With the top American pairings of Woods and Jim Furyk and Mickelson and Chris DiMarco both crashing to defeat, it required rookies JJ Henry and Zach Johnson to step up to the plate and ensure that the morning fourballs on the second day were not disastrous for Tom Lehman's team.

Down by two holes at the turn and one down with three to play, Henry and Stewart Cink rallied to claim half a point from Robert Karlsson and Paul Casey, who had to hole a four-footer on the 18th green to avoid defeat.

Johnson, 30, was the outstanding performer on either side, firing seven birdies as he partnered the experienced Scott Verplank to a 2 and 1 victory over Padraig Harrington and Henrik Stenson.

A memorable day for Johnson concluded in style on the 17th green when he chipped in to win the hole. "Zach really didn't need much help today," his playing partner acknowledged.

That point left Tom Lehman's team trailing 7.5-4.5 overall - a far from unbridgeable margin with 16 points still to play for.

European captain Ian Woosnam said the lead exceeded his expectations but continued to sound a cautious note. "That half point for Karlsson and Casey was massive but anything can still happen."

The morning had looked like being significantly worse for the Americans before Henry transformed the match beween himself and Stewart Cink and Paul Casey and Robert Karlsson.

After holing a 20-foot putt for an eagle at the 16th, Henry landed his second at the 17th within two feet of the pin for a birdie that sent the Americans down the last with a one hole advantage.

The fairytale did not have a totally happy ending however with Henry's three-putt on the 18th green handing Casey his chance to even things up.

Sergio Garcia and Jose Maria Olazabal, whose three and two defeat of David Toms and Brett Wetterich was the biggest win on Friday, beat Mickelson and DiMarco by the same margin, extending Garcia's run of Ryder Cup victories to eight straight matches.

The Spaniard has now won 13 of the 18 matches he has played since making his debut as a 19-year-old in 1999.

There was also a second win of the weekend for close friends Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood, who were always on top of Woods and Furyk.

Predictably that match generated the biggest galleries and the biggest cheer of the day -- the Irish crowd erupting when Ulsterman Clarke chipped in from beyond the 16th green to give Europe a 3 and 2 victory.

Having beaten both the top American pairings on consecutive days, Clarke and Westwood have fully justified Woosnam's decision to select them as his two wildcard picks.