• Ryder Cup: Day Two Foursomes

USA take total control at Medinah

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America grasped complete control of the Ryder Cup after three sessions by dominating Saturday's foursomes action at Medinah.

Captain Davis Love III was justified in his decision to omit Tiger Woods - the first time he has been stepped down at the Ryder Cup - as America won three of the clashes in the alternate-shot format. The hosts now lead the tie 8-4 ahead of the fourballs, which round off the second day's action.

Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley, fast-emerging as the stars of the event, maintained their 100% record by trouncing Lee Westwood and Luke Donald 7&6.

The other US points were piled on by Jason Dufner and Zach Johnson, who beat Nicolas Colsaerts and Sergio Garcia 2&1, and Jim Furyk and Brandt Snedeker, who overcame Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell one-up.

Webb Simpson, playing with Bubba Watson, missed a six-foot putt for a half at 18 as Ian Poulter and Justin Rose earned Europe's solitary point.

Westwood and Donald, Ryder Cup veterans and both former world No. 1s, seldom ventured above the mediocre as the Bradley and Mickelson whirlwind blew them away. Donald had never lost a foursomes match before the start of Thursday's play; he has now lost two in a row.

While Donald and Westwood failed to capitalise on their traditional strengths - the former leaving putts short; the latter missing fairways - Mickelson and Bradley were lethal on the greens. Every time the American duo stood over a putt, there was an expectation it would fall, no matter the length - and the pressure was too much for the Englishmen to bear.

Bradley's ten-foot putt at nine to put his team five-up was the blow that shattered the European resistance, and the former US PGA champion acknowledged as much with a frenzied celebration.

"We've provided a lot of energy for each other and it's brought out the best in me. This is my ninth Ryder Cup and one of my most exhilarating," Mickelson said. "I'm feeding of his energy and enthusiasm a lot. To see his youthful excitement about playing his first Ryder Cup, it gets me fired up."

Poulter, controversially omitted from Friday's fourballs action, made it two points from two by masterminding a one-up victory alongside Rose. The Brits trailed by one through eight, only to go on a surge that took them beyond the grasp of Watson and Simpson, winners of the Masters and US Open respectively this year. The undisputed highlight was Poulter's 20-foot putt from the fringe, which edged Europe two ahead and provoked a trademark fist-pump and roar.

There was still time for late drama, however, with Simpson wasting the chance to turn the heat up on Europe even further. "It was a crucial point in a very intense match. It was really important to come back," Poulter said, while Rose admitted "we won ugly and didn't produce our best stuff".

McDowell and McIlroy were unable to conjure a reprise of their foursomes victory over Snedeker and Furyk on Friday - or, for that matter, replicate the consistency and reliability they showed as a pairing at Celtic Manor in 2010. It took until the back nine for them to record their first birdie, with McIlroy's putter wasteful and McDowell foundering in all aspects. By that point, the tie was effectively gone.

Meanwhile, Colsaerts was given a sobering dose of Ryder Cup reality, suffering defeat less than 24 hours after his brilliant debut showing in the foursomes. His water-bound tee shot at 17 took he and Garcia beyond the point of no return. Europe must now avoid a similar fate in the fourballs.

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