Ryder Cup 2014: Europe Takes Commanding Lead Over US Team

GLENEAGLES, Scotland - Perhaps it is really Jack Nicklaus's fault that the Americans are once again looking like Ryder Cup punching bags.

Nicklaus was, after all, the deeply influential star who pushed long ago for these trans-Atlantic matches long dominated by the United States to be expanded to include golfers from continental Europe, like France's Victor Dubuisson, Sweden's Henrik Stenson and Spain's Sergio García.

Nicklaus was also the American who designed the P.G.A. Centenary Course, the rolling layout at Gleneagles in the Scottish heartland that is turning into another 18-hole gantlet for the American team.

The 40th Ryder Cup is not over yet. Although the Europeans took an imposing 10-6 lead on Saturday, 12 singles matches remain to be played here Sunday.

But after another encouraging morning of fourball competition for Tom Watson and his American team, the afternoon foursomes session on Saturday turned into another European romp.

'It seems like the foursomes is their forte,' Watson said in an interview with NBC.

That has not been the case in recent years, but it certainly proved true this time. At Gleneagles, each has team won two sessions: the Americans have won each of the two fourball, or best ball, sessions by 1 point, the Europeans have won each of the foursomes, or alternate shot, sessions by 3 points.

That has made for a commanding lead, although history, both recent and more distant, should make the Europeans wary of self-satisfaction.

The Europeans had a 10-6 lead heading into the singles in 1999 at the Country Club in Brookline, Mass., only to be reeled in by an emotional American comeback. Two years ago, at Medinah Country Club, the Americans led, 10-6, only to be reeled in by the Europeans.

'Professional attitude,' Paul McGinley, the European captain, said of what was required of his team on Sunday.

The odds and momentum are certainly in Europe's favor.

'I think they will now go on and win this Ryder Cup handsomely,' said Colin Montgomerie, the former European star, who was the winning captain in 2010 at Celtic Manor in Wales at the last Ryder Cup staged in Europe.

The Americans have not won on this side of the Atlantic since Watson was captain for the first time in 1993, but on that occasion they were down by only 1 point heading into the singles.

This time they trail by 4, and Watson appears to be very well matched in the captaincy department by the fast-talking, deep-thinking McGinley, whose best-laid plans have so far turned out better than those of the considerably older and more celebrated Watson.

Watson has made some sharp moves too: pairing the young Ryder Cup rookies Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth, who played in both sessions on Saturday. They rallied in the morning to overwhelm Thomas Bjorn and Martin Kaymer, 5 and 3, then held on, in much less swashbuckling fashion, to salvage the only half a point of the afternoon for the United States against Kaymer and Justin Rose in foursomes.

With two victories and one half, the 24-year-old Reed and the 21-year-old Spieth are the only undefeated Americans left at Gleneagles and might have a better record if Watson had elected to play them instead of resting them on Friday afternoon.

But McGinley has come up with some excellent first-time pairings, particularly in foursomes. Dubuisson, a flashy rookie with a musketeer goatee, and McDowell, a veteran from Northern Ireland, are 2 for 2. In foursomes, so are the rookie Jamie Donaldson and the veteran Lee Westwood.

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