Irish pairing Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy lost to Stewart Cink and Matt Kuchar 1 hole.
In the one rematch from the fourballs – and the only one which finished level - Cink and Kuchar struck first with a birdie on the second, but the Irish duo then went one-up on three separate occasions on the front nine.
They fell behind again at the 13th, but won the next two, only for the topsy-turvy tussle to twist again.
After bogeying the 16th McDowell hit a great shot to within five feet, but Cink’s 25-foot effort gave the Americans their fourth two of the game, McIlroy missed and then duffed a pitch into a bunker on the last.
Miguel Angel Jimenez & Peter Hanson lost to Tiger Woods & Steve Stricker 4 & 3
Edoardo Molinari & Francesco Molinari lost to Johnson Zach & Mahan Hunter 2 up
Lee Westwood & Martin Kaymer v Jim Furyk & Rickie Fowler match halved
Padraig Harrington & Ross Fisher bt Phil Mickelson & Dustin Johnson 3 & 2
Ian Poulter & Luke Donald bt Bubba Watson & Jeff Overton 2 & 1
Graeme McDowell & Rory McIlroy lost to Stewart Cink & Matt Kuchar 1 up
Europe 4 USA 6