How Saturday four-balls unfolded: Late Cantlay brilliance sees U.S. win session 3-1

Patrick Cantlay produced late fireworks in the bottom match to help the U.S. Team win Saturday's four-ball session 3-1, but Europe will take a commanding 10½-5½ lead into the final day of the 44th Ryder Cup.

Sam Burns and Collin Morikawa got the U.S. off to the perfect start in the top match, bringing Europe's heroes of the morning foursomes session back down to earth with a bump as they beat Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Åberg 4&3.

Max Homa and Brian Harman then held off a back-nine fightback from Tommy Fleetwood and Nicolai Højgaard to hand the U.S. their second point of the session.

But it was a different story in the third match as Justin Rose and Robert MacIntyre recorded an impressive 3&2 victory over Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth before late drama in the bottom match saw the U.S. win the session 3-1 as Cantlay holed a monster birdie putt at the 18th in the setting sun.

Here is a look at how Saturday's afternoon session unfolded at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club.

Sam Burns and Collin Morikawa won 4&3 against Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Åberg

Unlike in the morning foursomes - when they did not lose a single hole in a storming 9&7 win - Europeans Hovland and Åberg just could not get a foothold in their four-ball match and were comfortably beaten by the flying U.S. pair. After Burns won the first and third to open up an early two-hole lead, Hovland birdied the short fourth to pull one back. But it was one-way traffic from then on, as the U.S. won five holes without reply to go 6 UP. Europe attempted to stage a late rally with wins at the 13th and 14th but the match ended at the 15th and the visitors were able to celebrate a valuable point.

Max Homa and Brian Harman won 2&1 against Tommy Fleetwood and Nicolai Højgaard

This match was a tale of two nines as early U.S. dominance made way for a thrilling late comeback attempt from Europe, but Homa and Harman did enough secure their team's second point of the afternoon. The U.S. pair won four of the first nine holes to lead by four at the turn and remained four clear with six to play after cancelling out Fleetwood's birdie on the tenth with an eagle from Homa at the 12th. But Europe were not done yet, keeping the contest alive with a Højgaard birdie at the 14th before Fleetwood's breath-taking eagle chip at the 16th sent the home fans wild. But Europe's hopes of taking an unlikely half were ended at the 17th and the scoreboard looked a bit healthier for Zach Johnson's side.

Justin Rose and Robert MacIntyre won 3&2 against Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth

The combination of youth and experience served Europe well as Rose and MacIntyre produced a back-nine blitz to get a point on the board for Europe. Thomas took advantage of a lucky bounce to birdie the seventh and put the American pair in front, but Rose birdied the ninth and tenth to turn the tide before MacIntyre made a crucial contribution with a birdie from close range on the 13th. Rose took over again with a superb up-and-down from the sand on the next and also birdied the 16th to seal a vital win.

Patrick Cantlay and Wyndham Clark won 1 UP against Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick

McIlroy’s birdie on the par-three fourth gave the Europeans an early edge but there was never more than one hole in a tense contest and Cantlay got the Americans back on level terms with a birdie on the 11th. With Fitzpatrick out of the hole after driving out of bounds, McIlroy made a brilliant birdie on the 14th to regain the lead and also birdied the 16th, but Cantlay did likewise and also birdied the 17th and 18th to pull off a remarkable victory.