2018 Ryder Cup Updates: Saturday Scores and Schedule

France in the fall can be so beautiful. Unless you are a member of the US Ryder Cup team.

It was Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth trying to save a win over Ian Poulter and Jon Rahm in the last game on Saturday, and the Americans did not disappoint. With teammates and coaches, Thomas made a putsch for a 2 and 1 victory that gave the United States a glimmer of hope as they beat Europe 8-4 before the next matches.

Thomas noted that "we are not even halfway through this tournament," and Spieth said the key was to keep the lead at four or less, keeping the competition close at hand before Sunday's singles matches. How to do that? "Do what they did yesterday afternoon," Spieth said of Friday's sweep in Europe.

However, the lead is preponderant, Europe needing only 14 points and a half to win back the cup. US captain Jim Furyk chose not to disrupt his matches from Friday, only changing the playing order of golfers, and Team Europe continued to dominate the four-ball matches on Saturday. There was little magic to be found for the United States or for Tiger Woods, who won a stirring victory less than a week ago.

Tony Finau, paired with Brooks Koepka, joined the United States, winning three straight at one point, but the placement of Sergio Garcia, paired with Rory McIlroy, led the European duo to a 2-1 win over Europe. .

"I think we have gelled and that's what you need at four balls," Garcia said in an interview with NBC. McIlroy admitted that he "did not have my best business this morning, but Sergio encouraged me. Her passion for the Ryder Cup is unmatched and she was rather contagious. "

That gave Europe a 6-3 lead that went up to 7-3 when Paul Casey and Tyrrell Hatton beat Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler 3 and 2. Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood filled Woods and Patrick Reed to lead 8-3.

Molinari (who nearly made a hole in one) and Fleetwood propelled the team and the crowd to the Golf National, near Paris. Back home, where his wife is expecting a baby, Edoardo, the golfer's brother from Molinari, talked a bit about garbage.

Woods won the championship last week, but Woods missed a 20-foot putt that would have extended the game. Molinari and Fleetwood have won and maintained pressure on the United States by 5-3. took Friday.

"Massively important," said Molinari, when asked how important it was to keep pushing. "Obviously, we were super happy yesterday, but the message was to keep pushing."

In terms of what to expect later in the day, there is no reason to be optimistic for Team USA. Europe will send the same pairings as it did on Friday when it swept the afternoon foursomes.

It will be Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson against Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka; Garcia and Alex Noren against Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson; Molinari (who won the Woods tournament this summer and retained him at the British Open) and Fleetwood against Woods and Bryson DeChambeau and Ian Poulter and McIlroy against Spieth and Thomas.

Phil Mickelson will not play; neither Fowler, Reed or Finau. Maybe Mickelson is serving a larger purpose.

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