Europe play the blues in Detroit

GOLF: What is it with European genes that enables supposed underdogs to bite so fiercely and so frequently? Yesterday, in the 35th edition of the Ryder Cup matches, Europe's team - one without a major champion in its ranks for the first time in over 20 years - outmanoeuvred and outclassed the United States to such an extent that those home supporters packed into the bleachers around the South Course were as quiet as the proverbial church mice.

On a cool, overcast day that could conceivably have been borrowed from an autumnal parkland course in the Irish midlands, Europe - defending the trophy won at The Belfry two years ago, and seeking to reinforce their recent dominance in a competition which has yielded three wins in its last four stagings - stole a march on the Americans in the fourballs, winning 3 ½ to ½, and then reaffirmed their superiority in the foursomes.

To be sure, it was a miserable old day for the hosts. Indeed, the US's plight was exemplified by the failure of their so-called Dream Team of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson to fuse. Not exactly bosom buddies, American captain Hal Sutton gambled on pairing the two together because, he decreed, "history demands it."

It was a gamble that backfired dramatically and, instead, history will recall that two players ranked in the world's top-four simply couldn't get it together, losing both in the fourballs and in the afternoon's foursomes.

In some contrast, Europe's players, as is their way, bonded magnificently. If Bernhard Langer had sent out Colin Montgomerie and Padraig Harrington to inspire, he got more than he could have dreamed for.

But it wasn't just about Monty - a captain's pick, and further embellishing a wonderful Ryder Cup record that has seen him lose just two of his last 18 matches in the competition - or Harrington, it was a first day's performance that encompassed the entire team.

"The Americans are a wounded animal," warned Paul McGinley. "They'll come back . . . this Ryder Cup is a long way from being over. We realise there is a hell of a long way to go. We're always the underdogs but the Americans are a very strong team.

They've got four or five majors winners on their team, something we don't have on ours."

Europe - who require 14½ points to win, but just 14 points to retain the trophy - quietened the home crowds from an early stage of the fourballs, the Montgomerie and Harrington combination establishing an early lead over Woods and Mickelson and refusing to wilt. In the end, they won 2 and 1. Those behind took up the attack.

For Montgomerie, it was a particularly satisfying day's work. Unable to play his way into the team, and having suffered personal trauma during the season, the Scot showed his competitive spirit is still as strong as ever with a performance of real fortitude. "This match is almost worth psychologically more than one point to the European team," said Montgomerie.

Incredibly, the US were never ahead in any of the other fourball matches. Darren Clarke, playing beautifully, and Miguel Angel Jimenez emerged 5 and 4 winners over Davis Love and Chad Campbell; Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood defeated David Toms and Jim Furyk by 5 and 3; and Paul McGinley and Luke Donald halved with Chris Riley and Stewart Cink. That halved match was the only crumb of comfort for the Americans, and while it avoided a whitewash, it didn't provide sufficient inspiration for the foursomes where again Europe outplayed them.

Although the US finally got a win on the board when Chris DiMarco and Jay Haas - two rookies showing the way to more established Ryder Cuppers - beat Jimenez and Thomas Levet by 3 and 2 in the top foursomes, Montgomerie and Harrington simply took up where they had left off earlier in the day. They played splendid golf, including five birdies on the front nine (remarkable in the foursomes format) on the way to beating Love and Fred Funk by 4 and 2. The match concluded on the 16th when Funk's approach finished in the water.

Throughout their match, Harrington and Montgomerie played some wonderful shots, not least the chip played by the Scot from the back of the eighth green. Playing off a downslope to a vicious green that slopes from back to front, he chipped a yard into the rough and allowed the ball to edge onto the green and then gather towards the hole, eventually finishing no more than an inch from the hole. "Sometimes they come off, sometimes they don't," observed a matter-of-fact Montgomerie.

For Harrington, it marked his fourth successive win in the Ryder Cup. He first forged the partnership with Montgomerie at the Belfry when they won there on the Saturday afternoon and Langer had always planned to keep them together.

"I don't think we surprised ourselves at all," said Harrington of their two-from-two on yesterday's first day. "We set out to do that and made it happen. We got great momentum from a great start and, in foursomes, momentum is very important."

FOURBALLS

C Montgomerie/P Harrington bt T Woods/P Mickelson 2 and 1

D Clarke/M-A Jimenez bt D Love/C Campbell 5 and 4

P McGinley/L Donald halved with S Cink/C Riley

S Garcia/L Westwood bt D Toms/J Furyk5 and 3

FOURSOMES

Jimenez and T Levet lost to C DiMarco and J Haas 3 and 2

Montgomerie and Harrington bt Love and F Funk4 and 2

Clarke and Westwood bt Woods and Mickelson1 hole

Garcia and Donald 2 up on Cink and K Perryafter 15