Early honours went to Europe on the opening day of the Ryder Cup on Friday, taking a quick lead in two out of the four opening foursomes.
A six-foot birdie putt from Ireland’s Padraig Harrington drew first blood for Europe as he and Swede Robert Karlsson went one up over senior American Phil Mickelson and rookie Anthony Kim (23).
It was the fourth straight time that Europe had won the first hole of the competition, and on the three previous occasions they went on to triumph on Sunday.
Nick Faldo’s men also won the opening hole in two of the three other foursomes, through Henrik Stenson and Paul Casey over Justin Leonard and Hunter Mahan and Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia over Jim Furyk and Kenny Perry as United States hopes of getting off to a flyer were dealt a blow.
The remaining foursomes between English pair Justin Rose and Ian Poulter and Americans Stewart Cink and Chad Campbell got off to a quiet start with pars on the first two holes.
A wayward tee-shot from Harrington at the par-three third allowed Mickelson and Kim to draw level, but Casey and Stenson went two up over Texans Leonard and Mahan with a second straight bogey for the Americans at the second.
The Americans are bent on breaking the six-year-long European stranglehold on the small, golden trophy that was first contested for in 1927.
But it was Nick Faldo’s European team that started as favourites for the first time on US soil following three straight wins, the last two of which by record 18,5 to 9,5 scores.
US captain Paul Azinger has set up the par-71 Valhalla Golf Club course east of Louisville to suit the big hitters and with the weather set fair, a bounty of birdies was expected.
Mickelson, who takes the lead in the US team in the absence of the injured Tiger Woods, believes the team who attack best will win.
”It wasn’t going to be a course where you won a lot of holes with par and it’s worked out perfectly,” he said. ”We have a very aggressive team and so does the Europeans and it fits both sides. You are going to have to win holes with birdies.”
About 40 000 golf fans provided an electric, football-match like atmosphere at the course east of Louisville. The vast majority were pro-American chanting ”USA, USA,” but there were pockets of European support with fans dressed as Irish leprechauns and Spanish matadors.
The competition continues with the first of the fourballs in the afternoon with both captains having to submit their selections before the foursomes matches are completed.
There will be another round of foursomes and fourballs on Saturday with the closing 12 singles involving all 24 players on Sunday.
The US lead in overall wins since the first competition in 1927 by 24-10 with two ties, but Europe have won the last three and five out of the last six. — Sapa-AFP