Golf:As the top match in the final day singles edged towards the ninth there was an awful lot of blue on the board as Colin Montgomerie's men look to win back the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor. All the matches were locked in battle with Rory McIlroy's tussle against Stewart Cink setting up like two pugilists who simply refuse to lie down.
Spectators had to wait until the seventh hole before witnessing the first halved hole with the scoreboard showing all-square.
The preamble to this match was nothing short of electric as McIlroy was greeted onto the first tee with roars and chants more akin to a soccer match. Cink soon followed and was given a “polite” reception.
Then the real fun began when the packed amphitheatre found their voice as several cheerleaders delivered their lines for the masses to follow.
"Rory, Rory McIlroy, Rory, Rory McIlroy…” rang out and let the crowds clear their throats. Then the humour kicked with “You’ve got Big Mac, we’ve got wee Mac”, much to the delight of both players, who looked like a “little and large” show with the bald Cink towering over his 21-year-old opponent.
It is only in height that McIlroy lacks – as most people do against the six foot five Cink – for in stature and ball-striking the European rookie mixes it with the best. All week he has been ripping it off the tee but has struggled a little at the other end of holes when getting the ball into the hole.
In any case the crowds weren’t finished with this one and started a new chant: “He’s (McIlroy) got more hair than you.” In fairness to Cink after a couple of renditions he simply doffed his cap to confirm what we already knew. The encore: “Rory, Rory, show us your hair."
And so on it went, until start Ivor Robson brought some order to the occasion and officially announced the American. Both ripped drives up the opening hole; the problem was no one could tell where they landed because the morning fog still hadn’t lifted. You couldn’t see 100 yards in front let alone 300 plus yard drives.
Suffice to say McIlroy found the fairway before hitting a long iron from 196 yards which landed softly and rested 10 feet from the hole. He duly holed and immediately put blue on the board. Cink bogeyed the next and this looked easy. Never that simple, though, for Cink birdied the next two with exemplary iron approaches.
When McIlroy found the water hazard at the fifth Cink assumed the lead but Europe responded with a fine downhill birdie putt at the next with this match capable of going either way.
In the top match Lee Westwood was one up on Steve Stricker after eight holes, by which time the sun had completely burned off the fog. Despite the impossible under foot conditions, this was a perfectly clear day for golf, for spectators and players alike. The only problem was the trodden grass/mud was now giving off a distinctly farmyard odour – not pleasant and it was all people could do not to lose their footing and get a closer sniff of the stuff.
The English trio of Luke Donald, Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher were all ahead in the middle order with the Molinari brothers both also with early advantages. Francesco was two up after three holes against Tiger Woods, who had failed to get out of the blocks.
Dustin Johnson was taking advantage of an uncharacteristically wayward martin Kaymer to be two up in the fourth match, while Phil Mickelson was one up on Peter Hanson, the American lefty somewhat buried down in match 10.
US Open champion Graeme McDowell plays the anchor role against Hunter Mahan in the bottom match and they set off at 11.17am with the Portrush golfer taking an immediate lead. In front, Pádraig Harrington lost the first to birdie against Zach Johnson.
At 9.5-6.5 starting out, Europe need five points from the 12 singles to get over the line and keep the famous gold trophy in Europe.
TODAY'S SINGLES PAIRINGS
09.05Lee Westwood v Steve Stricker
09.17Rory McIlroy v Stewart Cink
09.29Luke Donald v Jim Furyk
09.41Martin Kaymer v Dustin Johnson
09.53Ian Poulter v Matt Kuchar
10.05Ross Fisher v Jeff Overton
10.17M A Jimenez v Bubba Watson
10.29Francesco Molinari v Tiger Woods
10.41Edoardo Molinari v Rickie Fowler
10.53Peter Hanson v Phil Mickelson
11.05Pádraig Harrington v Zach Johnson
11.17Graeme McDowell v Hunter Mahan