In a wildly fluctuating fourball session in which three of the four matches were settled on the final green and the other on the 17th, the U.S. produced a late charge to win the fourballs 2-1/2 to 1-1/2.

With 12 points up for grabs on Sunday, the U.S., who won the trophy in 1999 and were lifted by a visit from former President George Bush on Saturday, need six of them to reach the 14 they need to retain it.

The Americans, who need 6-1/2 points to win the trophy outright, have only come out second best in the singles twice in the last 11 Ryder Cups, in 1985 and 1995, and will be strong favorites to prevail once again.

Leading the way for the U.S. was Tiger Woods, who lost both his matches on Friday. The world number one came charging back to win twice on Saturday with Davis Love -- beating Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia in a dramatic fourball by taking the last two holes.

The morning foursomes had been shared 2-2 with some largely average golf but everything changed in the afternoon as the players rose to the occasion.

The scoreboard was a sea of red numbers, indicating birdies, in an accurate reflection of wonderful play from both sides.

Westwood and Garcia, victorious over Woods and Calcavecchia on Friday, were inspired and looked on course to beat the world number again one in a memorable match.

Westwood, unrecognizable from the player who has plummeted from fourth to 148th in the world rankings, collected one of his seven personal birdies at the 10th when both Europeans successfully drove the green -- much to the delight of the huge gallery surrounding it.

Love dramatically leveled the match on the 17th by chipping in for a birdie as Garcia three-putted, and the Americans pocketed an amazing point as Westwood, who had produced six birdies, missed from four feet on the last.

"We all played well today, it was a great match," said Woods, who was eight-under on his own.

Irishman Padraig Harrington replaced Bernhard Langer as Colin Montgomerie's partner but there was no break in the Scot's impressive display.

The new pairing won four successive holes from the second to race into a three-up lead after five over Phil Mickelson and David Toms.

The Americans hit back immediately but the Europeans forged clear to win 2 & 1, leaving Montgomerie with 3-1/2 points from four games -- in which he has never been behind.

"I've never played better than that," said the Scot, yet again the stalwart of the European team.

"And it had to be so because we were playing the second and sixth-ranked players in the world."

Jesper Parnevik, the 24th and final player to get a taste of the action when he paired up with fellow Swede Niclas Fasth, also charged into a three-up lead after eight holes against Mark Calcavecchia and David Duval.

However, the Americans hit back strongly and, after Duval became the first player to drive the 10th green, turned it round brilliantly to win by one.

Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley also played a match of relentlessly high quality against Scott Hoch and Jim Furyk where virtually every hole produced a birdie.

The Americans led by two after 14 but McGinley dragged his team level, only for Hoch to birdie the 17th.

In gathering gloom, McGinley won the last with a par to square the match.

Despite the late slip, the American team went off to dinner in wonderful spirits when only an hour or so earlier it looked as if would be a night of European celebration. It had been the same story in the morning foursomes as the hosts got off to a good start but ended up hanging on for a share of the points.

Woods, who lost both his matches on Friday, hit back by partnering Love to a 4 & 3 triumph over Clarke and Thomas Bjorn, while Mickelson and Toms needed only to be solid to beat Pierre Fulke and Phillip Price 2 & 1

Garcia and Westwood scrambled to a 2 & 1 win over Stewart Cink and Furyk, and Montgomerie and Langer edged out Scott Verplank and Hoch by one hole.

Europe won the morning fourballs on Friday 3-1, but ended the day only a point ahead after the Americans edged the foursomes.