halve. The American leads 2 up.
1:39 p.m. – Maybe McIlroy needs to forget about practicing every week. He just chipped in for his third straight birdie and a 2-up lead on Bradley.
1:34 p.m. – A 4-footer for birdie at the par-5 fifth has squared Mickelson’s match with Rose.
1:31 p.m. – Simpson quickly got the 2-up lead back when Poulter missed a 10-footer for par and he converted from 3. Still, after Paul Lawrie holes a chip for birdie at the fourth to take a 1-up lead over Brandt Snedeker, Europe leads four of the first five matches.
1:21 p.m. – Poulter gets back on track with a 4-footer for birdie at the par-5 fifth to cut into Simpson’s lead. He’s one winning hole away from putting blue on the board in the first four matches.
1:15 p.m. – McIlroy, hitting his stride after the late arrival, makes his first birdie of the day at the fourth hole to go 1 up on Bradley. Mickelson gets one back on Rose after the Englishman misses a 6-footer to save par and now trails 1 down.
1:06 p.m. – Simpson is 2 up on Poulter after the Brit misses a 5-footer to save par at the second and the American makes a 12-footer for birdie at No. 3.
1 p.m. — The Europeans are wearing navy blue cashmere sweaters, navy slacks and a white cotton shirt to honor the legendary Seve Ballesteros, who chose those colors in the final round. The Spaniard’s image is on the sleeve. Olazabal thanked Love for understanding the decision since he had chosen blue for the Americans, as well.
“When we explained the reason for wanting to wear navy blue he immediately accepted our reasoning," Olazabal said. "It was a terrific gesture on Davis’s part and one all of Team Europe appreciated.”
12:50 p.m. – In a rematch from Valhalla in 2008, Justin Rose has taken a 2-up lead over Phil Mickelson with birdies on the first two holes. The second – after he staked a 7-iron to 2 feet on the par 3 – was conceded because Mickelson’s shot bounced off the bank into the water. He took the penalty and hit his third but was unable to hole it for par.
12:45 p.m. – Donald is doing what European Captain Jose Maria Olazabal wanted him to do – put blue on the board. He just made a 6-footer for birdie at the fourth hole and stands 2 up on Watson.
12:40 p.m. – McIlroy had enough time to hit a few putts, take a few practice swings and eat an energy bar before he teed off in his match with Keegan Bradley. The ball went well right and his second shot was short of the green but he chipped to inches for his par.
12:30 p.m. – Ian Poulter starts his match with Webb Simpson the way he ended the come-from-behind win over Zach Johnson and Jason Dufner – with a birdie. He chipped in from just in front of the green but Simpson answered with a 15-footer from the fringe to halve. Poulter closed the Four-ball win with five straight birdies.
12:25 p.m. – Luke Donald has won the second hole in his match with Bubba Watson with a par. He’s 1 up.
12:20 p.m. – Adding drama to the day is Rory McIlroy. He was watching TV, which used ET for the matches and thought his tee time was 12:25 instead of 11:25 a.m. CT. Once he realized the mistake, he needed a police escort to get to Medinah, arriving 12 minutes before his tee time.
12:02 p.m. – The crowd at the first tee includes Jack Nicklaus and Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest to ever play their respective sports. U.S. Captain Davis Love III tells NBC that not only were Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush on the property Saturday, he received a phone call from President Bill Clinton, who was at a conference in Italy.
11:55 a.m. – Bubba Watson sprints up the stairs and walks onto the first tee, the crowd erupting in applause. Luke Donald, who lives in Chicago, is greeted by cheers of “Luuuuke.” The fans amuse themselves by cheering each arc of their [practice swings.
11:45 a.m. – The scene at the first tee is incredible. People are standing 30 deep outside the gallery ropes at waving flags and alternately trying to drown each other out with patriotic songs and chants. Red, white and blue abounds, and three men walked into the throng wearing kilts and formal jackets, playing a recording of the Europeans’ trademark “Ole, ole, ole.” Others are wearing masks of the late Seve Ballesteros, perhaps the greatest European Ryder Cupper of all time.
ALL TIMES ET
6:20 p.m. – Tiger Woods misses a 3-footer to save par at the 18th hole and then concedes Molinari’s par putt to halve the hole. That makes the final score of the Ryder Cup: Europe 14 1/2, U.S. 13 1/2.
6:09 p.m. – Kaymer makes a clutch 6-footer to save par on the 18th hole and complete a stunning European comeback that allows them to retain the Ryder Cup. Stricker put the pressure on, though, when he made his own 8-footer to force Kaymer’s hand. Europe wins: 1 up and retains the Ryder Cup
6:03 p.m. – Woods grabs a 1-up lead when Molinari chips long and misses a 12-footer coming back for par at the 17th hole. Unless Stricker can win the 18th hole up ahead, though, this match may be moot.
5:50 p.m. – Martin Kaymer holes a clutch 5-footer for par to win the 17th hole and go 1 up after Stricker’s 7-footer caught the lip and spun out. That’s the point Europe needs to retain the Ryder Cup. Can he get it to the house?
5:45 p.m. – Woods and Molinari halve the 16th hole with pars so the match remains square. Woods missed an 18-footer for birdie there while Molinari’s attempt was from 10.
5:38 p.m. – Dufner wins America’s third match when Peter Hanson is unable to save par from the bunker for a potential halve. The U.S. needs a point-and-a-half in the final two matches to win the Ryder Cup. Europe needs just one. Both matches are all square. U.S. wins: 2 up.
5:30 p.m. – Dufner, who lead 4 up at the turn, has bogeyed the 17th hole from the back bunker so he’ll take a 1-up lead over Hanson to the final hole. The final two matches are all square with three holes remaining.
5:28 p.m. – Furyk misses an 8-footer to save par at the 18th hole and Garcia picks up the seventh point for Europe, which now leads 13-12 and only needs one point to retain the Ryder Cup. Europe wins: 1 up
5:20 p.m. – Westwood two-putts from 18 feet for par to win his match with Kuchar. The overall score is tied at 12 now and the U.S. only leads in one of the four remaining matches. The other three are all square. Europe wins: 3 and 2
5:18 p.m. – Molinari makes a 15-footer for birdie at the 14th hole to square his match with Woods.
5:02 p.m. – Believe it or not, Tiger Woods just picked up his first lead of his match with Molinari when he holed a 7-footer for par at the 13th hole. The U.S. now has two points on the board and leads in three matches.
4:59 p.m. – Zach Johnson becomes the second unbeaten American when he defeats Graeme McDowell with a par at the 17th hole. The victory was the just the second for the Americans in the first seven matches. U.S. wins: 2 and 1
4:47 p.m. – Zach Johnson makes a 10-footer at the 16th hole to save par and preserve his 2-up advantage over McDowell. That means he’ll at least earn a half point for the U.S. which owns 1-up leads in the next two matches and trails in another. The last two matches are all square.
4:35 p.m. – What a turnaround. Rose wins the 17th and 18th holes with birdies – the last from 12 feet – to beat Mickelson and win the fifth match for the Europeans. Europe wins: 1 up. The overall score is now 11-11.
4:33 p.m. – Furyk drains a 12-footer at the 14th hole to take a 1-up lead over Garcia. The Americans now lead in four matches, trail in two and two are all square.
4:28 p.m. – The United States finally wins a Singles match as Dustin Johnson beats Nicolas Colsaerts when the first Ryder Cupper from Belgium bogeys the 16th hole. Johnson is 3-0 this week after winning two Four-ball matches with Matt Kuchar. U.S. wins: 3 and 2
4:25 p.m. – What a great scene at the 17th hole. Mickelson nearly holes a chip for birdie, racing after the ball and putting his hands on his head when it skids past the hole. Rose answers with a 30-footer for birdie that brings a smile and applause from Mickelson and squares the match.
4:20 p.m. – The emotional Poulter is now unbeaten in four matches after defeating Simpson with a conceded birdie at the 18th hole. His overall record improves to 12-4 and he has never lost in four Singles matches. Europe is even with the U.S. at 10-10. Europe wins: 2 up.
4:16 p.m. – Rory McIlroy, who made it to the golf course with 11 minutes to spare, parred the 17th hole to beat Bradley, who narrowly missed a 15-footer to extend the match. Europe wins: 2 and 1
4:10 p.m. – Dustin Johnson and Jim Furyk have just put red back on the board for the Americans – Johnson with a conceded birdie at No. 14 after missing from 18 feet for eagle and Furyk with a 10-footer at the 12th. The U.S. now leads in five matches – and needs 4.5 points to win the Ryder Cup.
4:05 p.m. – The 43-year-old Lawrie has added the second point for Europe by beating Snedeker with a conceded birdie at the 15th hole. Snedeker missed a 12-footer that would have sent the match to No. 16. Europe wins: 5 and 3
3:54 p.m. – Brandt Snedeker just made a 10-footer for birdie at the 14th hole to extend his match with Lawrie. That stopped a string of three straight bogeys that helped put the Scot 5 up and dormie.
3:45 p.m. – Mickelson blasts out of the greenside bunker at the par-5 14th to 4 feet for a birdie that gives him a 1-up lead – one of just three matches in the red right now.
3:37 p.m. – McIlroy regains a 1-up advantage when he gets up and down for birdie from the bunker at the 14th hole. Bradley had hit his second shot behind a tree and tried unsuccessfully to scoot his third through the same bunker. He blasted out to 4 feet and made the put to put the pressure on McIlroy.
3:34 p.m. – Garcia holes a chip for eagle at the 10th hole to square his match with Furyk – one of seven matches that are even right now.
3:25 p.m. – Peter Jacobsen just said Poulter is a cross between Rod Stewart and Sid Vicious. “One minute he’s smiling and the next he’s screaming, ‘Come ‘on."’” The Brit’s match with Simpson is all square through 14 holes.
3:21 p.m. – Lawrie, playing in his first Ryder Cup in 13 years, continues to dominate Snedeker, making birdie at the 12th hole to open a 4-up advantage. “That is an upset there,” NBC’s Johnny Miller says.
3:18 p.m. – Europe’s first point is finally on the board after Donald blasts out of the greenside bunker at the 17th hole to tap-in distance. Watson has a chip from the back left and barely makes the green, then sprints to congratulate Donald. Europe wins: 2 and 1
3:16 p.m. – The middle of the U.S. lineup is responding well with Dufner 4 up through eight holes, Zach Johnson 2 up through nine and Dustin Johnson and Jim Furyk both 1 up through 10 and eight, respectively. Europe leads in three matches and five are all square.
3:08 p.m. – Chants of “U-S-A” erupt as Watson holes a chip for birdie at the 16th hole. Donald misses his 30-footer to halve but still leads 2 up with two holes remaining.
3:07 p.m. – Bradley has won two of his last three holes to square his match with McIlroy while his buddy Mickelson has just done the same on Rose with a birdie at the 11th.
3 p.m. – After conceding Watson’s birdie putt at the 15th hole, Donald misses a 6-footer of his own that would have won the match. He missed an even shorter putt at the 14th hole that would have put him 5 up and Europe’s first putt on the board. Watson remains dormie at 3 down.
2:54 p.m. – Woods missed a 4-footer for birdie at the third hole and suddenly was 2 down. Molinari bogeyed the fourth, though, so the lead is 1 up.
2:45 p.m. – Zach Johnson has never trailed in his match with Graeme McDowell. He just won the seventh hole with a par to go 3 up.
2:32 p.m. – The first five matches are on the back nine and Europe leads in four after Paul Lawrie birdies the ninth to go 3 up on Snedeker. Simpson’s birdie at the 10th hole has given him a 1-up advantage over Poulter, who is the emotional center of the European team.
2:30 p.m. – Molinari draws first blood in his match with Woods, who was bunkered on the second hole and misses a 10-footer for par. In the first match, Donald is now 4 up after Watson misses an 8-footer to save par at No. 12.
2:25 p.m. – Rose nearly holes his approach at the ninth hole so he goes back to 1 up when Mickelson can’t make birdie from 12 feet. Four matches behind, Furyk misses a 10-footer for eagle and halves the hole after Garcia blasts to a foot for birdie. Their match remains square.
2:14 p.m. – What fun – Colin Montgomerie talking about McIlroy’s gaffe. “It’s absolutely ridiculous at this level,” the former Ryder Cup captain said. “Quite unbelieveable. … Where is the captain? Where are the vice captains? Where is his caddy. But he’s done OK. He’s the one guy on our team who doesn’t need to practice.”
2:11 p.m. – A 4-footer for birdie at the par-3 eighth has squared Mickelson’s match with Rose for the second time. Donald, meanwhile, continues to dominate – holing another short birdie putt at the 11th hole to go 3 up on Watson in the first match.
2:06 p.m. – Bradley raises his long putter in salute to the crowd after he drains a 15-footer at the par-3 eighth to narrow his deficit with McIlroy to 1 down. Minutes later, Dustin Johnson gets the gallery excited when he makes a 25-footer at the sixth hole to go 1 up.
2 p.m. – Poulter makes a clutch 5-footer for par at the eighth hole to square the match after Simpson shanks his tee shot near the concession stand. As Tiger Woods and Francesco Molinari tee off in the final, Europe leads in four matches, the U.S. one and six are all square.
1:49 p.m. – Paul Lawrie takes a somewhat surprising 2-up lead over Snedeker, the recent FedExCup champion, when he answers the American’s birdie with a 10-footer for eagle at the fifth hole.
1:46 p.m. – The see-saw battle continues as Poulter wins the par-5 seventh after Simpson drives it in the trees and takes six to reach the green, then concedes the Brit’s birdie putt. Simpson is 1 up.
1:43 p.m. – Graeme McDowell tried to put up the front bank of the first hole and made bogey, then lost the third hole when Zach Johnson wedged close and he couldn’t convert from 10 feet to halve. The American leads 2 up.
1:39 p.m. – Maybe McIlroy needs to forget about practicing every week. He just chipped in for his third straight birdie and a 2-up lead on Bradley.
1:34 p.m. – A 4-footer for birdie at the par-5 fifth has squared Mickelson’s match with Rose.
1:31 p.m. – Simpson quickly got the 2-up lead back when Poulter missed a 10-footer for par and he converted from 3. Still, after Paul Lawrie holes a chip for birdie at the fourth to take a 1-up lead over Brandt Snedeker, Europe leads four of the first five matches.
1:21 p.m. – Poulter gets back on track with a 4-footer for birdie at the par-5 fifth to cut into Simpson’s lead. He’s one winning hole away from putting blue on the board in the first four matches.
1:15 p.m. – McIlroy, hitting his stride after the late arrival, makes his first birdie of the day at the fourth hole to go 1 up on Bradley. Mickelson gets one back on Rose after the Englishman misses a 6-footer to save par and now trails 1 down.
1:06 p.m. – Simpson is 2 up on Poulter after the Brit misses a 5-footer to save par at the second and the American makes a 12-footer for birdie at No. 3.
1 p.m. — The Europeans are wearing navy blue cashmere sweaters, navy slacks and a white cotton shirt to honor the legendary Seve Ballesteros, who chose those colors in the final round. The Spaniard’s image is on the sleeve. Olazabal thanked Love for understanding the decision since he had chosen blue for the Americans, as well.
“When we explained the reason for wanting to wear navy blue he immediately accepted our reasoning," Olazabal said. "It was a terrific gesture on Davis’s part and one all of Team Europe appreciated.”
12:50 p.m. – In a rematch from Valhalla in 2008, Justin Rose has taken a 2-up lead over Phil Mickelson with birdies on the first two holes. The second – after he staked a 7-iron to 2 feet on the par 3 – was conceded because Mickelson’s shot bounced off the bank into the water. He took the penalty and hit his third but was unable to hole it for par.
12:45 p.m. – Donald is doing what European Captain Jose Maria Olazabal wanted him to do – put blue on the board. He just made a 6-footer for birdie at the fourth hole and stands 2 up on Watson.
12:40 p.m. – McIlroy had enough time to hit a few putts, take a few practice swings and eat an energy bar before he teed off in his match with Keegan Bradley. The ball went well right and his second shot was short of the green but he chipped to inches for his par.
12:30 p.m. – Ian Poulter starts his match with Webb Simpson the way he ended the come-from-behind win over Zach Johnson and Jason Dufner – with a birdie. He chipped in from just in front of the green but Simpson answered with a 15-footer from the fringe to halve. Poulter closed the Four-ball win with five straight birdies.
12:25 p.m. – Luke Donald has won the second hole in his match with Bubba Watson with a par. He’s 1 up.
12:20 p.m. – Adding drama to the day is Rory McIlroy. He was watching TV, which used ET for the matches and thought his tee time was 12:25 instead of 11:25 a.m. CT. Once he realized the mistake, he needed a police escort to get to Medinah, arriving 12 minutes before his tee time.
12:02 p.m. – The crowd at the first tee includes Jack Nicklaus and Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest to ever play their respective sports. U.S. Captain Davis Love III tells NBC that not only were Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush on the property Saturday, he received a phone call from President Bill Clinton, who was at a conference in Italy.
11:55 a.m. – Bubba Watson sprints up the stairs and walks onto the first tee, the crowd erupting in applause. Luke Donald, who lives in Chicago, is greeted by cheers of “Luuuuke.” The fans amuse themselves by cheering each arc of their [practice swings.
11:45 a.m. – The scene at the first tee is incredible. People are standing 30 deep outside the gallery ropes at waving flags and alternately trying to drown each other out with patriotic songs and chants. Red, white and blue abounds, and three men walked into the throng wearing kilts and formal jackets, playing a recording of the Europeans’ trademark “Ole, ole, ole.” Others are wearing masks of the late Seve Ballesteros, perhaps the greatest European Ryder Cupper of all time.
