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Spieth and Reed win for USA

Gleneagles - American debutants Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed crushed Stephen Gallacher and Ian Poulter 5 and 4 in the third of the Ryder Cup's four opening fourballs at Gleneagles on Friday.

The Americans drew first blood when a misfiring Poulter failed to get down from four feet for a matching par at the first.

Gallacher, at 39 the second-oldest rookie ever in a European Ryder Cup team, was struggling badly and Spieth and Reed had chances to go further ahead but failed to take them.

Spieth, 21, and Reed, 24, were the youngest American pairing in Ryder Cup history and the first US rookie combination to play in the opening session since 2010.

It was the impressive Reed who struck again for the Americans with a huge putt for birdie two at the sixth, Poulter failing to match him from slightly closer.

Things went from bad to worse for the home pair when Spieth went in for a winning birdie at the seventh.

Gallacher had a golden opportunity to pull one back but missed from under three feet for birdie at the eighth.

He was made to pay for that when Reed birdied the ninth to put the Americans 4 ahead at the turn.

The youthful Americans were storming ahead and went six up by winning the next two holes.

It was mission impossible for the European pair, both of them wildcard picks, and despite pulling one back at the 12th, the end came, mercifully for them, two holes later when Poulter's birdie putt pulled up short.

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