Jordan Spieth acknowledged he had been carried by Patrick Reed at Hazeltine on Saturday as he credited his Ryder Cup partner for producing a magnificent display in the final fourball session.
'Incredible' Patrick Reed carried me, says Spieth
Patrick Reed was the United States' star man on Saturday afternoon and Jordan Spieth said: "That shows he is as good as anybody on the big stage."
Reed and Spieth - who have been kept together all week by United States captain Davis Love III - had to settle for a half in their morning foursomes match, as Sergio Garcia and Rafael Cabrera Bello staged a comeback from four down with six holes to play.
However, Reed almost single-handedly condemned Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson to a 2 and 1 defeat later in the day, helping the USA open up a healthy three-point cushion ahead of Sunday's decisive singles.
Spieth, who did not win a hole as Reed excelled, told Sky Sports: "We know against Henrik and Justin we needed our best stuff and I rode Patrick's back like nobody's ever ridden a partner before.
"[It was] just incredible, shot after shot and putt after putt that he pulled off.
"That shows he is as good as anybody on the big stage. Boy, that was a lot of fun to be a part of."
Renowned as a fierce competitor, Reed was understandably buoyant after his exceptional performance.
Insisting he was not solely responsible for his and Spieth's victory, he said: "I just felt like we had to make as many birdies as possible. It's a lot easier to make birdies when this guy is freeing me up and having a lot of kick-in pars, allowing me to be a lot more aggressive.
"Let's go some more. I live for this kind of stuff. Any time I can wear red, white and blue, get in front of these fans and finally on home soil - I'm just so energised.
"I can't wait for tomorrow [Sunday]."
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