Rory McIlroy at Ryder Cup 2014: Score, Recap and Twitter Reaction from Day 2
Rory McIlroy finally got in the win column at the 2014 Ryder Cup to help Team Europe grab a 10-6 lead heading into the final day of competition.
It was another busy day for McIlroy. The Northern Irishman played the anchor leg of morning fourball again, this time with Ian Poulter, before teaming back up with Sergio Garcia and heading quickly back out for the afternoon foursomes.
Let's check out the scores from his two Saturday matches along with a recap of the action. Although McIlroy played better on Day 2, he still wasn't at his absolute best. Perhaps he's saving the heroics for the always intriguing Sunday singles.
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Day 2 Results
| Fourball | Ian Poulter | Jimmy Walker & Rickie Fowler | Halved |
| Foursomes | Sergio Garcia | Jim Furyk & Hunter Mahan | Win, 3 & 2 |
Recap and Twitter Reaction
The Saturday morning session marked the second straight time McIlroy went up against the American tandem of Jimmy Walker and Rickie Fowler. Despite playing a different format with a different partner in Poulter, the result was the same in the end.
Poulter gave the European side an immediate lead with a birdie on the first. There was some thought he could actually be the most important player on the team this week over McIlroy due to his Ryder Cup success (12-4-1), but neither one has actually led the charge, at least so far.
The Americans got back to level on the fifth courtesy of Walker's birdie. It looked like Team Europe might jump right back on top on the next hole after a McIlroy birdie, but Golf Digest noted a clutch putt from Fowler kept it level:
It was just the start of a hot streak for the four-time major champion, though.
He ended up posting three birdies in a four-hole stretch to put his team 2-up. It was the first time in the event one of McIlroy's teams had a lead of more than one. BBC Radio 5 Live provided comments from Iain Carter about the run:
The Americans quickly fought back. As McIlroy's birdie streak ended and Poulter struggled to find a rhythm, Walker and Fowler responded with their own stretch of three birdies in four holes, and Europe couldn't match any of them.
So after the Europeans made the turn 2-up, they found themselves down one after the 13th. That's the type of drama you expect from the Ryder Cup.
Then, just as it looked like the American pair may start to pull away, the Poulter who dominated at previous team events finally emerged for Europe.
With Fowler ready to give his side a 2-up lead with three to play, the Englishman chipped in for birdie and released all of the frustration that had built up in the first couple days. And that was the last thing Team USA wanted to see.
Sure enough, Poulter proceeded to birdie the par-five 16th to get the match back level. Stephanie Wei of Fox Sports Asia noted the only good news for the American team was that it wouldn't have to deal with the rejuvenated emotional leader during the second half of the day:
McIlroy finished strong, matching Walker and Fowler with a par-birdie finish to halve the match.
Placing him back with Garcia for the afternoon session was an interesting decision. Based on their top-three placement in the World Golf Ranking, it would seemingly be a formidable duo, but they secured just a half-point in two Day 1 matches.
They came out strong, though. They won the first two holes to grab the early edge, thanks in part to some sloppy play by the American pair of Jim Furyk and Hunter Mahan, who bogeyed both holes.
Mahan hit a mid-range putt on the third to prevent the match from totally getting away from them early, however. The effort spun around the cup before falling. ByTheMin Golf noted the score after three holes without a halve:
The match began to stabilize after the early chaos. Europe held its 1-up lead until the 14th hole. To go such an extended stretch without either side making any progress is pretty remarkable, but each passing hole where the Americans couldn't make up ground was good news for the Euros.
As it began to get late, it started to feel like whichever team won the next hole was going to earn the point. Sure enough, McIlroy and Garcia combined for a birdie on No. 14. Furyk and Mahan were unable to match it this time.
The PGA Tour noted the key swing:
Two holes later the match was over as the Americans got themselves into trouble at the 16th. McIlroy and Garcia didn't let them off the hook, posting a birdie to close it out.
Looking ahead to Sunday, it would take another amazing comeback like the one Europe pulled off two years ago for the United States to win. Given Team USA's inconsistent play during the second half of Saturday's action and the strong European team, it would be a total shock to see the result flip.
The biggest question for McIlroy is where he'll go in the lineup. It will probably be at one of the extremes, either very early or very late to set the tone or thwart any comeback bid. Regardless, he'll be looking to build off a solid performance on Day 2.
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