USA up

... Poulter misses and that's a crushing defeat for the Europeans, they got swamped by the rookie pairing of Spieth and Reed. Masterstroke by American skipper Watson, while people will be questioning Europe captain Paul McGinley's judgement, and that's just the way the Ryder Cup swings...

McIlroy with a cute third and he'll pick that up. Bradley needs something special here and here he is going through his old routine, stalking his ball, like a man mustering up the courage to get close enough to swat a hornet... that's pretty good from there, still in the hole...

Rob Hodgetts
BBC Sport at Gleneagles

Image source, Getty Images

The first big fist pump from Keegan Bradley as he holes his birdie putt on the 10th to go two up. He marches off the green, chest out and shoulders back, as if he's looking for a scrap. " I think they're getting fired up now," says an excited US supporter.

Garcia on the 13th green - he's miles out but the man most likely to nick this hole. Bradley has got relief from the gantry so he'll have a good lie for his chip. Spieth on 14 and if he makes this disappear, Poulter and Gallacher can say night-night... leaves it right...

Reed with his second at 14, just a wedge, neat and tidy, he's played like a dream today. So far. Mickelson on 13, he's got a deadly second - my apologies, he was wild off the tee - and all he can do is bunt one to the fringe of the green.

Mickelson with a wild second at 13, Garcia isn't great either and McIlroy has to do some scrambling out of the rough. Bradley, meanwhile, is playing his second off a concrete path. Let's just say most of us hackers would be employing a leather wedge. No tarmac trickery from the American, that hole is still up in the air...

Over on the range, Graeme McDowell of Europe and Matt Kuchar of the United States are warming up, they'll both be out this afternoon. Here's Bjorn on 15 and he's pulled out a plum from the sand, absolute beauty to pile some pressure on Walker. Here's Walker for the hole... hasn't hit it, that match stays as it was...

Image source, AP

European Ryder Cup golfer in 1999 and 2012 Paul Lawrie:, external People on here quick to forget how many points Ian Poulter (pictured) has won over the last few years #ThePostman

Jimmy Walker has got an open door and all he has to do is stroll right through it... decent, the only one man to find the green and he should have that 12-footer for the hole. Over on 13, Reed makes his clutch putt to remain five up against Poulter and Gallacher...

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Fenners:, external Time to get Dubuisson involved pronto I think

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PB in London: Can't help thinking Luke Donald would stand up to this pressure better than Gallacher.

Rickie Fowler has got a horror shot out of the cabbage at 15, Bjorn is bang middle... finds sand with a wedge, that wasn't very good at all. Kaymer from the rough and he comes up short. Fowler hacks out and that's a pretty good patch-up job, just short as well...

There's plenty of chicken on this bone for Mickelson, still a few feet left, but he bangs it in like a navvy bashing in a rivet. Garcia with a three-footer and he pops in for a half, that match is anyone's...

Karen Stupples
Solheim Cup winner on BBC Radio 5 live

Image source, AFP

"The McIlroy/Garcia match is huge, you expect the no 1 player in the world (McIlroy) to win and to put a lot of points on the board."

McIlroy with a left-to-righter on 12 and he races it miles by - had to go for it with Mickelson on pole. Still Rory's turn and he'll give Phil a read here... leaves it left and there was some suggestion he should have picked up instead. Mickelson from 10 feet and that's very ordinary, he missed that by about two feet...

Bradley with his third at 12, clipping a cheeky chip to within a few feet of the cup. Reed in some nonsense at 13 and that's pretty decent from there, his ball finishing just short of the green. Garcia with a peach of a long-range putt at 12, should pop in from there, but Mickelson holds the advantage...

Mickelson into the 12th and that's a doozy, stiffed it to within 10 feet. Over on the 14th, Fowler has a 12-footer for the hole... leaves it right, hole halved in four... Poulter with his second at 13 and he leaves himself a monster for birdie.

Many thanks Mike, this is Ben Dirs for a bit. I join you as Garcia plays into the 12th, up the hill, and it's scuttled back right. Pretty ordinary from the fairway. Here's Bradley with his second and he, too, has left it miles right.

Bernard Gallacher
Three-time European Ryder Cup captain on BBC Radio 5 live

Reed and Spieth were -6 combined until this hole. So Ian and Stephen haven't combined well but they've been up against it.

I think US captain Tom Watson sees these two young guys as a fourball pairing not a foursomes pairing. So far it's a good plan by Tom but I don't think they'll play together this afternoon. Foursomes is a completely different ballgame. I think he'll put experienced players with both these two youngsters this afternoon.

Europe up

Jordan Spieth's putt worms well wide on 12 to hand a hole back to Stephen Gallacher and Ian Poulter.

But they have plenty of cushion. It is going to take some serious heroics from Poulter to drag this one out of the mire.

Europe up

Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia are lobbed a lifeline as Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson both incur bogies at the 11th. The world number one and three trail the Americans by one as they chase their tee shots up the 12th.