GOLF VIVENDI TROPHY:BRITAIN AND Ireland had the better of things for the second day running and now lead Continental Europe 6-4 at the Vivendi Trophy in Paris.
Paul McGinley’s side, made underdogs before the start because six top players dropped out, are heading for a fifth successive victory in what used to be called the Seve Trophy.
Simon Dyson and Oliver Wilson had their second win – and fourth in five games since first being paired together two years ago – when they beat Henrik Stenson and Alvaro Quiros 2 and 1.
It was brilliant stuff from all four players. A birdie two on the last would have given the English pair a 12-under-par 59 and their opponents were nine under when it finished.
On Wednesday morning, Dyson was even a doubt for the match after contracting food poisoning, but he has been one of the stars of the show so far.
“I was at death’s door,” said the Yorkshire player, who had only a slice of toast all day after being advised to stay in bed.
“I was not 100 per cent yesterday but today was good and we are gelling fantastically well. Paul asked who was my ideal partner and I said Ollie straightaway.”
Ryder Cupper Wilson, so down in the dumps about his game earlier this month that he pulled out of an event in Germany, commented: “It’s still not great but these weeks are different. You go with what you’ve got and with a partner there’s not quite so much pressure.”
Chris Wood and Anthony Wall, both of whom were drafted in because of the withdrawals, are also unbeaten, this time overcoming Miguel Angel Jimenez and Soren Kjeldsen 3 and 2.
That lacked the fireworks of their first-day drubbing of Stenson and Robert Karlsson, but Wall sealed the win with a long bunker shot Nick Dougherty described as “unbelievable”.
By then Dougherty and Ross Fisher had hit back from their first-day loss to beat Soren Hansen and Peter Hanson 3 and 2.
That match was closed out in style as well when Fisher curled in a 25-footer for an eagle on the 541-yard 16th to move them to nine under.
“I’ve not played very well so far but Ross played some great stuff today and I chipped in here and there,” said Dougherty.
That was literally the case on the short 12th from just off the green that took them two up.
European captain Thomas Bjorn had kept Anders Hansen and Francesco Molinari together and that paid off when their second victory came by a 3 and 1 margin against highly-rated Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy.
What might be a Ryder Cup partnership next October – they certainly hope so – were behind from the moment McDowell missed from eight feet at the first and Italian Molinari holed from seven.
Still one down after 10, the Northern Ireland duo then almost criminally bogeyed the next two holes – there were only three others all day.
Their failure to retrieve the situation made it 5-3 and, with Wall and Wood getting the next point, there was a good chance the overall match position would be even healthier for Britain and Ireland overnight.
Steve Webster and Robert Rock were all square with Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Karlsson on the final tee but both found sand and could not get up and down.
Today sees four greensomes and four foursomes and tomorrow brings 10 singles.
The format allows Bjorn now to rest his fellow Dane Kjeldsen today, another food poisoning sufferer.
“He struggled and that’s a shame for him because he’s been looking forward to it for such a long time,” said Bjorn.
(Continental Europe names first)
FOURBALLS
H Stenson (Swe), A Quiros (Spa) lost to S Dyson, O Wilson (both Eng) 2 and 1.
P Hanson (Swe), S Hansen (Den) lost to N Dougherty, R Fisher (both Eng) 3 and 2.
A Hansen (Den), F Molinari (Ita) bt G McDowell, R McIlroy (both N Ire) 3 and 1.
MA Jimenez (Spa), S Kjeldsen (Den) lost to A Wall, C Wood (both Eng) 3 and 2.
G Fernandez-Castano (Spa), R Karlsson (Swe) bt R Rock, S Webster (both Eng) 1 hole.
Match score: Continental Europe 4, Britain and Ireland 6.
TODAY’S DRAW
Greensomes
07.35 Stenson and Hanson v McIlroy and
McDowell.
07.50 Karlsson and Fernandez-Castano v
Rock and Dougherty.
08.05 A Hansen and Molinari v Fisher
and Wood.
08.20 Jimenez and Quiros v Dyson and
Wilson.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YVIRIOZQ35EWRPZXR27KGMO6YU.png)