Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson defeat the undefeatable
When the fairings of the foursomes were announced by the captains, it looked like a miss match between Keegan Bradley/Phil Mickelson Vs Luke Donald/Sergio Garcia.
The pairing of Donald, a former world number one and Spaniard Sergio Garcia had been the back bone of the European team for last couple of Ryder Cups. They had not lost a single match together and they were instrumental at Celtic Manor.
Sending out a rookie against them was a tricky call but it paid off. Bradley and Mickelson, not only secured the first points for the Americans in the Ryder Cup, but they also annihilated their rivals.
The duo of rookie and the ‘Lefty’ won the match by 4&3, giving the Europeans a nightmare.
As expected, the crowd was on the top of their voices, trying to unsettle the Europeans. The Americans took an early lead as they went 1up after the second hole. However, the Europeans fought back magnificently, winning two of the next four holes.
USA levelled things up on the ninth hole but more show was to follow. Bradley and Phil then scored four consecutive birdies from the 12th to the 15th hole.
When the final putt on the 15th sank in, the match was already over, thanks to a magnificent display of golf from the rookie.
A late birdie spree meant that there are no hiccups. The team USA won fair and square, giving Donald and Garcia a taste of their own medicine.
The veteran Mickelson was full of praise for the rookie. Not only did they win their foursome, but they also defeated Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell in four balls.
At the end of the day, Keegan Bradley said that it was the best day of his life.
"He's just played so good all day, and it's just kept me up the whole time," Mickelson said. "It's been awesome".
"I think that it was a huge factor in my play," he said. "It was a really big deal because he's got such great, positive energy".
The duo has given the team USA a major boost in claiming the Ryder Cup. They won their matches comfortably but, most importantly, they defeated Europe’s most experienced pairs.
"This is one of the most emotional days playing in a Ryder Cup that we'll ever have," Mickelson said.
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