Saturday Morning Recap: USA wins last two matches

The United States rallied to win the final two matches of the Saturday morning foursomes and added another halve to win the session 2 1/2 to 1 1/2 and knot the overall score at 6-6. The Bevan/Ryall duo earned GBI's only full point of the session.

By T.J. Auclair and John Kim, PGA.com

Morning Foursomes Matches:

Match 1: Great Britain & Ireland's Paul Wesselingh and James Whatley v. USA's Mike Small and Ryan Benzel

Result: Halved

Americans Mike Small and Ryan Benzel managed to gain a half-point in their foursome match at the 23rd PGA Cup on Saturday morning, but walked off frustrated since it wasn't a full point.

The U.S. duo took a 1-up advantage into the final hole, but after Small's approach found a left bunker that guards the green Benzel was left with a difficult 30-yard sand shot. Benzel's blast came up about 30 feet short of the hole and was upset with the shot as he walked out of the bunker.

Small got the crowd buzzing when his par putt that would have sealed the match hit the back of the cup but didn't drop. From there, GBI's Paul Wesselingh knocked home a short par putt for the halve.

"It was a great match. I just can't beat Mike Small," said Wesslingh, who has halved both his matches with Small. "The pair of them -- Mike and Ryan -- are just pure class. It was great golf. We're happy with that."

GBI was 2-up after six holes with two birdies and a par, but the Americans squared the match at No. 11. The U.S. took its late 1-up lead at the par-3 15th hole when Small's tee shot stopped about eight feet from the hole and Benzel converted the birdie.

Both teams made pars on Nos. 16 and 17, which set up the drama on the final hole.

Wesselingh and Whatley were paired together again after having played in the morning four-ball match together on Friday.

"Our partnership has been fantastic," Whatley said. "We play really well together and just feed off each other."

"We've played so much together," Wesselingh said. "We know each other's games to well and we've seen each other in pressure situations. That's very important and I think that's an advantage for us."

Match 2: Great Britain & Ireland's Jon Bevan and George Ryall v. USA's Don Yrene and Alan Schulte

Result: GB&I wins, 2-up

Americans Don Yrene and Alan Schulte were resilient in a match that probably had no business going the distance.

Trailing GBI's Jon Bevan and George Ryall 5-down with six holes to play, Yrene and Schulte stormed back, cutting the deficit to just 1-down with one hole to play. Together, the U.S. teammates birdied four out of five holes to get back in the match. However, the valiant effort fell just short because of a bogey on the final hole to GBI's par, which gave Bevan and Ryall a 2-up win.

"Boy, that was fun," said Schulte, who had a grin despite the loss, proud of the U.S. effort when they were clearly against the ropes. "We hit some really good shots. Don hit some nice putts and it was a blast. I think that's what these matches are all about."

Bevan and Ryall were impressed with the American charge, especially, they said, since they didn't do anything particularly wrong.

"We knew we were one shot away from a victory, but they were making good putts to stay alive," Ryall said.

"You've got to take your hats off to those guys," Bevan said. "Their 10 are just as strong as our 10 and this could go either way. I'd have happily played ugly and walked off with the point. As it was, we needed to play great to beat those guys and get the point."

Match 3: Great Britain & Ireland's Andrew Barnett and Duncan Muscroft v. USA's Chip Sullican and Chris Starkjohann

Result: USA wins, 3 & 2

Chip Sullivan, the PGA Head Professional at Ashley Plantation in Daleville, Va., felt the need to redeem himself as he teed it up with partner Chris Starkjohann in the third match of the morning session. The defending 2007 PGA Professional National Champion was upset and frustrated by his poor showing the day before.

"After yesterday, I couldn't even eat breakfast this morning," Sullivan admitted, "I wanted to win so badly."

Sullivan and Starkjohann, neither of whom earned any points in Thursday's sessions, trailed after the GB&I team of Barnett/Muscroft birdied the opening hole. But the U.S. team won three holes in a row from holes 4-6 and never relinquished the lead.

Sullivan made a clutch 12-foot par saving putt on the par-3 15th hole, and then his four-footer on the 16th closed out the match. It was a sweet redemption for the pair.

"We teamed up real well," said Sullivan. "It's a great feeling after getting skunked yesterday.

"You don't want to leave here without earning some points," he added. "I have a lot on my shoulders being national champ this year. I just want to represent the team well and help them out."

And after sitting out Friday's afternoon session, Sullivan showed some enthusiasm to pull double duty today. "You're darn right, I'm ready to go back out there and make some birdies," he said.

Match 4: Great Britain's Craig Goodfellow and Michael Nesbit v. USA's Ron Philo, Jr. and Tim Thelen

Result: USA wins, 1-up

For the first time in three sessions, the United States came away with a full point in a match that went to the difficult 18th hole. Ron Philo Jr. and Tim Thelen played nearly flawless golf early and then held off a furious rally to take the point and send the teams to the afternoon session all tied overall. The duo took an early lead with a birdie on the second hole and never gave the lead up, though victory was not assured until the final putt of the final green.

Having the GB&I squad dormie with three holes left, it took a bit of a gift on the 18th hole before the point could be chalked up.

Both teams missed the green in regulation, but the chip from Craig Goodfellow of the GB&I team left his partner about four feet from the hole. Philo's approach missed well right, and Thelen's attempt to chip up the hill to a difficult pin spot stopped just short of the green.

But Philo hit a good chip shot that nearly went in and then Michael Nesbit of the GB&I team missed his short par attempt as both teams made bogey, thus preserving the U.S. 1-up advantage and the win.

"You have to finish, you have to win one more hole," Philo explained after the match. "We stumbled a little bit, but we snuck away. Luckily, our play early let us stumble. It feels good now, I'm glad it's over."

The GBI pair made a furious rally at the end to almost pull off a stunning tie, much like they did Friday when they rallied from dormie with two holes to go to earn the halve.

"You try and make as few mistakes as you can," explained a disappointed Goodfellow. "But it happens in foursomes. You do make mistakes. You just have to keep you chin up and keep battling on. We were 3-down with three to go and we really had a chance there to get it all square. You just never give up."