US still in control

Americans need 5 1/2 points to win

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - They are not on foreign soil, the proof of which resonates with each walk around Valhalla Golf Club.

They are, however, in a position that would constitute foreign territory - the lead - and for proof, you merely have to turn the pages of your trusty Ryder Cup media guide.

For only the second time since 1983 - a period that covers 13 Ryder Cups - the Americans have the advantage heading into singles play, their 9-7 cushion the byproduct of yesterday's action that included a four-ball session for the ages after some morning foursomes disappointment.

To regain possession of the Ryder Cup for the first time since 1999, the Americans will need to secure 5 1/2 of the 12 points in today's singles matches. In another era, such as task would be a foregone conclusion, but in each of the last three Ryder Cups, embarrassments each and every one, the US team has failed to earn more than 4 1/2 points in singles play.

"I can't explain the emotion. But adrenaline is beautiful thing," said US captain Paul Azinger, moments after the final grouping had seen the day's most dazzling player, Sweden's Robert Karlsson, match Hunter Mahan's birdie at the par-5 18th.

The exchange left all square a match that had featured 16 birdies and an eagle as each team shot 9-under 62.

A short time later, Azinger unveiled his singles lineup - so that the day will start with Anthony Kim vs. Sergio Garcia and go down to Chad Campbell vs. Padraig Harrington - but he was understandably still absorbing what had transpired.

"We took some blows," he said, "but we lost 1 point today [and lead by 2]."

Given that the US team had started the day with a 3-point lead, it would be left for some to assess that very little had taken place. Ah, but how that would ignore what occurred within the more than 11 hours and 138 holes. It was, safe to say, another chapter of exquisite competition that reinforced the belief that this is the most emotional and passionate package in golf.

It started with the morning foursomes and some highlight-reel stuff, the best of which was:

With marquee teammates Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood on the bench, unheralded Englishman Oliver Wilson stepped in to knock down a 30-foot birdie putt at the par-4 17th and complete a stunning comeback for him and Henrik Stenson over Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim. Four down through six, they won, 2 and 1.

Seizing a 4-up lead through five, Kenny Perry, paired with Jim Furyk, gave fellow Kentuckians something to cheer with a 3-and-1 win to continue the Ryder Cup frustration for Europe's most accomplished champion, Padraig Harrington.

When you mixed that in with the other two matches - Ian Poulter and Justin Rose steamrolled Americans Stewart Cink and Chad Campbell, 4 up, and Europeans Miguel Angel Jimenez and Graeme McDowell birdied the 18th to secure a halve with Justin Leonard and Hunter Mahan - it left the US team with a 7-5 lead and opened the door for the afternoon four-ball.

The green light that went up right after lunch signaled that it was time to unleash the electricity, and it was delivered:

In a rematch of their contentious affair from the day before, Boo Weekley and J.B. Holmes showed that chewin' tobacco and unrelenting power can be combustible as far as crowd control goes, but at the same time effective on the scoreboard. They grabbed an early lead and halted a 12-match winning streak by Westwood (paired with Soren Hansen), 2 and 1.

In a dazzling finish to a scintillating match, Steve Stricker (paired with Ben Curtis) escaped a sidehill lie in deep rough to the right of the green and made an 18-foot birdie putt at the par-5 18th - only to see Paul Casey match it from 10 feet to tie a battle that featured a mind-boggling 16 halves. Nowhere did the emotion pour forth more than at the par-3 eighth when Sergio Garcia slam-dunked a birdie roll from about 25 feet and let loose with a series of screams that personify his golf. Not to be outdone, the reserved Stricker not only matched the birdie, he did the fist-pumps and screams, too.

Considered to have made the team as a captain's pick thanks to his friendship with Nick Faldo, Poulter silenced the critics with a dazzling display. His birdie-birdie finish when the pressure was most suffocating enabled him and McDowell to hold off Furyk and Perry, 1 up. The Americans never did have a lead, though Furyk's 20-foot eagle roll at the 18th to halve the match went just wide - and forced Poulter to make his 4-footer for birdie. When he did, the veins nearly popped out of his head, quite the punctuation mark to his third win of the competition.

Since so much "best" had come before them, it's impossible to accurately say that Mahan and Karlsson saved the best for last, but the day came to a dramatic close with majestic shots, the two of them setting up eagle rolls of 22 and 15 feet, respectively. Mahan was wide left, by inches. Karlsson, who had caught fire with six birdies in seven holes starting at the par-4 ninth, trickled his downhill, but it stayed left and drifted 3 feet strong. When he converted for his eighth birdie of the day ("I haven't seen much of him, but he's good," said Mahan, laughing), there was a rush of Europeans to greet him.

Their shirts were blue - surely no match for their mood. They had, after all, cut into the US lead and put themselves in position to regain the cup if they are able to score 7 points today.

"It's been an unbelievable two days," said Poulter.

And there's no reason to believe that there won't be a third.