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Europeans lead after Day 1 of Ryder Cup
2006-09-22
The scoreboard switched from American red to European blue about as quickly as sunshine gave way to rain, a tug-of-war that never let up for 11 hours and produced the tightest opening-day matches in Ryder Cup history. Little good that did the Americans. They still couldn't seem to finish. The Europeans hit their stride on the closing holes and grabbed a 5-3 lead Friday by getting points from all 12 players on a team they claim to be their best ever. Darren Clarke provided the emotional boost, wiping tears from his eyes on the first tee and promptly making birdie. Sergio Garcia was unstoppable as ever in winning both his matches, and nothing was sweeter for him than outplaying Tiger Woods over the last three holes. The final stroke came from Colin Montgomerie, a 6-foot birdie that sent Europeans pouring onto the 18th green. "I played all my players," captain Ian Woosnam said. "They played exceptionally well, every single one of them. I would have been happy with just one point, but being two ahead is great." Compared with two years ago at Oakland Hills, when the Americans already were five points down at this stage, there was no reason to panic. Even so, it looked for the longest time as though they would be tied at worst, and instead they found themselves in a familiar spot. It was the fifth straight Ryder Cup that Europe has led after the first day. "It's a pretty fine line between no points, a half-point and one point," captain Tom Lehman said. "We didn't get much going our way." Seven of the eight matches -- including all four alternate-shot games in the afternoon -- went all 18 holes, and no team ever had more than a 3-up lead. It was the first time since 1969 that an entire session went the distance. More times than not, Europe came through at the end. Garcia and Luke Donald, who couldn't handle Woods in the final group of the last two majors, teamed up to take him and Jim Furyk down on the last two holes of alternate shot. Garcia hit a wedge out of the rough to 2 feet on the 17th in the afternoon foursomes, and then Furyk hit his second shot into the par-5 18th in the water to lose the hole. "No excuses there," Furyk said. "I made a bad swing." Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco, unbeaten in the Presidents Cup last year, failed to win a match Friday. Clarke's birdie on the 18th secured a 1-up victory for him and Lee Westwood in the morning, and the Americans lost a 1-up lead in alternate shot in the afternoon. Westwood was already on the green, some 80 feet away, when DiMarco put his second shot in the bunker. Mickelson blasted out to 10 feet, but DiMarco missed the birdie putt moments before Montgomerie made his to earn a half. David Toms and Stewart Cink had to settle for a half despite being in great position for birdie on the last two holes. "There were a lot of tight matches," Lehman said. "We didn't make a lot of putts." Lehman didn't make many changes. He settled on his pairings when the Americans arrived in Ireland at the start of the week, and raised questions over who played -- and didn't play -- on Friday. J.J. Henry, one of four rookies on the U.S. team, teamed with Cink in the morning better-ball session and rallied the Americans from a 3-down deficit to earn a half against Paul Casey and Robert Karlsson, a match so well-played that both teams shot 65. As well as Henry played, however, Lehman decided to sit him out in the afternoon. Scott Verplank and Vaughn Taylor didn't play at all. The surprise was Verplank being left out, especially since Lehman made him a captain's pick because of his accuracy and putting. "I like the teams we put out today," Lehman said, declining to answer the question directly. He said both Verplank and Taylor would play Saturday. Lehman managed to take some positives from a day of wild shifts in momentum. "It was a bit of a tough finish, no doubt about it," Lehman said. "It stings a little. But it's still anybody's ball game. I don't feel too concerned, but we're a little bit frustrated." Europe was euphoric, especially Clarke. He wasn't even sure he would play in the Ryder Cup after his wife, Heather, died Aug. 13 of breast cancer. Woosnam made him a captain's pick and then sent him out with Westwood in the last match of the morning. The ovation shook the bleachers surrounding the first tee at The K Club as tears filled Clarke's eyes when he walked into the arena, sharing hugs with Mickelson and DiMarco. "It will stay with me forever," Clarke said. "Hugs from Phil and Chris, my partner, the reception I got. I'll never forget that." He started and ended his round with birdies, strode off the 18th to more thunderclaps of cheers, then lit up a cigar and watched his teammates take charge of the matches, as the Europeans always seem to do. Woods started and ended his day with a ball in the water. His opening tee shot might have been his worst of the year, a snap-hook into a creek that shouldn't come into play. It didn't matter because he had Furyk at his side, a partnership that showed its value in a 1-up victory over Montgomerie and Padraig Harrington. But it wasn't enough against Garcia and Donald, a formidable pair in foursomes. They improved to 3-0 in alternate shot and never trailed in their afternoon match against Woods and Furyk. "It's always nice beating Tiger," Garcia said. Woods has a 12-0 lead on Garcia in the majors, but the 26-year-old Spaniard puts on a cape at the Ryder Cup. Garcia is now 12-3-2 in the Ryder Cup, compared with Woods' 8-12-2 record. With the match all square, Garcia stuffed his wedge into 2 feet on the par-5 16th, while Woods hit wedge into 15 feet. Furyk made the birdie putt to halve the hole, but they weren't as lucky on the next hole. Garcia again hit his approach from the first cut into 3 feet, and Woods hit a good shot to 15 feet below the cup. Furyk missed that one, and they fell behind. Their hopes ended when Furyk went into the water after Woods' drive on the 18th. The good news for Woods is that he won his first opening-day match since 1997. And this Ryder Cup, every point matters.
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