Phil Mickelson, left, is congratulated by Keegan Bradley after making a putt on the fifth hole. (AP)

MEDINAH, Ill. – Phil Mickelson hailed his unbeaten pairing with Keegan Bradley as the best American duo in Ryder Cup history after their record-tying victory on Saturday morning.

Following their two big wins on Friday, Mickelson and Bradley were even better in their foursomes match (alternate shot format) against Lee Westwood and Luke Donald, trouncing the Europeans 7 and 6.

That feat, against the Nos. 2 and 3 in the world, no less, matched the largest margin of victory in a team match since the Ryder Cup went to its current format in 1979, and was a testament to the closeness and spirit Mickelson and Bradley have quickly built.

Asked on television if there had ever been a tighter-knit and more dynamic team in event history, Mickelson said: "Not on the American side. The European side has had some great teammates.

"To be able to share this experience with Keegan and partake in his great play and experience the Ryder Cup together has been awesome."

Bradley became just the

MEDINAH, Ill. – Ryder Cup rivals Bubba Watson and Ian Poulter might have created a new tradition for the event by encouraging the crowd to break golf's strict rules of etiquette.

After Watson urged the gallery to cheer all the way through his opening tee shot on Friday afternoon, Europe's Poulter followed suit during the Saturday morning foursomes, when he and Justin Rose took on Watson and Webb Simpson. Watson, teeing off second, had little choice but to gleefully tell the crowd to keep cheering right afterward.

Golf decorum usually dictates that fans should remain totally silent during shots; the sport's traditions are firmly enshrined. However, the remarkable scenes where both Poulter and then Watson were given a rousing sendoff met with the firm approval of United States captain Davis Love III.

Love was stationed close to the first tee when the incident took place and was caught by TV cameras laughing and smiling. "Davis thought it was awesome," a U.S. team official

MEDINAH, Ill. – The stare and the swagger and some resemblance of the swing came back for Tiger Woods on Friday afternoon, but it didn't matter in the end.

Tiger Woods reacts after missing a birdie putt on the 18th hole to lose a fourball match. (AP)Although Woods produced 18 holes that were infinitely better than his awful showing on the first morning of the Ryder Cup, his revival was completely upstaged by an upstart rookie named Nicolas Colsaerts.

Woods has never looked comfortable in this team competition, trying across seven editions of the Ryder Cup to be inspired by national service rather than muted by it. After a day in which he rode an emotional roller coaster only to come up empty-handed, Woods will now be rested for the first time ever in his Ryder Cup career. He will sit out the Saturday morning foursomes, ending his streak of 31 straight sessions at the event.

"We are sitting him out because there is so much that goes into this week," U.S. captain Davis Love III said. "They need rest. The first thing they ask me when they are done playing and practicing is,

MEDINAH, Ill. – Tiger Woods survived the potential humiliation of being benched for the first time in his Ryder Cup career despite a dismal showing on the opening morning.

Woods was in dreadful form as he and foursomes partner Steve Stricker were defeated 2 and 1 by Europe's Justin Rose and Ian Poulter on Friday morning, prompting speculation from commentators and the gallery that U.S. team captain Davis Love III would sit him out of the afternoon session.

Tiger Woods reacts after missing a putt on the third hole. (AP)The 14-time major champion had played every possible match in his previous six Ryder Cup appearances despite a winning percentage of less than .500; he was 13-14-2 heading into this event. Yet never had he showed form as bad as this, shanking and pulling several drives into the assorted Medinah foliage.

However, Love, who insisted before the competition that he would leave it up to Woods to decide how regularly he wanted to play, resisted the temptation to sit him for the fourballs round on Friday afternoon, where they'll face

LOS ANGELES – Larry Fitzgerald has undertaken an unusual dietary regimen that he believes has helped him lead the Arizona Cardinals to a perfect start this season.

Larry Fitzgerald scores a TD vs. the Eagles. (AP)The Pro Bowl wide receiver has been in some of the best form of his career as the Cardinals have stormed to a 3-0 record and are one of only three teams that remain unbeaten.

Fitzgerald believes his offseason decision to begin the Genotype diet, a concept based on cutting out certain foods depending on an individual's blood type, will prolong his career.

"The older you get, you start fine-tuning what works for you and what doesn't work for you," Fitzgerald told Yahoo! Sports. "You stick on the things that you know work and can help you have that longevity that you are looking for.

"A couple of friends of mine had tried it and I wanted to do something different. I have been on it three months and I feel great."

[NFL power rankings: Unlikely franchise in No. 1 spot]

The Genotype diet is the brainchild of

LOS ANGELES – Chris Paul has a secret to stopping the new-look L.A. Lakers from clinching the NBA title next season and it's already being cooked up – literally – by him and his teammates.

Chris Paul is joined by his teammates at a red carpet event in Hollywood. (Getty Images)Paul, the All-star point guard for L.A.'s "other" team the Clippers, insisted he was not fazed by the addition of Dwight Howard to the Lakers roster, an offseason acquisition that made the 16-time NBA champions favorites with the Las Vegas bookies. Rather than star power, Paul is adamant it will be the tightest-knit team in the league that emerges victorious and believes he has already put steps in place to foster spirit and bonding in the Clippers camp.

With the backing of head coach Vinny Del Negro, Paul instigated a series of informal meetings in which players congregate to watch NFL games and eat together with their families. Though it might seem a simple step, it is a process the 27-year-old believes will transfer directly into more victories over the course of the upcoming campaign.

"The

Larry Fitzgerald says failure to resolve the referee lockout could drive fans from the sport. (Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES – The Arizona Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald insists that the league's failure to resolve the referee lockout could drive fans away from the sport.

More blown calls from replacement referees could test the loyalty of the viewing audience and lead to a decline in attendance and ratings, Fitzgerald told Yahoo! Sports on Tuesday. He urged NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to rectify the situation that has seen inexperienced officials make a series of much-publicized mistakes while the regular referees continue to lobby for better financial benefits. The NFL and NFL referees union were reportedly negotiating Tuesday.

"As a player my main concern is protecting the integrity of the game," Fitzgerald said in his suite at the W Hotel before making the rounds of media and endorsement appearances in the area. "The reason fans watch our game in such high numbers is that they can always count on fair, competitive physical play every single week. That is what makes it exciting

Justin Leonard is mobbed after sinking a birdie putt in the 1999 Ryder Cup. (Getty Images)Europe's golfers have been warned to expect a hostile reception in suburban Chicago this week in what promises to be one of the most fiercely contested Ryder Cups in the competition's long history.

Former Europe team captain Colin Montgomerie, who captained his side to victory over the United States two years ago, fears that the unfortunate scenes that marred the 1999 and 2008 versions of the event could be repeated at the Medinah Country Club.

"What you find is that playing away from home in America when they want the [Ryder Cup] back is a difficult place to have to play golf," Montgomerie told British reporters. "I do hope that everyone realizes that and allows the Europeans to play to their potential. Unfortunately, on the Sunday of the Ryder Cup in 1999, that wasn't available to us."

The "Battle of Brookline," as the 1999 competition became known, created lingering tension between European and American players that carried over onto the regular Tour for several months.