Ryder Cup report

Fans greet Bubba Watson before Watson and Webb Simpson teed off against Ian Poulter and Justin Rose in Saturday’s first foursomes match.Watson teed off as fans cheered for the second day in a row. Poulter also got into the act, getting fans to cheer as he teed off.

Fans greet Bubba Watson before Watson and Webb Simpson teed off against Ian Poulter and Justin Rose in Saturday’s first foursomes match.Watson teed off as fans cheered for the second day in a row. Poulter also got into the act, getting fans to cheer as he teed off.

Sunday, September 30, 2012

— Poulter stirs it up on 1st tee

Wonder no more what would happen if the crowd screamed in the middle of a golfer’s back swing. It’s happened two days in a row at the Ryder Cup by design, signaling what might be the start of a new tradition.

U.S. golfer Bubba Watson got things off to a raucous start Friday afternoon, stepping onto the tee box and waving his arms like a cheerleader, exhorting fans in the packed grandstands to get on their feet and yell.

As the wall of noise closed in, Watson addressed his opening drive and crushed it down the middle of the fairway. The roar got even louder.

The moment so energized players on both teams that Europe’s Ian Poulter exhorted the crowd when he stood on the first tee Saturday morning before he and Justin Rose played against Watson and Webb Simpson in four ball.

“It was ridiculous. A special moment,” Poulter said. “It’s an amazing amphitheater to stand there and hit that first tee shot, even when it’s quiet.

“I knew Bubba was going to do it today,” he said, “so why not join him?”

Poulter hit his tee shot into the bunker along the left side of the fairway, but Watson, raising his arms to get the crowd howling, crushed his shot past Poulter’s just off the fairway.

Poulter and Rose won the first hole after Rose to within 5 feet of the pin, setting up Poulter’s opening birdie, and they held on to defeat Watson and Simpson 1-up, the only European victory in the morning matches.

It will be interesting to see whether any players will try to pump the crowd up before teeing off in their singles matches today, especially with Watson going first off the tee against Luke Donald.

Curious choices

One of the boldest shots of the Ryder Cup came from Jim Furyk. He was 2 down in the opening foursomes match when Furyk, one of the shorter hitters for the Americans, hit driver on the par-4 15th to the front of the green. That forced Graeme McDowell to hit driver, and he went in the water, losing the hole.

Bubba Watson made a strange choice Saturday.

He and Webb Simpson were 2 down on the 15th.

Ian Poulter smartly laid up with an iron. Watson, his team needing a birdie in the foursomes match, chose to lay up. They halved the hole in pars. They won the next hole with a bogey but never caught up.

The 13th man Blame the partisan galleries at Medinah, the leadership of Phil Mickelson, excitable rookie Keegan Bradley’s spectacular play, or even the businesslike duo of Zach Johnson and Jason Dufner. All have played a role in Europe’s mounting deficit heading into the final day’s singles matches.

But Graeme McDowell said he thinks there’s one other factor in play.

“This golf course, it’s about momentum. If you’re seeing it on the greens, you can really get it going with the putter,” he said. “And if you’re not ... “

If you’re not, you’re in for some misadventures.

McDowell and teammate Rory McIlory were strong on the greens in their opening match, beating Jim Furyk and Brandt Snedeker 1-up, but the Northern Ireland team has struggled since. They were beaten Friday afternoon by Mickelson and Bradley, then again Saturday morning by Furykand Snedeker before splitting up.

Chip shots

Keegan Bradley became the first rookie since Sergio Garcia in 1999 to win his opening three matches. Garcia went on to halve a fourth match, and then lost in singles. Bradley is the first American rookie to go 3-0 in team matches since Loren Roberts in 1995.

At a glance

MEDINAH, Ill. - A glance at Day 2 of the Ryder Cup on Saturday: Score: The U.S. team leads 10-6 after matches of alternate shot and better ball.

WHAT’S NEXT A dozen singles matches starting this morning.

POINTS Europe needs 14 to retain the cup it won two years ago in Wales. The United States needs 14 1/2 points to win the cup.

MAKING HISTORY Europe would have to win eight points in singles, approaching the biggest final-day Ryder Cup 1 1 comeback - the 8 /2-3 /2 drubbing the U.S. team pulled together at Brookline in 1999.

KEY STATISTIC England’s Ian Poulter, playing alongside Rory McIlroy, birdied the last five holes in the final match of the day to give Europe a 1-up win over Zach Johnson and Jason Dufner and some badly needed momentum.

QUOTEWORTHY “I believe that momentum will come our way and why not tomorrow?” - Europe captain Jose Maria Olazabal.

TELEVISION (all times CDT): 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., NBC.

Sports, Pages 26 on 09/30/2012