Americans take three-point lead at Ryder Cup

Associated Press

CHASKA, Minn.

The Americans are making all the right moves in this Ryder Cup.

Even Tiger Woods.

Europe was riding the momentum as it inched within one point Saturday at Hazeltine. U.S. captain Davis Love III heard conflicting ideas on the radio and by text message from his assistant captains, all of them weighing in with the best lineup for the final session of team matches. The question was Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth, the only Americans who had yet to sit out.

“I finally just said to Tiger, ‘Are we playing them or are we sitting them?’ He said, ‘No, you have to send them back out there,”’ Love said.

Reed delivered another moment sure to burnish his growing Ryder Cup reputation.

He was at his bullish best in the anchor match with Jordan Spieth, taking over with great shots and chest-thumping cheers that set the tone for his team and put the Americans on the verge — again — of winning back the cup.

“He’s Captain America for us,” Spieth said after their 2-and-1 victory over Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose, securing a 9 1/2-6 1/2 lead.

The Americans need only five points from 12 singles matches to win the Ryder Cup for the first time since 2008, and only the third time in the last two decades.

Their biggest challenge now might be history.

They led 10-6 four years ago at Medinah when Europe put together a staggering display of putting and produced the largest comeback by a visiting team in Ryder Cup history.

The Europeans refer to that as the “Miracle at Medinah,” and they might need another one Sunday.

“We’re one closer than we were at Medinah,” Rose said. “It’s going to be a monumental challenge tomorrow. We’re going to put out our lineup and we’re going to look at each other man-to-man tomorrow. It’s going to be eyeball-to-eyeball on the first tee, no partners, no friends out there on the golf course. Just go out and try to put a point on the board. That’s everybody’s mission.”

The raucous and at times rude crowd at Hazeltine won’t have to wait long to get fired up.