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Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley await their turn to play during the afternoon foursomes. The Dubliners finished day one with a 100 per cent record, the only pairing to win both matches.
(© Inpho) |
Britain and Ireland will take a 5-3 lead going into the second day of the Seve Trophy with three Irishmen playing significant roles in acquiring points for the home side at Druids Glen today.
Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley were dogged as ever in grinding out a one-hole win at the last against France’s Raphael Jacquelin and Thomas Levet after trailing by two holes after the seventh. The Dubliners were the only two players to maintain 100 per cent records for the day.
They can now look forward to a showdown with the most famous pairing in golf when Ballesteros takes off his captain’s armband tomorrow to team up with Jose Maria Olazabal.
Today, Harrington and McGinley relied on all their own wealth of experience of fourball golf, which includes a World Cup win in 1997, and Harrington was aware that a strong performance alongside his friend and compatriot this week could bring other benefits.
"I think if we show form we will be partners in the Ryder Cup," said Harrington who enjoys playing with McGinley. "If we maintain it and play well then obviously it’s a partnership Sam [Torrance] will be looking into."
"We know each others game and as individuals we don’t care how we play as long as we get the right result".
"The Irish boys have been fantastic today, they have done Britain and Ireland proud today especially Padraig and Paul gaining full points," was the complimentary response of the team captain Montgomerie afterwards.
"I’m glad our strongest pair will meet Seve and Ollie and I spoke to Padraig and Paul during our team meeting and they are delighted at the prospect," confirmed the Scot.
Midway through the afternoon foursomes three matches were so evenly poised that they could have gone either way whereas the final tie, which involved Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood, was taking on a story all of its own.
The familiar Ryder Cup pairing in recent years redeemed themselves after a lackustre defeat in the morning greensomes at the hands French duo, Raphael Jacquelin and Thomas Levet.
"We were very disappointed this morning," said Clarke who was determined to make amends.
In the afternoon Clarke and Westwood were nip and tuck at the start with Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn and Germany’s Alex Cejka before the home pair forged ahead, winning five holes on the bounce from the fifth, to secure an unassailable lead.
Clarke, clearly in the groove, was the driving force in the partnership having found his touch on the greens. And the highlight of the Tyroneman’s repertoire was holing a 50 yard pitch for an eagle three at the 11th to go 5-up.
The Europeans got one back at the notoriously difficult 13th after their opponents made double-bogey, then put it to their opponents by a winning birdie at the 15th. The match eventually concluded with birdie fours on the 16th for a 3&2 win.
"Yes, we were fired up in the afternoon and keen to make amends. We had seven birdies and an eagle, and in foursomes that is seriously good golf. We both played really well," said Clarke who hinted he may sit out part of tomorrow after complaining of a knee injury.
In the top match Montgomerie played a strong captain’s role after swapping one fellow Scot for another when Andrew Oldcorn replaced Paul Lawrie for the afternoon.
In a closely fought contest the Scots were never up on the front side against Sweden’s Robert Karlsson and Niclas Fasth but a bogey five at the 13th was enough to level the match before going on to secure a 2&1 victory with birdies at the 15th and 16th.
The deciding factor in the second match proved to be Olazabal once again, he came to the fore by holing two crucial putts on the final two holes.
The two-time Masters winner made a 20-foot birdie from Miguel Angel Jimenez’s tee shot at the par three 17th to go one up on against England’s Steve Webster and Paul Casey.
Olazabal was then left with a nervy four footer at the last, which he made, to win 1-up against the comparatively inexperienced Englishmen to record the only points of the afternoon for the European side.
"It was very important for us to win," said Olazabal who recognised that the late heroics disguised some erratic play from the Spaniards earlier in the round.
"Tomorrow it will be important for us to make up ground early," said Ballesteros who will be part of a mouthwatering encounter for Irish spectators tomorrow.
Saturday Morning's Draw:
7.30 a.m.T Bjorn & N Fasth v P Lawrie and P Casey
7.45 a.m.R Karlsson & M Gronberg v I Woosnam & C Montgomerie
8 a.m.S Ballesteros & JM Olazabal v P Harrington & P McGinley
8.15 a.m.MA Jimenez & R Jacquelin v D Clarke and L Westwood