Lee Westwood made a spectacular birdie at the start of Britain and Ireland's bid to build on their two-point first day lead in the Seve Trophy at El Saler in Spain today.
After slightly pushing his opening drive Westwood had to go through and then over trees to find a route to the green - and hit a seven-iron to five feet to give himself and David Howell the lead against Thomas Bjorn and Sergio Garcia.
The former European No 1 also birdied the second from the same distance, but that was after Garcia had made a six-foot birdie putt and the Spaniard's two-putt birdie on the next levelled the game.
The holders led 3 1/2-1 1/2 after the opening fourballs and it was the same format for the second day's play. Britain and Ireland captain Colin Montgomerie had partner Paul Lawrie to thank for drawing first blood against Alex Cejka and Raphael Jacquelin, Continental Europe's only winners yesterday.
Lawrie pitched to eight feet at the second and converted the birdie chance. Montgomerie then two-putted the long third for a winning birdie which puts the Scots two-up.
Westwood won a Golfer of the Month award for an albatross during the dunhill links championship in September and he very nearly made another two at a par five, rifling a shot to two feet on the 515-yard fifth. The eagle gave him and Howell the lead again, Westwood having saved a half on the short fourth after both hit the trees with wild tee shots.
Lawrie's 12-foot birdie putt on the fourth was needed for a half with Jacquelin also making a two and when Brian Davis birdied the second, Britain and Ireland led in the first three games. Davis was again partnering Paul Casey and again facing Ignacio Garrido and Miguel Angel Jimenez, whom they beat two and one yesterday.
Howell, relieved to be making a contribution after a sticky start, made the gap two with a six-foot birdie putt on the seventh, but behind them Lawrie and Montgomerie both made a mess of the sixth and were only one-up on Cejka and Jacquelin once more.
Davis and Casey remained one-up after five and two birdies from Ian Poulter gave him and Justin Rose a two-hole lead on home captain Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal after three. Britain and Ireland now led in four of the five games and in the other Padraig Harrington and Phillip Price were level after four with Swedes Fredrik Jacobson and Niclas Fasth.