• Ryder Cup

Late surge not enough to save McIlroy-Garcia partnership

Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia have been split up for Saturday morning's Ryder Cup fourballs © Getty Images

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"We needed it. We really did."

That was Rory McIlroy's assessment of his scraped half-point alongside Sergio Garcia against Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker after they fought back from dormie-2 down to get on the board for the first time in this Ryder Cup - having been beaten by Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley in the morning session.

Walker and Fowler didn't close the deal

Jimmy and Rickie had to settle for a halve © Getty Images

• Bob Harig: For the longest time, they appeared on their way to American glory, final-hole dramatics saving the morning, a big victory over two of the game's heavyweights in the afternoon.
• Of course, it didn't work out that way. Just as Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker produced an unlikely halve in their match against Martin Kaymer and Thomas Bjorn, the US duo also suffered a stinging halve against Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia. One tie felt like a win. The other tie felt like a loss.
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But it was not enough to save the partnership headed into Saturday morning's fourballs - as McIlroy will team up with Ian Poulter and Garcia sitting out until at least the afternoon.

It is the only partnership change to by captain Paul McGinley, who has kept together the victorious pairings of Lee Westwood and rookie Jamie Donaldson, and Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson. Martin Kaymer and Thomas Bjorn, who halved their Friday fourball match despite leading from the very first hole, will play together again.

US captain Tom Watson, meanwhile, has made two pairing changes. Bubba Watson, beaten heavily alongside Webb Simpson on Friday, will be partnered by Matt Kuchar, while Jim Furyk will be joined Hunter Mahan.

McIlroy and Garcia, who revealed they were "unlucky" in their morning match and "it just didn't quite go our way", were in excellent spirits in the post-match press conference.

When asked about Sir Nick Faldo's comments from earlier in the day, in which the former captain accused Garcia of being "useless" in 2008, the Spaniard said: "That's unfortunate. I guess he doesn't feel European. There are a lot of things I could say about Nick Faldo but I'm not going to put myself down to his level."

Garcia then pretended to burst into tears and McIlroy offered him a consoling arm. "You're not useless," he joked.

Saturday morning fourballs

7.35am: Justin Rose & Henrik Stenson v Bubba Watson & Matt Kuchar
7.50am: Lee Westwood & Jamie Donaldson v Jim Furyk & Hunter Mahan
8.05am: Martin Kaymer & Thomas Bjorn v Jordan Spieth & Patrick Reed
8.20am: Rory McIlroy & Ian Poulter v Rickie Fowler & Jimmy Walker

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