Golf fans from Kentucky and around the USA are providing a "13th Man" element to motivate the American Ryder Cup team.

Undefeated Leonard & Mahan Notch Another Half Point

Claw Back from Early Deficit to Tie Graeme McDowell and Miguel Angel Jiminez

Instant analysis: The best putter usually wins out in match play, and Leonard holed a mile of them only to watch McDowell respond accordingly in a tight match in which Europe led early by two. All of the fireworks came on the greens.

Key moments: The match got interesting in the last six holes when America finally drew even at the 12th. Leonard holed three straight sizable putts starting at 15 that brought America a 1-up lead but the Yanks let a full point slip away with yet another poor 18th hole.

Player report cards

Mahan: B. Another solid round of golf.

Leonard: A. Astounding putting display probably kept the match out of the loss column.

Jimenez: B-. Consistency was lacking, and he never seemed comfortable on the course.

McDowell: B+. The Ulsterman holed nearly all of the key putts, including on three of the last four holes.

What They Said

Mahan: "Yeah, we were down all day. I mean, we were trying to fight back all day and just couldn't get anything; they didn't give us anything. Justin made a great putt on 17 there and we just didn't finish the way we needed to. But we played well. Those guys (the Europeans), they hung in there all day."

Saturday Morning Foursomes
Leonard/ Mahan halved with McDowell/ Jimenez

Hole No. 1

McDowell struck his first shot in Ryder Cup foursomes, finding the middle of the fairway with his tee shot. Leonard's drive sprayed right, crashing through the crowd and finding the rough. Mahan's approach from 168 was long, finishing just off the back of the green. Jimenez's 145-yard approach found the heart of the green. Leonard's chip-and-run ended four feet from the flag. McDowell just missed his birdie putt from about 15 feet. The U.S. gave him his par and Mahan drained from 3 feet to halve the hole in 4s.

Hole No. 2

Jimenez found the thick rough from the tee while Mahan found the fairway. McDowell landed the ball 10 feet from the flag. Leonard finished about 8 feet from the pin. Jimenez read his putt well and sank it for birdie, and Mahan followed suit to halve the hole in 3.

Hole No. 3

Leonard's tee shot was bunker bound, but just missed it and bounced down the steep embankment and into the water. After a drop, Mahan chipped onto the edge of the green and Leonard chipped in from 30 feet for bogey. Jimenez rolled his 25-footer to a foot and the U.S. conceded. Europe won the hole with par to go 1-up.

Hole No. 4

McDowell's approach landed 2 feet from the hole. Leonard's shot failed to spin back and ended about 12 feet from the pin. Mahan's putt shaved the right edge and the U.S. conceded, leaving Europe to win the hole with birdie. Europe goes 2-up.

Hole No. 5

McDowell chipped from off the green to within a foot. Leonard's 20-foot putt drifted just wide and both conceded as the hole was halved in par 4s. Europe is still 2-up.

Hole No. 6

Jimenez's drive found the rough and McDowell laid up short of the green. After Jimenez's chip, McDowell missed a 12-foot putt. Leonard drained an 8-foot par putt to win the hole in 4. Europe is 1-up.

Hole No. 7

Mahan pushed the U.S.'s second shot wide, some 20 feet from the green. Jimenez's 3-wood was also right but 10 feet closer to the green. McDowell took a hybrid club to run on to the green but was some 12 feet short. Leonard's chip trickled to the top of the hill then rolled back down. Mahan putted to 8 feet from off the green. Jimenez missed his birdie chance to the right and settled for a par. Leonard lipped his putt as Europe won the hole with a par 5 to go 2-up.

Hole No. 8

Jimenez's 6-iron landed 25 feet from the hole. Mahan took an 8-iron on the 165-yard hole and dropped it 10 feet from the flag. McDowell putted to two feet and was given his par. Leonard rolled in his birdie chance to win the hole in 2. Europe is now 1-up.

Hole No. 9

Mahan's second shot landed on the green but was 20 feet short of the flag. Jimenez's approach landed close to Mahan's ball but spun back even farther to some 40 feet from the hole. McDowell rolled his birdie putt close and Leonard missed his putt to the right, leaving it a foot from the cup. The hole was halved in 3, and Europe remains 1-up.

Hole No. 10

McDowell left his 25-foot putt from the edge of the green a foot short. Leonard sent his 25-foot putt 8 feet past the hole but Mahan sank it to halve the hole. Europe is 1-up still.

Hole No. 11

Leonard's 4-iron tee shot was a little short, finishing 5 yards short of the green. McDowell pushed his tee shot to the right edge of the putting surface into the first cut of rough. Mahan putted beautifully from off the green to a foot. Jimenez putted to a similar distance. Both were given and it stays Europe 1-up.

Hole No. 12

Leonard's 203-yard shot bounced pin height and rolled on 15 feet past the hole on the green. McDowell's 172-yard approach found the bunker. Jimenez could only send his sand wedge racing through the back of the green from the trap. McDowell's chip was wide, and Europe conceded to make it all-square.

Hole No. 13

A fine approach shot from Jimenez finished 3 feet from the hole. Mahan's approach was long, running through the back of the green. McDowell holed the putt to restore Europe's 1-up lead.

Hole No. 14

Jimenez's wayward tee shot found the lip at the back of the bunker and McDowell had an awkward stance. He could only push it forward, still in the bunker, and Jimenez chipped out but wide. McDowell holed a 10-foot putt for bogey. Mahan holed out from 3 feet to win the hole and square the match.

Hole No. 15

Mahan's second shot finished 8 feet from the pin to put pressure on Jimenez, but the Spaniard produced a fantastic, shot almost hitting the pin before spinning back to 2 feet away. Leonard holed for birdie and McDowell drained his putt to halve in birdie. The match is all-square.

Hole No. 16

Mahan found the fairway with his drive and Jimenez joined him down the center. McDowell found the back of the green with his approach. Leonard found the bunker close to the flag. Jimenez had to negotiate a ridge and chipped to six feet. Mahan chipped out of the bunker but left it short and Leonard drained his par putt. Rookie McDowell kept his nerve to hole for a halve in par. All-square.

Hole No. 17

Leonard's drive got a nasty kick and bounced sideways into the bunker. McDowell split the middle of the fairway. Jimenez landed his approach on the edge of the green and Mahan produced a superb rescue from the bunker to finish 15 feet from the flag. McDowell was first to go and missed wide right, leaving a 6-foot return for Jimenez, but Leonard drained a magnificent putt for birdie to win the hole and put the U.S. 1-up with a single hole left to play.

Hole No. 18

Mahan avoided the water but his drive bounded on and ended up awkwardly perched on the lip of the bunker. Jimenez kept his drive in play on the right-hand side to give McDowell a chance. Leonard used a fairway wood to find the green, but it ran off the back and landed on a sprinkler head, leaving a tricky putt over the ridge. McDowell found the bunker but Jimenez judged the distance to perfection, leaving it 2 feet left of the flag. Mahan negotiated the ridge, but left it 10 feet short. Leonard lipped his putt and Europe conceded the next one. McDowell drained his birdie putt to secure a valuable half-point for Europe as the match is halved.

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