Team USA play for home crowd in Ryder Cup fourball whitewash

He said: "Any time you are take on Rose and Stenson, it's never simple. We had a great game plan coming in, we stuck with it. Just hit a lot of greens. In alternate shot you have to do that, give yourself opportunities."

A frustrated Rose, who won the gold medal at this year's Olympic games in Rio, said it had been a close match.

Speaking after the game he said: "I think it was a tight match. There wasn't much in the match tee-to-green. They made a few putts. We couldn't buy one. We had a feeling that we would run into our run but it just never really happened."

Meanwhile after beating Rory McIlroy and Andy Sullivan alongside team-mate Rickie Fowler, Phil Mickelson admitted it was not his finest performance

He said: "It was a lot of heart, a heart that went out with [us] 2-down and four to go. It was a match where I didn't drive the ball well. It was a match where I felt more pressure than in any Ryder Cup heading into this one because of the last two years and the build up."

In another victory for Team USA, Jimmy Walker said partner Zach Johnson held their match together in the face of his own nerves.

"The day just kind of kept building. I was really nervous starting out, hit some pretty squirrelly shots," Walker said. "Zach kept us going. We both got into a rhythm I think is what happened. We started reading putts, started seeing it and we started pouring them in."

Meanwhile Sergio Garcia bemoaned his and Martin Kaymer's inability to capitalise on opportunities, in the wake of their defeat.

"We obviously didn't play great. We had a couple chances to go 2-up. Unfortunately didn't make them and then they got on a great roll, started making birdies coming in. When you have those chances, you've got to take them. Unfortunately we didn't and they did."

In Team USA's fourth victory of the day, Dustin Johnson paid tribute to the home crowd who cheered him and Matt Kuchar on to success against Thomas Pieters and Lee Westwood.

"Here on your home turf, the fans they just kind of bring it out in you," Johnson said. "You are not here playing for yourself, you are here playing for your team, the country and all the fans. It's a lot of fun."