The Miami Marlins were hosting the Philadelphia Phillies last night. And the play of the game came in the third inning when a fan holding a tray of food made this dazzling catch. Check it out:
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Fantasy owners shouldn't give up too much for emerging San Diego Chargers running back Jackie Battle this season.
Although the backup RB is averaging 7.3 yards per carry and has two touchdowns through the season's first three weeks, he's hardly a reliable fantasy starter moving forward.
With starting running back Ryan Mathews slowly working his way back onto the field, carrying the ball 10 times for 44 yards last weekend against the Atlanta Falcons, Battle will play a smaller and smaller role as the weeks pass.
It's also important to put Battle's impressive Week 3 numbers into perspective. On paper, it looks like the former Houston Cougar rushed for more than 18 yards per carry against the Falcons. But in reality, Battle broke out for a huge run that accounted for 52 of his 55 rushing yards in the game.
Battle is a power runner, contrary to Mathews. Mathews is a much more valuable player as he is more versatile playing out of the backfield as a receiver—he caught five balls against Atlanta. Battle has carried the ball 17 times this season, but has yet to make a single reception.
Fantasy owners must not get caught up in the stats. If you discard Battle's big run against Atlanta then he has rushed for just 72 yards on 16 carries, which averages out to 4.5 yards per carry over the course of two games. That's not to say Battle can't perform, but he hasn't proven to be a better back than Mathews, and therefore won't receive the touches fantasy owners are hoping for against his old team in Week 4.
Though Kansas City ranks 23rd in the NFL defending the run this season, Battle won't get the necessary attempts to make a difference in terms of fantasy production.
Look for the Chargers' leading rusher to take a backseat to Mathews in Week 4. Don't expect him to get more than five carries at Kansas City this Sunday afternoon, and therefore, don't expect much fantasy production from the veteran backup.
Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter for more Fantasy Football breakdown and analysis.
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When Clint Dempsey made the move to Tottenham Hotspur recently, he became the highest-paid American soccer player ever. And the striker who has scored 50 goals for Fulham, has now scored his first with his new club.
The goal came in the 52nd minute, and proved to be the game-winner in the 3-2 win over the mighty Red Devils of Manchester United...
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Source: http://www.thesportsbank.net/sidelineprincesses/espns-jenn-brown-working-out-video/
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Source: http://www.thesportsbank.net/nba/top-10-searched-athletes-celebrities-sharapova-solo-megan-fox/
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Source: http://kuklaskorner.com/psh/comments/yakupovs-transfer
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NBA hipster Dwight Howard went on Ellen and during a commercial break, the basketball star taught her how to Dougie:
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United States golfer Brandt Snedeker has burst onto the scene this year, capturing the PGA Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup last weekend.
Now, the 32-year-old is making his first appearance, along with three other rookies for the U.S., in the Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club in Chicago.
It's clear that he's taking this opportunity very seriously.
Here's what Snedeker told the BBC during a press conference on Thursday:
"I'm very, very competitive. People don't get that because I'm polite. But I'm going to try to beat their brains in as bad as I can."
That's the type of attitude you want to see from a member of the U.S. team that has taken home the Cup once in the last five events.
Snedeker is looking to earn the first points for the United States on Friday morning in a foursome with Jim Furyk against world No. 1 Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell of Europe.
Not only that, but he's holding the other members of his team accountable.
"I have a fun time giving people a hard time, especially guys like Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods - some of the best guys in the world. I feel like sometimes they get a hall pass because they are who they are. I want to make sure they don't get a hall pass and I don't care."
We commend him for his passion.
Snedeker and Furyk are all-square against McIlroy and McDowell through eight holes.
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Nick Johnson Javier Lopez Alex Hinshaw Ramon Ramirez Sergio Romo Brian Wilson
While Matt Barkley is still projected as a top-five prospect, he may not even be the first QB off the board in the 2013 NFL Draft. Barkley has long been considered the most talented snap-caller in this year's class, but his play through four weeks has not done much to help his case. After all, through four weeks in 2010, the top QB prospect was Jimmy Clausen, and 2011's was Jake Locker.
One of the reasons that Barkley has lost momentum is the unbelievable talent that he is surrounded with. Silas Redd was a an All Big-10 selection before he transferred to USC, and Redd is the least threatening option in the Trojans' offense. His two favorite targets, Robert Woods and Marqise Lee, were both preseason All-Americans, and their offense has still looked pedestrian at times against three poor defenses and an unproven Stanford Cardinal team. While one test is hardly significant, Barkley's stat-line against Stanford was extremely discouraging as he looked incapable of leading a game-tying drive with three minutes left. He also made horrendous decisions that resulted in turnovers and points for Stanford.
Could this be a sign of things to come for USC? They still have to go to Washington and UCLA, plus meetings with Oregon and Notre Dame in November. I could see the Trojans dropping two or three more games as the season closes. If this is the case, any shot Barkley has at the Heisman will fade away, as will his draft stock. With his size and arm strength in question, it will take a big second half of the season for Barkley to secure an early spot in the 2013 NFL Draft.
Another reason that Barkley's value has fallen in the first few weeks of the season is his competition at QB. Between Geno Smith, Tyler Bray, AJ McCarron and Tyler Wilson, there has been an emergence of other talent in the 2013 Draft Class. All four also possess prototypical arm strength and size that Barkley lacks.
Smith has put up numbers that are similar to RG3's through four weeks last year, has a monster arm and is built like Cam Newton. He has yet to throw an interception and has looked great running the high-octane West Virginia Offense. He checks it down, uses his tight ends and takes calculated deep shots, which leads to the best completion percentage and TD-to-Interception ratio in the country.
If Smith is not traditional enough for you, Tennessee's Tyler Bray, Alabama's AJ McCarron and Arkansas' Tyler Wilson have emerged as the best QB prospects from the SEC. The Southeastern Conference has never produced great quarterbacks, but this class is different. All three face tough tests the rest of the way, but have looked efficient in their small sample size.
Tyler Bray has brought the Volunteers back to relevancy, and loves to look to his big play weapon, Justin Hunter. Derek Dooley has a top-ten pass offense and a quarterback with a monster arm. That should give the Vols some hope when they go to Athens, facing off against #5 UGA. (CBS, 3:30 EST) This could be a coming out party for Bray, who will be leaned on heavily against Georgia, whose primary defensive holes are in the secondary.
AJ McCarron is beginning to look like the star of an Alabama offensive attack that has put up 42 PPG so far this season. While they only average around 225 yards through the air, McCarron has completed nearly 65 percent of his passes with 10 yards per attempt. Of all the QB prospects, McCarron and Smith have been the best decision makers under center in all of college football this season. He is the beneficiary of a great offensive line and defenses that have to respect the play action, but with a touchdown thrown every 8 attempts, it looks like McCarron has shed the title of game manager.
While Arkansas' team is nowhere near what it was projected to be, they still have 2012 1st Team All-SEC Tyler Wilson under center. Wilson suffered a concussion in their loss to Louisiana-Monroe, and was out in their humiliating 52-0 home loss to Alabama. He still has put out 8 touchdowns to three interceptions and has shown flashes of brilliance. This season will be frustrating for the Razorbacks after their three early losses, but they go into College Station looking to play spoiler at Texas A&M. I do not look for the Hogs to win it, but should Wilson get rolling, they could put up a big number on the Aggies defense.
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1351963-nfl-draft-preview-barkley-no-longer-the-consensus-1
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Even though Total Nonstop Action (TNA) is entering its most important year with its Bound For Glory pay-per-view right around the corner, Impact! Wrestling has struggled to grow its viewership numbers.
The Thursday, September 27 edition of Impact! Wrestling was no different for TNA, as the show continued its trend with lower viewership results (via TV By the Numbers).
On Thursday night, Impact! Wrestling had just 1.26 million viewers during its live broadcast. In Adults 18-49, the show garnered only a 0.4 rating share. On cable television, Impact! Wrestling was sacked by the NFL Thursday night game, which had slightly over eight million viewers and earned a 3.3 rating in Adults 18-49.
Professional wrestling in a ratings funk?
It is becoming more clear and safe to say that WWE and TNA are struggling to grip any sort of positive momentum in viewership. Professional wrestling itself is at its weakest point, as both WWE and TNA are constantly up against tough television programming. The NFL games have also put WWE and TNA on the back burner in viewership.
Fortunately, this is where DVR comes in and helps improve the overall final viewership numbers. TNA, despite a drastically better product in 2012 than in past years, has been consistently garnering the same viewership results in recent weeks.
With Bound For Glory a few weeks away, TNA could see some sort of a boost in viewership, especially if the company plays their cards right with Aces and Eights. As wrestling fans wonder who may be the leader of the group, TNA could certainly use that to their advantage.
However, as it has been with TNA in the past, its viewership surge is normally short lived before reaching its normal levels. Although live programming has paid major benefits to TNA and improving its product, its viewership numbers have been unable to move in a positive direction just yet.
Jason Arnott David Clarkson Patrick Davis Tyler Eckford Mark Fraser Andy Greene
NBA hipster Dwight Howard went on Ellen and during a commercial break, the basketball star taught her how to Dougie:
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This summer, the New Orleans Saints took the term "rough offseason" to a whole new level.
And through the first three games of the 2012 season, the Saints have struggled mightily. Their offense has remained effective, led by quarterback Drew Brees and a slew of talented pass catchers, but the defense has been atrocious thus far.
This week, the 0-3 Saints will travel to Green Bay to face the 1-2 Packers, coming off an emotional and controversial loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football.
The Packers, much like the Saints, have been an early season surprise. Much to the surprise of football fans, the Green Bay defense has been the strength of the squad through 12 quarters.
It's hard to label a Week 4 matchup as a "must-win," but both the Packers and the Saints are starving for a victory this weekend. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers will try to get back to .500, while Brees and the Saints hope to avoid a nightmarish 0-4 start.
How can Brees get the Saints season back on track this weekend? Let's take a closer look.
1) Target Jimmy Graham vs. Packers LBs
Although they've played better so far this season, the Packers defense has been awful against opposing tight ends in recent years. The 49ers and Vernon Davis had some success against Green Bay in Week 1, while the Chicago Bears constantly targeted tight end Kellen Davis against Packers linebacker D.J. Smith in Week 2.
Now, Cutler completed as many passes to Tramon Williams that night as he did to Brandon Marshall. So, needless to say, the results didn't go as planned.
But, nonetheless, the 5'10" Smith is a liability in coverage. Smith and A.J. Hawk are the Packers' starting inside linebackers in their base 3-4 scheme, but Hawk's snap count will likely decrease against the spread attack of New Orleans.
When the Saints faced the 49ers in last year's playoffs—as shown in the video—Graham's athletic ability simply proved to be too much to handle. With under two minutes remaining in the game, Brees noticed Graham was matched up one on one with 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis.
Graham is sent on a seam route up the middle of the field, and the 49ers actually defend it fairly well, before Graham's athleticism takes over and he makes a spectacular catch-and-run for a touchdown.
Willis is perhaps the best linebacker in football, but Graham's 6'7" frame was simply too much for the 6'1" Willis to handle. And if Willis had trouble covering Graham, Smith will surely need lots of help on Sunday.
The Packers will most likely rely on Charles Woodson against Graham, but even the savvy vet will struggle against Graham's freakish athleticism. As well as the Green Bay secondary has been playing through three games, the Packers simply have no match for the Saints TE.
And you can be sure that Brees will put Graham in positions to exploit the Packers secondary and linebackers.
2) Increase the workload for Darren Sproles
Sproles killed the Packers' defense in last year's season opener, and a similar scenario could unfold on Sunday.
The 5'6" lightning bug ran all over Lambeau Field last season. He returned a kick 57 yards deep into Packers territory and also took a punt back 72 yards for a touchdown. Sproles carried the ball only twice for seven yards in week one last season, but he did most of his damage as a receiver.
In that Week 1 matchup last year, The Saints clearly targeted the Packers linebackers in the passing game. In 2012, Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk has had perhaps the best start to a season of his seven-year career, but if he's on the field against New Orleans, Brees and the offense will put a bullseye on No. 50.
Another thing that hurts the Packers against an ultra-quick back like Sproles is the fact that Green Bay was one of the worst tackling teams in the NFL last season.
And Sproles is perhaps the slipperiest back in the league. If he gets to the second level, it's incredibly hard to get him on the ground.
Last year's playoff game between the Saints and 49ers provides another example of how New Orleans could hurt Green Bay this Sunday.
Late in the fourth quarter, Brees recognizes the blitz and quickly dumps the ball off to Sproles. The linebackers are lined up elsewhere, and once safety Dashon Goldson misses the tackle, it's off to the races for Sproles.
And 44 yards later, Sproles is in the end zone, and the Saints take the lead. Just like that.
3) Target the inexperienced members in the Packers secondary
Last season, the Packers allowed more passing yards than any team in NFL history.
After safety Nick Collins was lost for the season with a neck injury and Tramon Williams battled a shoulder injury for the entire year, the Packers secondary was a sieve.
But this year, Williams appears back to his 2010 Pro Bowl form. He's been targeted only 13 times through 12 quarters of play, and he didn't allow a single reception to Bears receiver Brandon Marshall when the two players went head to head in Week 2.
And on the other side of Williams, cornerback Sam Shields has possibly been even better.
According to Pro Football Focus, Shields has only allowed two receptions for 25 yards this season. And, yes, that includes one 24-yard touchdown (or not) to Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate on Monday Night Football last week.
Shields, a superior athlete, will likely see a lot of time on Saints speedster Devery Henderson. This is a matchup to keep an eye on, but Shields should keep Henderson relatively quiet, if he's able to continue his current high level of play.
Charles Woodson has moved to safety in Green Bay's base 3-4 defense, but he moves to the slot in the Packers' nickel alignment. When Woodson lines up as the third cornerback, rookie safety Jerron McMillian takes his spot next to Morgan Burnett at safety.
The Packers' defensive coaching staff has given McMillian increased opportunities the past couple weeks, and he's been terrific by all accounts. But then again, the Bears and the Seahawks don't pose the same aerial threat as the New Orleans Saints.
With Williams likely matched up on receiver Marques Colston, and Shields on Henderson, the most appealing target among Saints' wide receivers will probably be Lance Moore.
Brees is one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the league, and he'll surely target Moore if and when he has rookie cornerback Casey Hayward lined up across from him. Both of the Packers rookie defensive backs, Hayward and McMillian, have made the most of their playing time, thus far, but this Sunday will surely be their biggest test to date.
And although veteran cornerback Jarrett Bush's snaps have decreased dramatically due to Hayward's productivity, he remains a likely target when he's on the field. In which case, Brees's thought process will likely go something like this: "Oh, hey. There's No. 24. And there's where I'm going with the football."
Preview of Sunday's matchup
Both offenses present matchup problems for the opposing defense. Rodgers and the Packers hope to get their offense back on track against the shaky New Orleans defense, while Brees and the Saints hope to outlast Green Bay in a shootout.
On paper, this looks like it will be a huge day for tight end Jimmy Graham. But then again, Week 2 looked like a great matchup for Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall, and the Packers held him to just two catches on the night.
Many people are predicting a convincing win for the Packers, but I think both teams will score too many points for this to be a blowout. With the game being played at Lambeau, I give the Packers a slight edge in this one.
Green Bay 34, New Orleans 27.
And the Saints go marching to 0-4. Gulp.
Washington Nationals Jonathan Albaladejo Andrew Brackman A.J. Burnett Steve Garrison Phil Hughes
This season is one of change for Mikel Arteta.
The Spaniard, known for his creative capability in midfield, is now being praised for his defensive abilities and is seen as Arsenal’s new enforcer.
Arteta’s performance on the pitch against the Blues will be a vital ingredient in Arsenal’s success if the Gunners are to come away with a win in this north side derby.
Arteta seems to be thriving in his new, more defensive, role for Arsenal. Arteta has had to repress his natural offensive instincts and play a holding position, rather than his previous responsibility as playmaker.
Wenger has paired the Spanish midfielder with Abou Diaby and Santi Cazorla, and Arteta is already acting as a defensive midfielder in the place of Song. He is expanding the defensive balance of the team’s midfield, ensuring that his teammates have the opportunity to run forward and is successfully winning the ball.
Arteta has no qualms with his positional move and expressed this when he told Arsenal.com, according to Nik Brumsack, “It is a big transition but it is more a mental thing. The boss is convinced that is the best thing for the team and I am too, so let’s do it."
The formation Arsenal will employ tomorrow will be critical to the match’s outcome. Their 4-3-3-1 formation allows for an extra player in midfield when compared to Chelsea’s 4-2-3-1 arrangement. Chelsea have transformed from a team, who were predominantly defensive, to a team who are now aggressively offensive.
The midfield section invites Arteta, along with Diaby and Cazorla, to govern the play. Arteta will have his hands full, as the likes of Hazard and Oscar like to drop back to the middle of the field.
Arteta’s job as foreman will involve giving Cazorla a chance to push forward while he acts as a gatekeeper for Wenger’s side.
Arteta has been running the show in midfield for Arsenal, so far, and it is evident that Arteta’s style of play is a product of Barcelona’s youth academy. His passing ability is close to flawless, which he proved against Man City at Etihad Stadium.
Arteta completed 100 passes out of 106, a remarkable figure against last year’s Premiership League champions.
Arteta is the metal in the middle of the pitch for the showdown tomorrow against Chelsea.
For both teams, this match is extremely significant.
For Chelsea, it is arguably the biggest matchup they have participated in, so far. At the other end of the pitch, for Arsenal, it is a chance to show that they are contenders for the cup this year and are not on the cusp of greatness but rather that they already are great.
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1352095-arsenal-vs-chelsea-mikel-arteta-key-to-arsenals-success
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It was one of those days for Tiger Woods at the Ryder Cup on Friday. One of those days that, at one point in time, seemed farcical but have now become painfully, hopelessly happenstance.
Woods was atrocious in the morning foursome setting, allowing Ian Poulter and Justin Rose to sit back and let his errors doom the US. And although he was a little better in the afternoon, it wasn't enough to get him and Steve Stricker over the hump; they were the only American duo that lost both of its matches on Friday.
But the worst of it came after the round for Tiger when it was announced that, for the first time in his illustrious career, Woods would be sitting out the Saturday round. Sorry, Tiger, we don't need you for this one.
The announcement was so inevitable, so pragmatic and yet it still seemed to come out of left field. I still needed to read it twice to believe it. Tiger Woods. The Tiger Woods. Ready, willing and able to play, but Davis Love thinks we have a better chance without him. Cue Armageddon in 3, 2, 1....
The concept of a "low point" is nebulous in the world of Tiger Woods, where off-course issues have played such a vital part of his narrative. But as far as on-course actions are concerned, this has to be one of the lowest moments in his career, right? He got benched! When has anybody ever not wanted Tiger Woods on their golf team?
But that's the past. The real question is this: Where does Tiger go from here?
Well, it sure as heck puts a lot of pressure on Tiger's final round at Ryder. All golfers participate in Sunday singles, which gives Tiger one more chance to redeem himself.
The Masters doesn't tee off until April 11. That's six months and change until he gets a chance to redeem himself on a major stage––a stage that really matters. This is, is many ways, our farewell to high-stakes golf for the year. Is this the taste Tiger wants to leave in our mouths?
It's sad because Tiger actually had an improved year. True, until he finally ends his major drought, his failures will always outweigh his successes. But by being in contention during the weekends at majors this year, Woods took a step toward regaining his old form.
But if this is the last image he gives us in 2012, good look getting us to remember all his mini-triumphs. No, if Tiger falters––or even worse, costs his country the cup––in the final, it will be fair to ask whether or not he's done.
And as far as his mental state of mind appears....it'd be hard to argue otherwise.
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Chances are there's an owner in your fantasy football league who is getting frustrated with quarterback Tom Brady.
Brady, who was most likely one of the first few quarterbacks off the board, is having a mediocre season up to this point.
He has failed to break the 20-point mark in ESPN standard scoring leagues. That's not what is expected from a first or second round fantasy pick.
The usually reliable fantasy beast was ranked by ESPN as the No. 2 fantasy quarterback heading into 2012. He is currently the 11th ranked fantasy quarterback. Brady has thrown for four touchdowns and 887 yards on the season.
Through three games, Brady has had a solid statistical season. However, his numbers have just not been good enough for fantasy owners who drafted him with ambitions of 300-yard games and three or four touchdowns every week.
In the first three weeks, Brady has accumulated 17, 14 and 17 fantasy points. With just 48 points on the year, Brady falls behind the likes of Carson Palmer (51 points), Andy Dalton (51 points) and rookie Andrew Luck (49 points).
There's no doubt that Brady's 2012 fantasy season has been a disappointment to this point. That being said, he's still Tom Brady.
Savvy owners would be smart to take advantage of his slow start. Frustrated owners may be willing to part with him for less than what would normally be demanded.
The Week 3 game against Baltimore gave us signs of the old Brady.
He threw for 335 yards and a touchdown, hooking up with his old reliable target Wes Welker. Welker, who had not been a big part of the offense in the first two games, caught eight passes for 142 yards.
If Welker can continue to play a big part in the New England offense, look for Brady's numbers to rise.
Brady gets a chance in Week 5 to give fantasy owners what they have hoped for.
The Patriots play Buffalo, a team that Brady has owned over the past few seasons. Brady has five 300-yard passing games and a total of 25 touchdowns against the Bills.
One has to think that Brady will figure it out and get back to putting up the huge numbers that we are used to seeing. If you are intrigued by Brady, contact his owner and get a feeling for what would be expected in return.
The time to snag Brady on the cheap may be drawing near. A huge Week 5 game could put everyone at ease and slam the door on the opportunity to steal him away.
Take a chance while you still can.
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NFL Films released a trailer for an upcoming documentary about the 1995 Cleveland Browns today.
That Browns team is famous for having a number of future coaching stars on staff. Bill Belichick was the head coach, and guys like Nick Saban (Alabama coach), Jim Schwartz (Detroit Lions coach), and Mike Lombardi (NFL Network) were all involved.
It looks like it'll be a really insightful show about what it's like to run an NFL team week-to-week.
It also looks like there will be a lot of 90s fashion going on. Fine sweater/watch combo:
The trailer isn't embeddable, but you can watch it here >
Today:
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They say winning the first point at the Ryder Cup is huge.
So when Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell took down Jim Furyk and Brandt Snedeker in opening foursomes play on Friday (1 Up), it gave Team USA a sickening feeling, the same sickening feeling the country experienced when Team Europe went on to win the 2010 Ryder Cup (14.5/28 points).
Then again, things changed significantly when it came to fourballs play.
Standings
| Team | Points |
| USA | 5 |
| Europe | 3 |
The opening match was scintillating. It saw the Americans go 1 Up through the fourth hole, the Europeans jump ahead on the sixth hole and the Americans roar back to tie it up on the 16th hole after being down, 3 Up, through the 12th hole.
But with both countries tied going into the 18th hole, Furyk narrowly missed a 20-foot putt and McDowell sunk the putt for Team Europe to go up, 1-0.
Team USA did well to storm back after that, however, with Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley dispatching Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia (4 & 3) and Jason Dufner and Zach Johnson knocking off Lee Westwood and Francesco Molinari (3 & 2).
That brought us to the fourth and final foursomes match of the day, Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker vs. Ian Poulter and Justin Rose.
This was an ugly ending to Friday's foursomes play for Team USA. Poulter and Rose took the lead for good on the fourth hole and never looked back until the end, leading by as much as 3 Up through the 14th hole. Team Europe ended up winning that match, 2 & 1.
At that point, it was 2-2.
| Team | Score | Team |
| McIlroy/McDowell | Team Europe, 1 Up | Furyk/Snedeker |
| Donald/Garcia | Team USA, 4 & 3 | Mickelson/Bradley |
| Westwood/Molinari | Team USA, 3 & 2 | Dufner/Johnson |
| Poulter/Rose | Team Europe, 2 & 1 | Stricker/Woods |
Then came fourballs play, which changed everything.
Bubba Watson (2012 Masters champion) and Webb Simpson (2012 U.S. Open champion) grabbed the lead right away on the first hole against Paul Lawrie and Peter Hanson.
They never relinquished that lead, eventually winning, 5 & 4.
The second fourballs match pitted McIlroy and McDowell against Mickelson and Bradley.
Mickelson and Bradley showed the teamwork they displayed in foursomes play from the very first hole, going 1 Up after Bradley sunk his birdie putt and McDowell failed to match his birdie. They built their lead through the front nine, ultimately winning the match, 2 & 1.
Mickelson made some incredible shots in this match, including an iron shot from deep in the gallery over some trees onto the green at the 12th hole and a magnificent drive that hit the center of the green on the 17th that led to McIlroy and McDowell conceding.
Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar made it 3-of-3 for the Americans in fourball play on Friday, defeating Justin Rose and Martin Kaymer, 3 & 2.
Team USA took the lead on the fourth hole after Kuchar sunk his birdie. The Americans held the lead throughout, but the Europeans always stayed within range. That is, until Kuchar knocked in the match-winning putt on the 16th hole, completing a fantastic day for the 34-year-old. Kuchar scored all three 1 Ups for the Americans in this match.
Last but not least, we had Woods and Stricker battle with Westwood and Nick Colsaerts in the final fourball match.
The Americans held the lead through the first three holes, but the Europeans grabbed the lead on No. 9 on Colsaerts' fantastic 22-foot putt.
Colsaerts and Woods carried their respective teams on Friday. While Colsaerts racked up all four 1 Ups for the Europeans, Woods posted all three 1 Ups for the Americans, nailing a putt on the 16th and doing it all on the 17th.
But, in the end, Woods wasn't able to save the team after hitting the edge of the 18th hole with a putt that would have brought the Americans to a tie in the match.
What a thrilling day of Ryder Cup action.
| Team | Score | Team |
| Lawrie/Hanson | Team USA, 5 & 4 | Watson/Simpson |
| McIlroy/McDowell | Team USA, 2 & 1 | Mickelson/Bradley |
| Rose/Kaymer | Team USA, 3 & 2 | Johnson/Kuchar |
| Westwood/Colsaerts | Team Europe, 1 Up | Woods/Stricker |
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