Patrick Reed, Phil Mickelson spark U.S. to three-point lead in Ryder Cup

It was golf, and it was played in Minnesota. But to Phil Mickelson, very much a man in full — and loving it — it was just like basketball, in the Bay Area.

He had holed a long birdie putt on this beautiful autumn Saturday afternoon when the United States zoomed into the Ryder Cup lead at Hazeltine National Golf Club, and Mickelson, after doing a shimmy — at age 46, no less — had a hoops analogy.

“You can’t orchestrate something like that,” Mickelson said of the reaction. “It just kind of comes out. You watch Steph Curry do it. I think we stepped it up another notch.”

Swish. Swoosh. Plunk, into the cup. The afternoon belonged to Mickelson. And to Patrick Reed. And to J.B. Holmes, who had seven birdies in the better-ball format. And most of all to the U.S. team, burdened by history, which had powered to a 9 ½-6 ½ lead after the first two days of this 41^st Ryder Cup competition.

The U.S. needs 14 ½ points to take the Cup. The Europeans need 14 points to keep it.

An alarmist would point out the last time the Cup was held on American soil, Medinah Country Club near Chicago, in 2012, the United States has a 10-6 at two days — and got trampled, losing eight of the 12 singles matches and once more ending up behind Europe.

But very much like a football coach, Davis Love III, captain of the American squad this time as he was in 2012, wants nothing to do with a terrible past that includes defeats the last three Cups and 10 of the past 12.

“This team never played together before,” Love said, dismissing comparison with that 2012 collapse. “This is a new 12. We’re not looking at past records.”

Mickelson was on that team. He has been on 11 straight Ryder Cup teams. He’s seen it all, experienced it all, and has opinions on everything. After Saturday, he mostly wanted to talk about joining Matt Kuchar in a 2-and-1 four-ball victory over Martin Kaymer and Sergio Garcia in which the Americans never trailed.

“I had a blast with Matt,” said Mickelson, whose previous two rounds, including a loss in the morning in foursomes, alternate shot, were with Rickie Fowler, a California pal of many years.

“I had wanted to play with him for a long time,” Mickelson said of Kuchar, “but he’s so easy to play with, all the guys on the team, if we have an odd pairing, we just put Matt with them. He brings out the best in me by being so funny and lighthearted, cracking jokes.”

The Ryder Cup brings out the best in Reed, the one-time problem child who left the University of Georgia — under duress — and transferred to Augusta State. Testy and terrific, and now settled at age 26, Reed is excellent at match play, whatever the format — alternate shot, individual or better ball.

He had a 3-0-1 overall record in the only Ryder Cup for which he was eligible, 2014 at Gleneagles, Scotland. He’s 2-1-1 so far this time. His eagle three on the par-five sixth in the afternoon boosted him and Jordan Spieth into the lead of a match they would win, 2 and 1, over Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson.

“It was just one of those days,” Reed said. “The eagle was huge. I’m in a bunker [in two shots] and I say to Jordan, ‘What do you want me to do here?’ He goes, ‘You can hit over the bunkers.’ I hit it perfect yardage and knocked it in and just went nuts.”

The U.S., which had a 4-0 lead Friday morning, was caught by Europe at 6½ points apiece before a strong finish put the Americans in control.

Rory McIlroy, started playing like, well, Rory McIlroy about a month ago and took last weekend’s Tour Championship, won both his matches Saturday and now is 3-1 so far. In the morning he teamed with Thomas Pieters to beat Mickelson and Fowler, 4 and 2. It was a landmark for McIlroy.

“That was my fourth time up against Phil in the Ryder Cup,” said a gleeful McIlroy, “and he’s beaten me three times. Thankfully I was able to get one back on him.”

A United States team would like to make the same statement about Europe.