Garcia, McIlroy spark Europe as US clings to Ryder Cup lead

Emotional Ryder Cup efforts by Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy sparked a Europe rally Saturday but the United States clung to a 6 1/2 - 5 1/2 lead after alternate shots foursomes matches. Garcia shrugged off hecklers and joined Spanish compatriot Rafa Cabrera Bello to win four of the last six holes and halve with Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed in one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the biennial team golf showdown. "To turn things around and take back that half, to push it that little bit extra, is fantastic," Europe captain Darren Clarke said. The Americans led 5-3 after Friday matches and were bolstered Saturday morning at Hazeltine by Brandt Snedeker and Brooks Koepeka beating Henrik Stenson and Matthew Fitzpatrick 3 and 2. But third-ranked McIlroy partnered with Belgian rookie Thomas Pieters for a 4-and-2 victory over Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler and England's Justin Rose and Chris Wood edged Jimmy Walker and Zach Johnson 1-up. Competition continued with four afternoon four-ball matches and concludes Sunday with 12 singles matches. Europe need 14 points to keep the trophy while the US team needs 14 1/2 points to win. Not since Stenson and Oliver Wilson rallied from 4-down after six holes in 2008 to beat Mickelson and Anthony Kim 2 and 1 had any duo made such a successful comeback as the Spaniards, who were 4-down with six to play. US fans chanted, "You have no majors," at Garcia, who has 73 major appearances without a victory, and other insults so brutal that even Spieth asked fans to tone down the vitriol. After wins at 13 and 15 with pars, Garcia curled in a 10-foot birdie putt to win the 16th hole, turning toward his tormentors and pumping his fist with joy. "I had to take a lot of breaths on 17 and 18," Garcia said. "Emotions were so high." After Spieth left a long birdie putt on the lip of the cup and dropped to his knees with disappointment, Cabrera Bello putted in a birdie from greenside rough to win the hole and deadlock the match, which ended with both duos parring 18 to split the point. "We just hit a couple of sloppy shots," Spieth said. "We way we played would have won most matches but they stayed with it." - McIlroy yells, fist pumps - McIlroy was emotional throughout his match with Pieters, who will play five times in his Cup debut. Pieters topped Fowler's long birdie putt on the first hole with one of his own and then boldly shushed the US crowd, putting a finger to his lips. "You just need to try to quiet them as much as possible and we felt like once we got up on the front nine, they weren't as vocal and they weren't as behind the players," McIlroy said. "That's what you have to do. I think one of the biggest things for us is get off to good starts and don't let them get any momentum." Pieters found water off the tee but sank a long par-saving putt to halve the seventh and keep a 3-up lead, time and again his shotmaking drawing exaggerated applause from McIlroy. "It seemed to go really well," Pieters said. "If I hit a bad shot, Rory would hit a great one. I'm enjoying it 100 percent." When Pieters curled in a 15-foot birdie putt for a 3-up lead with three to play, McIlroy screamed and pumped his fists with excitement. Another birdie at 16 ended matters. "It's huge to go out and lead Team Europe and get that first point on the board," McIlroy said. - 'Unbelievable stuff' - In a tight match early, Snedeker and Koepka won the first and fourth holes with pars but Fitzpatrick answered with a birdie to win the seventh and blasted out of the rough to set up a concession birdie at 11 that squared the match. But Snedeker birdied the par-3 13th to lift the US duo back in front and sank a birdie to halve the 14th, each time his torso shaking with energy as he screamed for joy. Koepka sank a 15-foot birdie putt at 15 that Fitzpatrick couldn't top and another birdie at 16 sealed a US victory. "I can't tell you how big that was," Snedeker said. "That was unbelievable stuff. The hardest thing is not getting too amped and too excited. We did a good job of staying patient. It wasn't pretty but we got it done." Rose and Wood were 3-up with five to play before a late challenge by Walker and Johnson pushed them to the limit to win. "We were so glad to get that one on the board," Wood said.