All even after stormy start

A dramatic pre-dawn electric storm, which sent crashing peals of thunder reverberating along the Costa del Sol, heralded an ominous start yesterday to the 32nd Ryder Cup. It set an appropriate mood for some remarkably tense competition, with Europe extracting a fine dividend of 3-3 from what was always going to be unfinished business.

While the lightning passed and flash-flooding was cleared, the start of play was delayed by one hour and 40 minutes.

That, combined with a snail's pace of play that had even some of the players exasperated, has made it necessary to complete two of the afternoon's foursomes at 9.0.

The pairings for the second series of fourballs, in which Darren Clarke, Thomas Bjorn and Ian Woosnam are expected to be included, will be announced an hour previously.

Less serious disruption occurred at The Belfry in 1993, when Nick Faldo was involved in an unfinished fourball match, deferred to the Saturday morning. Ironically, the Englishman is in a similar situation on this occasion, with he and Lee Westwood two up with three to play against Justin Leonard and Jeff Maggert.

Both balls were on the 16th green when the Americans decided they had had enough for the day. Faldo immediately protested that they should putt out, but he was whistling in the wind. "It was a team decision," said US skipper Tom Kite. "In fact, it was just the flip-side of the situation on the 13th tee, where the Europeans have refused to play on."

The match in question is the remaining foursomes in which Jesper Parnevik and Ignacio Garrido won the 12th to draw level with Tom Lehman and Phil Mickelson. So, despite the threat of further thunderstorms, the belief here is that the event will be completed on schedule tomorrow, even if it means playing the second series of foursomes and the singles in the same day.

Clarke, one of the European trio not used yesterday, also had cause for optimism. Out supporting the foursomes effort of Jose-Maria Olazabal and Costantino Rocca on the 17th, he was sighted by Seve Ballesteros. "Are you okay Darren?" inquired the skipper from his buggy, giving the Irishman the thumbs up. "Sure I'm fine - I'm okay," replied Clarke, anticipating a call to action.

Of the two foursomes matches completed, the 5 and 3 victory of Colin Montgomerie and Bernhard Langer over Tiger Woods and Mark O'Meara was a stunning outcome. By producing a better foursomes score - including five birdies - than their better-ball morning effort against the same pairing, the Europeans ended the day with honours even.

It represented a huge gamble by Ballesteros, after the pair had lost the morning fourball by 3 and 2. "I thought Kite might decide to do the same, by putting his pair out again," said the skipper. "I took the risk and I was right. Colin and Bernhard didn't really have their rhythm in the morning and I knew they would love a return match."

Not even Ballesteros, however, could have predicted the scene on the 14th green where Woods, three down, faced a six-foot downhill par putt to stop the Europeans going dormie. The putt seemed to be well struck, but inches from the target, it moved to the right, hit the lip and horseshoed out.

A hole later, it was all over - and the lion's share of the work had been done by Montgomerie. "I don't think he hit one bad shot out there this afternoon," said Langer. "He kept peppering the flags, giving me birdie chances."

For his part, the big Scot appeared more relieved than delighted. "We're certainly glad to get out of it at 1-1 against players of such quality. It was nice to turn things around." It was indeed, and the huge crowds showed their appreciation through some tremendous cheering, as darkness closed in rapidly.

Woods, who carded only two birdies in the morning, had problems with the blade. "The rain coming down screwed up my feel for the greens," he said. O'Meara concurred, saying: "Tiger and I didn't putt as well as we could have in the afternoon."

Against that background, another disruption would be a great disappointment, if only for the quality of Europe's performance so far. Particularly impressive was the fourball victory by the two Swedes, Parnevik and Per-Ulrik Johansson. Then there was the confirmation of the once-timid Rocca as a competitor of formidable steel.

But the old hands obviously had a decidedly mixed day. Despite a sparkling birdie on the long 17th, where he traversed the dreaded water with a five-wood second shot, Faldo failed to guide his rookie partner Westwood to victory, having been ahead twice on the outward journey. In fact Faldo hasn't won a fourball match since his success with Ian Woosnam in 1989. His strength of will couldn't be faulted, but the indications yesterday were that a fragile putting touch was no longer capable of delivering the desired dividend.

An intriguing aspect of the day's activities, however, was the decision-making of Ballesteros. All he needs now is for Parnevik and Garrido to win their foursomes match and the status of prophet would be entirely merited. Otherwise, it is difficult to understand the decision to split the two Swedes after their morning exploits.

As it happened, Parnevik, who contributed four birdies to a better-ball of 64, played brilliantly, finishing with a crucial three at the 18th, where he sank an 18-foot putt. And the Swedish victory was all the more creditable for the fact that Lehman, with five birdies, produced the best golf of the day.

"Jesper and I played a great fourball, but I didn't have a problem about being left out this afternoon," said Johansson afterwards. "My driving was erratic, particularly down the 18th. Still, we had no warning we would be split up, which probably explained why Jesper was upset about it."

The Swedes lost the first two holes to birdies from Lehman, but Johansson struck a crucial blow with a winning birdie at the 163yard sixth, which he reduced to a six-iron and 12-foot putt. Then, two holes later, they were level when Johansson played a miraculous recovery to within 18 inches of the pin.

Ultimately, Parnevik's play of the long 17th became crucial to their victory. After pulling his drive badly into the left rough, he laid up a long way back; hit an eight-iron third shot to 15 feet and rolled in the putt for a winning lead. "My putt on the 18th had about an eight-inch break from right to left," he said. "It was a great feeling to see the ball go in for my first Ryder Cup point.

Strange things happen in the Ryder Cup. Which meant that we shouldn't have been surprised by the eagle two from Olazabal at the 370-yard 14th, where a wedge shot of 133 yards went straight into the hole. It brought himself and Rocca from two down after 11, to all square with four to play.

Then came a five-footer from Rocca for a winning birdie at the 16th before the Spaniard made an exemplary two-putt birdie at the long 17th. With a shot of 239 yards to the pin, Olazabal hit a three-iron to perfection, drawing it off the slope of the green to within 15 feet of the target.

"First we started playing so-so, but we have confidence in ourselves all the way," said Rocca afterwards. "We were playing very good. I am tired but happy." Olazabal said: "It was an important point and it means that Europe are looking good."

Midway through the foursomes, Ballesteros lost communication with his players when his walkietalkie suddenly failed and officials told him it could not be replaced until this morning. But things tend to get done on Seve's command and communications were re-established within minutes.

"It was a very long day - long and very complicated for the players," he said. "For that, I congratulate my team. As for me, the next big challenge is to put a strong foursomes order out tomorrow afternoon. Then we will see . . . "