MEDINAH, Illinois (Reuters) – Europe captain Jose Maria Olazabal saw the last great Ryder Cup comeback victory first-hand, so the Spaniard knows that overcoming their 10-6 deficit against the U.S. is possible.

Olazabal was on the 17th green at Brookline when the Americans won the 1999 Ryder Cup after entering Sunday singles trailing by four points to register a record comeback for the biennial event.

MEDINAH, Illinois, Sept 29 (Reuters) – Europe captain Jose Maria Olazabal saw the last great Ryder Cup comeback victory first-hand, so the Spaniard knows that overcoming their 10-6 deficit against the U.S. is possible.

Olazabal was on the 17th green at Brookline when the Americans won the 1999 Ryder Cup after entering Sunday singles trailing by four points to register a record comeback for the biennial event.

MEDINAH, Illinois (Reuters) – Ian Poulter, eyes burning like a man possessed, ran off five birdies in a row to give Europe victory in the final fourball match on Saturday and keep alive hopes of a Ryder Cup miracle at Medinah.

Poulter completed his sensational finish with a 15-foot putt that gave him and Rory McIlroy a one up win over Americans Zach Johnson and Jason Dufner to send the Europeans to the final day 10-6 behind after they trailed by six points late on Saturday.

MEDINAH, Illinois, Sept 29 (Reuters) – Ian Poulter, eyes burning like a man possessed, ran off five birdies in a row to give Europe victory in the final fourball match on Saturday and keep alive hopes of a Ryder Cup miracle at Medinah.

Poulter completed his sensational finish with a 15-foot putt that gave him and Rory McIlroy a one up win over Americans Zach Johnson and Jason Dufner to send the Europeans to the final day 10-6 behind after they trailed by six points late on Saturday.

MEDINAH, Illinois (Reuters) – England’s Ian Poulter ran off five birdies in a row to give Europe victory in the final fourball match on Saturday and keep alive hopes of a Ryder Cup miracle at Medinah.

Poulter’s sensational finish gave him and his playing partner, world number one Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, a one up win over Americans Zach Johnson and Jason Dufner to send the Europeans into the final day 10-6 behind after they trailed by six points late in the day.

MEDINAH, Illinois (Reuters) – After a heavenly Ryder Cup debut, Nicolas Colsaerts came back to earth on Saturday as the magic in his putter disappeared along with his tee shot at 17 that effectively ended his foursomes match.

Colsaerts, who made eight birdies and an eagle to outduel Tiger Woods on Friday, could not find the hole Saturday and then drowned his tee shot at the watery par-three 17th as he and Sergio Garcia fell 2&1 to Americans Jason Dufner and Zach Johnson.

MEDINAH, Illinois (Reuters) – Europe captain Jose Maria Olazabal said he had a simple message to deliver to his Ryder Cup team on how they can come back from a 5-3 deficit after Friday’s opening-day play. Play better.

“What we need to do is just step it up and play better golf tomorrow,” Olazabal said. “Simple as that.”

MEDINAH, Illinois (Reuters) – World number one Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell gave Europe their first point of the 39th Ryder Cup on Friday only to fall to Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley in the fourballs as the U.S. took a 5-3 opening day lead.

The Northern Irish duo, sent out first by Europe captain Jose Maria Olazabal, had lost a three-hole lead in the foursomes before snatching a victory for Europe at the 18th hole as the teams finished the morning tied 2-2 at Medinah.

MEDINAH, Illinois (Reuters) – Ryder Cup rookie Nicolas Colsaerts single-handedly saved Europe from being shut out in Friday afternoon’s fourballs with a sensational round in what amounted to a duel with Tiger Woods.

Colsaerts, the first Belgian to play in the Ryder Cup, got little help from his playing partner Lee Westwood but still carried the team to a one-up win over Woods and Steve Stricker, making eight birdies and an eagle.

MEDINAH, Illinois (Reuters) – Ian Poulter roared, clenched his fists and then glared like a boxer trying to strike fear in an opponent after sinking a putt to halve a hole on Friday in the Ryder Cup.

It was one big moment in a round full of them for Poulter, but after he teamed up with fellow Englishman Justin Rose to beat Americans Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker 2&1, the Briton said it illustrated what he loves most about the Ryder Cup.