IT was said that the PGA Centenary course that Jack Nicklaus built would suit this USA team, but the American players must have felt like burning effigies of history's greatest golfer on the Gleneagles lawns before taking to their beds last night in the knowledge that they now trail Europe by four points.

They all claimed, of course, that the flames of determination still burn within them ahead of the singles session that will conclude the 2014 Ryder Cup matches today. They knew their history, too, as even Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed, the two rookies who have been the only consistent bright spots in this desperately poor American effort, were reeling off the names of Brookline and Medinah, where four-point leads were overwhelmed in 1999 and 2012 respectively.

All true, of course, but the bookmakers who have now priced Europe at 16/1 on to retain the trophy know a thing or two as well. The Americans will no doubt come out with all guns blazing on this final day - the fact that captain Tom Watson has put Spieth and Reed at the top of his order speaks volumes - but they will be up against a European side who are in admirable shape, with top players who are delivering the goods and with the team ethos that, for all their protestations to the contrary, the US players never quite manage to create.

They also have the crowd on their side, in every sense. There has been a crackle in the folds of the Perthshire countryside these past few days and the thousands who have come here will pack themselves in again today to roar their favourites on. They have anointed Justin Rose as their new hero and leader, warmed to the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson and beamed with pride at any mention of the name of Rory McIlroy, the world's finest player. The Ryder Cup may never have a stage as spectacular as this one, nor an audience like the one that has added so much to its drama.

Watson never wastes an opportunity to heap praise on Scotland - he did win four of his five Open titles here - but he might not feel so fondly about the place now. While Europe captain Paul McGinley has gone about his business with clinical precision and efficiency, Watson has seemed to stumble, even bumble, through his duties.

Watson's decision to leave Phil Mickelson out of the Saturday sessions now looks like a catastrophic gaffe. Mickelson had begged, beseeched and even texted his captain, pleading to be allowed to take part in the afternoon foursomes, but Watson was unmoved. Instead, he trusted his own judgment, and the whole thing blew up in his face.

Stephen Gallacher is unlikely to think any better of Watson, either. The Scot, who has not been used since his poor showing in the Friday morning fourballs, will now meet the fired-up Mickelson in the singles. In fairness, Mickelson's Ryder Cup record glistens rather less than his Major championship trophies, but he can still be expected to play like a man possessed.

"I have a trust in my players that they can get it done," said Watson. "I have an innate trust. I've gotten to really know them, and they have what it takes.

"They are just going to have to play better. They know that. They know absolutely what they have to do. We've got to smoke 'em. We've to take them out early. That's the whole point of the way we set this up. But I have to give credit to the European team. They played some marvellous golf."

Indeed they did. Rose, for so long the nice young man of British golf, has grown in stature over these past few days, establishing himself as the figurehead of the side. His partnership with Henrik Stenson has been a glorious success, and the two wins they collected on Friday were to prove simply a warm-up for the astonishing spectacle they delivered in yesterday's fourball clash with Bubba Watson and Matt Kuchar.

In admittedly perfect conditions, the Swede and the Englishman - and, on the odd occasion, their American opponents as well - played golf dreamt up in dimensions unknown to mere mortals. The match produced a total of 21 birdies, 12 of them by Stenson and Rose. It all ended on the 16th green, when the Europeans closed out for a 3&2 win. As they did so, the American pair were more deserving of admiration for making it last that long than sympathy for their loss.

Compassion of any sort was not exactly obvious in the afternoon. This was foot-on-the-throat stuff from the Europeans as they hammered home their superiority. They had rallied late in the morning, with a chip-in at the 15th by Ian Poulter, partnering McIlroy, proving critical in giving the pair a half against Jimmy Walker and Rickie Fowler for a 61/2-51/2 overall lead. It was close enough to give the Americans hope, but that all evaporated in a merciless display by Europe in the afternoon.

The Americans came embarrassingly close to being whitewashed in the afternoon foursomes, and were only saved from that ignominious fate by the half Spieth and Reed took from their meeting with Rose and Martin Kaymer.

In fact, that half was rather stolen from the US pair, who had led for most of the match, though both sides missed several makeable putts. Rose rolled in a five-footer on the 18th to secure a share of the spoils, but he also ensured that the last blow had been delivered by Europe, a factor McGinley was quick to emphasise afterwards.

"I'm a very happy captain obviously, with a four-point lead going into the singles," said the Irishman. "That was a great team performance again.

"A four-point lead going into the last round is great. But obviously the big word is complacency. The big word is not conceding momentum. This job is far from finished. We're in great position, but we've got a lot of work to do tomorrow.

"That half-point [by Rose and Kaymer] was absolutely huge. If we go on to win this Ryder Cup, that to me was a very pivotal moment. That's a strong American team and they are going to be hungry to make a reputation for themselves, just like we were in Medinah two years ago. This is far from over."