Ryder Cup: US take first day 5-3

We had been anticipating an evenly fought tussle at Medinah and it lived up to that particular billing during an opening session of foursomes that were shared 2-2.

The ante was upped considerably in the afternoon by the hosts, however, as Davis Love III’s charged up crew threatened to blow their guests away in the Windy City as they won the second session 3-1 to open up a 5-3 advantage overall.

Lawrie had watched the morning’s skirmishes unfold from the sidelines and had to get up to speed quickly in the afternoon as he was paired with Peter Hanson for the first fourballs tie. Unfortunately for the Scot and his Swedish team-mate, they ran into an American Express.

Against Masters champion Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson, the US Open winner, Lawrie and Hanson hit the buffers and went down to a 5 and 4 defeat as the hosts grabbed the initiative.

“The train left on the front nine,” said Lawrie’s partner Hanson after a match in which the European duo had found themselves six down after eight. “I think they were eight under for the first 10 holes. Paul and I just didn’t play good enough to jump on that train.”

Lawrie, three under for his round, added: "It wasn’t the way I wanted to return to the Ryder Cup but there wasn’t a lot we could do. They both played extremely well and holed a huge amount of putts. Having 11 or 12 birdies in fourballs is pretty incredible stuff.”

The day began with a bang. In the foursomes partnership of Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy, Jose Maria Olazabal, the European captain, had wheeled out his big guns for the opening salvo. There was an early misfire, though, as McDowell ushered in the 39th staging of the event by blasting his tee-shot wildly left into perilous territory among the trees. The damage was minimal, thankfully, as the Northern Irish duo scrambled to halve the hole with the American alliance of Jim Furyk and Brandt Snedeker. It was only a temporary reprieve

A long delay on the par-three second was created when McDowell asked for relief from a sprinkler head on the edge of the green. Furyk questioned it and the chief referee was called in. After much plootering about, no relief was given

McDowell chipped down to six feet but there was even more to-ing and fro-ing when the rules man had to use the flag to measure out who would putt first, with the US ball sitting in a similar distance from the hole. It was all getting a bit fractious. Snedeker holed out for par and McIlroy didn’t. The US were one up and the 2012 contest had its first potential flashpoint.

There would be a flash of genius, however, from McIlroy which helped turn the tide. A chip in from the back of the fourth green for birdie squared the match and provided the catalyst for a purposeful thrust which featured five birdies over the course of the next eight holes as Europe moved three up.

The visitors had the match in a Double Nelson but the US slowly began to wriggle free. McDowell had to hole a raking birdie putt for a crucial half on 14 to maintain a two hole advantage but then plunged his drive into the water on 15 to gift the US another lifeline.

A third birdie in a row from the Americans on 16 squared the match and completed a spirited late rally but Snedeker cracked on the last and carved his drive into the hospitality area. A costly bogey ensued and, while the European axis didn’t make it easy for themselves by finding a bunker with the approach, McDowell’s six-footer for par trundled into the cup and the holders had their first point from the man who plundered the winning point two years ago.

It was a much-needed morale booster as, just a few moments earlier, the seemingly rock-solid duo of Luke Donald and Sergio had crumbled on the run-in against Phil Mickelson and an inspired Keegan Bradley to lose 4 and 3.

It was the European pairing's first foursomes defeat in four previous outings together. It was also Garcia’s first defeat in 10 while Donald’s proud foursomes record of six wins from six suffered its first blemish. Level-pegging after 11, the US romped away and won the next four holes during a profitable push that was completed by a monstrous birdie putt on the 15th from the fist-pumping Ryder Cup rookie Bradley.

“This was one of the most memorable days of my life so far,” confessed Bradley, who has a habit of making immediate impacts having won last year’s US PGA Championship in what was his first major appearance.

The hosts got their noses in front when Jason Dufner and former Masters champion Zach Johnson beat Lee Westwood and Francesco Molinari by a 3 and 2 margin. The Europeans had been making steady progress, and were one up through seven, but they never managed another birdie after that and it all petered out coming home during a limp surrender that saw Westwood plonk his tee-shot into the lake on the driveable 15th.

Fortunately, Ian Poulter and Justin Rose stayed afloat and were not weighed down in the anchor role, beating Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker 2 and 1 as the morning session finished 2-2. With a wild Woods all over the shop, it was something of surprise that the American pairing actually survived for 17 holes.

Poulter and Rose, always ahead after edging in front on the fourth, were up for the battle and Poulter’s roar and steely glare, upon holing a 15-footer for a vital half on the 16th green, summed up his commitment to the cup cause.

Two of Poulter’s three Ryder Cup defeats have been at the hands of Woods. No wonder he was jubilant. Woods would tee-up again in the afternoon session. Poulter, meanwhile, would sit on the sidelines as Olazabal’s choice of pairings swiftly came under scrutiny.

Asked if he was surprised to be benched by Europe while a largely wretched Woods ploughed on for the US, Poulter said: “Yeah, but he’s Tiger Woods. Is Davis Love going to sit out Tiger Woods? It would take a brave captain to leave him out.”

With the Watson and Simpson double act leading the line in the afternoon, the scoreboard became awash with red as the blows rained down on Europe. The visitors were on the ropes and Mickelson and Bradley landed another sucker punch as they floored McIlroy and McDowell by 2 and 1 to make it two wins out of two.

Rose and Martin Kaymer also took one on the chin as they lost 3 and 2 to Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar but at least Nicolas Colsaerts showed plenty of fight.

The Belgian rookie enjoyed a quite inspired debut and, in partnership with Westwood, his superb display, burnished by eight birdies and an eagle, prevented a whitewash.

Woods and Stricker were eventually beaten by one hole although Woods, galvanised after his trials and tribulations in the morning, threatened right to the better end.

Birdies at 16 and 17 kept him lurking ominously before a putt on the last for a third birdie in a row burned the cup and left Europe with a much-needed win.