David J. Phillip / AP

J.B. Holmes, right, reaches out to hug U.S. teammate Boo Weekley after winning their four-ball match against Lee Westwood and Soren Hansen on Saturday.

The rest of the afternoon was a highlight show.

• With the match all square, Karlsson poured in a 12-foot birdie putt at No. 14, and Mickelson followed him in from 10 feet.
• Jim Furyk hit his approach on the 15th within inches of the cup and it looked as if he and Kenny Perry would square their match against Poulter and Graeme McDowell. But McDowell knocked in a nervy 5-footer for birdie.
• Garcia knocked in a 35-foot birdie putt up the ridge on No. 8, screaming, “Come on! Come on!” when it fell. The quiet Stricker then topped him with an 18-foot birdie, and in a rare display of emotion, lunged forward and pumped his fist. “I am not that type of player that you saw out there, I guarantee,” he said. “In competition like this, it truly does come out.”
• Karlsson was 4 feet away for birdie on the 16th when Mahan dropped a 10-footer.

It was like that all afternoon.

Azinger ripped off his cap in celebration and crossed his fingers before every putt, showing nerves that he swore he wouldn’t have.

“My stomach is just churning,” he said.

Faldo, meanwhile, must have felt vindicated.

The BBC roasted him throughout the morning for leaving out Westwood and Garcia from the morning session, the European tandem that hardly every loses, and sending out what appeared to be a sacrificial lamb in English rookie Oliver Wilson and Stenson.

They faced Mickelson and Kim, fell four holes behind after six holes, but rallied to tie the match six holes later. With a 1-up lead on the 17th, Wilson holed a 30-foot birdie putt to win the match.

Trailing by three points after the first day, Europe won two foursomes matches and halved another in the morning to pull within two points, winning its first session of the Ryder Cup. After a split in the afternoon, it comes down to Sunday.

Singles traditionally has been the Americans’ strength, but no longer.

Europe has the stronger team based on the world ranking. Europe has the won the last three Ryder Cups, and five of the last six. And Europe has trounced the Americans in singles the last two times.

But that was when it held a comfortable lead. For the first time since 1995, they have some catching up to do.