US and Europe target fast starts to end Cup

Going into Sunday's concluding singles matches at the Ryder Cup, the heavily favoured United States team hope to continue their free-wheeling style of play while Europe have been left banking on a miracle comeback.

Both sides have top-loaded their line-ups for what promises to be an intriguing last day at Medinah Country Club, where birdies have been plentiful on a tree-lined layout virtually shorn of rough with greens running at lightning speed.

The US need only four-and-a-half more points to regain the Cup after building a commanding 10-6 lead in Saturday afternoon's fourballs, while holders Europe require eight more points to retain the trophy.

"We just want to win each segment," said U.S. captain Davis Love III, whose tactics have so far been successful with his four rookies performing superbly and the entire team relishing the pressure cooker atmosphere of the biennial competition.

"We want to go out, have some fun and not really think about the outcome. We have one more day to go, and we'd just like to go out and play. Our guys, they all want to win a point."

Love will send out Masters champion Bubba Watson first, against Englishman Luke Donald, US Open winner Webb Simpson next, against Englishman Ian Poulter, and red-hot Keegan Bradley third, against world number one Rory McIlroy.

Veteran Phil Mickelson, Cup rookie Brandt Snedeker, long-hitting Dustin Johnson and Zach Johnson fill the next four slots, and will meet Justin Rose, Paul Lawrie, Nicolas Colsaerts and Graeme McDowell respectively.

"We didn't really look at where the pairings would fall, the match-ups would fall or where the final point would fall," said Love. "We just looked at who wanted to go where.

"There was a group of guys that like to play pretty fast, and there's a group of guys that are more comfortable playing later in the day."