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U.S. Trails In Ryder Cup After Day 1

Europeans grab a 5-3 lead on FridayTags: Golf

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U.S. Trails In Ryder Cup After Day 1

STRAFFAN, Ireland -- Tiger Woods got his win, Darren Clarke enjoyed his moment and Sergio Garcia was his usual, unbeatable self.

Meanwhile, hardly anybody had a chance to come up for air Friday on an exciting, back-and-forth opening day at the Ryder Cup.

Led by Garcia's two victories and Clarke's emotional win, Europe took a 5-3 lead after the first two sets of matches. It was a lead that could have been bigger. Likewise, the American deficit wouldn't have been a deficit at all were it not for a wayward inch here or there.

"It's a pretty fine line between no points, a half-point and one point," U.S. 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. Three of those four ended up tied. The only one that didn't: Garcia and Luke Donald knocking off Woods and Jim Furyk, a match that was closed out on the 18th hole.

Trailing by one, Furyk hit his second shot on the par-5 18th in the water to lose the hole and the match.

"No excuses there," Furyk said. "I made a bad swing."

In the morning, Woods and Furyk accounted for America's only outright win of the day, a nice ham-'n-egg effort that took down Colin Montgomerie and Padraig Harrington. It was the first time Woods had scored a point on the first day in nine years, an important victory in the U.S. quest to win back the cup. Woods and Furyk won even though Tiger started the day by yanking his tee shot in the lake and struggled through the front nine.

"I didn't warm up particularly well," Woods said. "Starting off on the first hole, I snapped one in the water. It was nice to have a steady partner like Jim. He was in just about every hole."

Clarke provided the emotional high point of the day.

Unsure whether he could play in the Ryder Cup after his wife, Heather, died Aug. 13 of cancer, Woosnam made Clarke a captain's pick, then sent him out with Lee Westwood in the last of four better-ball matches in the morning.

He received a standing ovation, shared hugs with his opponents, Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco, then stepped up to the tee with tears in his eyes and the sun beaming down on the first tee at The K Club.

Elias Says
Garcia The Europeans took a 5-3 lead in the opening day of Ryder Cup competition behind Sergio Garcia, the only player on either squad on the winning side in both of his matches. Garcia improved his record on the first day of Ryder Cup play to 8-0-0, which is the most opening-day matches without a loss or a tie in the history of the competition. • For more Elias Says, click here.

He clocked his first drive 305 yards en route to a birdie -- a perfect exclamation point to a poignant beginning.

"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 ended his round with a birdie, too, then strode off the 18th to more applause, lit up a cigar and watched his teammates nurse their lead into the second day.

Not surprisingly, European captain Ian Woosnam was feeling good. His team took the first-day lead for the fifth straight time. The Europeans are seeking their fifth win in the last six Ryder Cups.

"I don't want to get too in front of myself," Woosnam said. "I want to just carry on, take every day by itself and carry on as we are. Everybody is in a good mood, but we know what the game of golf is like. It can change in one minute."

So much did on this day.

American rookie J.J. Henry made two birdies to start a rally from 3 down and salvage half a point in an early better-ball match.

Another American rookie, Zach Johnson, led a comeback from 2 down with three to play, earning another half point against Harrington and Paul McGinley.

On the other side, Montgomerie made a 6-foot putt for birdie to take advantage of a slip-up by Mickelson and DiMarco on 18 and earn a tie in the foursomes match.

The only contest that wasn't close was the 3-and-2 win recorded by Garcia and Jose Maria Olazabal over Toms and Brett Wetterich in the morning.

Garcia improved to 12-3-2 in the Ryder Cup.

"Playing alongside Sergio, it's like watching golf at its best," Olazabal said.

He'll get another chance Saturday. Woosnam paired the Spaniards against Mickelson and DiMarco in foursomes. The rest of the pairings: Paul Casey and Robert Karlsson against Stewart Cink and Henry; Clarke and Westwood reunited to play Woods and Furyk; and Henrik Stenson and Harrington against Scott Verplank and Johnson. Montgomerie will get a rest and U.S. rookie Vaughn Taylor will still be waiting to play his first match.

Despite the deficit, Lehman was trying to stay positive.

"It stings a little," he said. "But it's still anybody's ball game. I don't feel too concerned, but we're a little bit frustrated."

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press