Europe has produced a barnstorming Ryder Cup comeback as they swept the foursomes to take an overnight 5-3 lead after the United States drew first blood by taking the morning fourballs 3-1.
It was the first time Europe had won all four foursomes matches - having suffered a 4-0 reverse in the format en route to defeat in Hazeltine two years ago - and their first sweep in either format since 1989.
But it was not just the points tally that will have sent European captain Thomas Bjorn off to dinner on a high, but the crushing nature of the victories as the home team dealt much better with the strong wind that developed through the afternoon as many of the big name Americans fell apart.
Sergio Garcia and rookie Alex Noren annihilated Phil Mickelson and first-timer Bryson Dechambeau 5 and 4 in a battle between four men rested in the morning.
Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari, who won Europe's solitary fourballs point, completed a memorable day by smashing Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas 5 and 4.
Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson reunited their highly successful partnership to hammer Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler 3 and 2 having been 5-up after 11.
Ian Poulter and Rory McIlory, who was badly off form in the morning, came from 2-down to triumph 4 and 2 over Webb Simpson and Bubba Watson in a game that had the massive crowds finally roaring after they had little to shout about in the morning.
"It was a tough morning for me but a great afternoon - a bit of a roller coaster ride," said Bjorn.
"Those are the emotions you go through in a Ryder Cup. "We'll enjoy this afternoon for a few hours, but then we will focus on tomorrow - we know it's a marathon."
The US, seeking a first overseas win in 25 years, had the better of a topsy-turvy fourballs session, with Spieth particularly impressive when he and Thomas beat Paul Casey and Tyrrell Hatton 1-up.
World No.1 Johnson and Fowler notched the first point of the first Ryder Cup to be held in France, 4 and 2 against McIlroy and Thorbjorn Olesen.
Tony Finau took advantage of a huge slice of luck on the 16th as he and Brooks Koepka came from 2-down to beat Rose and Jon Rahm on the 18th.
There was no fairytale comeback for Tiger Woods, however, on his return after missing the last two Ryder Cups as he and Patrick Reed lost 3 and 1 to Molinari and Fleetwood.
The result took Woods' fourball record to nine defeats from 12 games.
Having sat out only one session in his previous seven Ryder Cups, he was then stood down from the foursomes.
Furyk looked shellshocked out on the course as he surveyed the giant scoreboards swathed in blue but tried to take the long view when considering the day.
"It's eight points so the event is still pretty young," he said.
"If we had lost both sessions two-and-a-half to one-and-a-half it would have been the same result but probably a different feeling.
"The Europeans played very good golf this afternoon on a difficult set-up and in difficult conditions and we didn't play our best golf.
"When you see all that blue on the board maybe the guys tried a bit too hard, pressed a bit too hard.
"We're not happy with 4-0 but we play for 28 points and there is plenty of time."
Reuters
Reuters