IRELAND: GOLF - Reactions after the Ryder Cup fourballs.

Holders Europe, with Sergio Garcia in inspirational form, took a healthy step towards retaining the Ryder Cup on Friday as they ended the opening day 5-3 ahead of the United States. One point clear after the morning's fourballs, the hosts pressed home their advantage on the Palmer Course greens in a tense afternoon session of foursomes to take a significant lead into the second day of the 36th edition of the biennial event. "You know I don't wanna get to in front of myself, I just wanna carry on, take every day by itself and carry on as we are. Everybody is in a good mood, but we know what the game of golf is like, it can change in one minute. Any of those matches could change today, so I'm just happy and proud of my guys just to be two points ahead," said Europe team captain Ian Woosnam. Playing the alternate-shot format in the afternoon, Garcia and Luke Donald completed a thrilling two-up victory over world number one Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk when the Americans bogeyed the last after finding water with their second shot. Garcia, an inspirational figure with Jose Maria Olazabal in the fourballs where Europe forged ahead by 2-1/2 points to 1-1/2, and Donald never trailed but were pegged back to all square with five holes to play. "I'm just really lucky I get really good team mates all the time. I just go out on the course and help them a little bit. That's pretty much how it works," Garcia said. Woods, struggling for form, and Furyk levelled the match with successive birdies from the 13th before the Europeans collected their fifth birdie of the round at the par-four 17th. "You're right. I did struggle on the first six or seven holes this morning but got it turned around and played some really good shots and this afternoon I actually hit it pretty good," said Woods. It was Garcia's seventh victory in seven foursomes Cup appearances and his third win in four pairs games against Woods. In the day's final match, Europe's talisman Colin Montgomerie holed a five-footer for birdie to win the last as he and fellow Briton Lee Westwood squared a high-quality encounter with Masters champion Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco. Three times the Americans led -- after the first, the sixth and the 16th -- before the Europeans signed off in style. Irish duo Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley, cheered on by passionate home crowds, had to settle for a half with Chad Campbell and U.S. rookie Zach Johnson after leading by two with three holes to play. "That was very special, it really was. Its something I try to endeavour to enjoy that end of it of the day, regardless of what is happening on the golf course. I'm trying to enjoy the support I'm getting, it's probably only gonna happened once in my life time so it's important that you enjoy it," said Harrington. Johnson hit a brilliant three-wood on to the green at the par-five 16th to set up a two-putt birdie and the Americans levelled the match with their third birdie in a row at the last. Briton David Howell and Swedish rookie Henrik Stenson, one up with four to play against Stewart Cink and David Toms, had to settle for a half after bogeying the 15th. The Americans, bidding to end a run of four defeats in the last five Ryder Cups, drew first blood in the morning when Woods and Furyk shaded Cup veterans Montgomerie and Harrington one up despite the world number one's struggle to transfer his individual brilliance to the team format. Spaniards Garcia and Olazabal then outclassed Toms and rookie Brett Wetterich 3 and 2 before big hitters Paul Casey of Britain and Swedish rookie Robert Karlsson halved a pulsating battle with Cink and first-timer J.J. Henry. In the final match of the morning, wildcards Darren Clarke and Westwood won a tight and emotional contest with Mickelson and DiMarco one up to put Europe a point ahead. U.S. captain Tom Lehman, who opted not to use rookie Vaughn Taylor and wildcard pick Scott Verplank on the opening day, said: "First of all you have to look at the positive side of the way a lot of the guys played. A lot of the guys played extremely well, so it's a pretty fine line out there between zero point, half a point or one point as you all saw."

ITN Source | September 22, 2006

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