Morning fourball: This was undoubtedly the under-card match of the morning series - given the two potential classics which bookended the fourballs - and although the encounter had an absorbing ebb and flow to it, the European pairing of Paul Casey and Robert Karlsson had to settle for a share of the spoils with Stewart Cink and JJ Henry.

The European pair just made it to the first tee with seconds to spare before their allocated time.

Not the type of preparation for the start of your Ryder Cup campaign, particularly as a rookie. Casey later explained their captain, Ian Woosnam, was partly to blame. "Woosie told us to hang back and make sure we were last onto the tee and savour the moment," quipped Casey. "Unfortunately JJ and Stewart had the same idea so we all cut it fine!"

Rapturous cheers greeted the fourball and it was time for two rookies in Karlsson and Henry to step up and be blooded Ryder Cup-style. Henry, like Cink, kept composed to find the fairway.

Karlsson, on the other hand, went through his trademark pre-shot routine, the steely one-eyed stare from behind the ball, before taking his address position. But then the thin veneer of composure became exposed as he and Casey pulled their opening shots so far left they needed to have a mobile TV tower removed from their line of sight to the green.

"The feeling I got when I stepped onto the first tee was unbelievable," explained Karlsson. "Sure, I was a bit nervous and emotional but I was well warned what to expect the night before. All I can say is thank goodness there was enough room down the left side."

Given the billing of the top and bottom matches this one was never going to be able to compete in the numbers game. The sporadic gaps along the ropes and the unmissable cheers from up ahead and behind were testament to that fact. However, there was a job to be done and although Henry fired the opening shot across the bough with a birdie at the second, the Europeans lit the touch paper with Casey's eagle at the fourth and proceeded to be quickest out of the blocks.

Between the Europeans they collected a further two birdies to be three up, and seemingly cruising, at the turn. There was another brief incident at the seventh, both with TV tower and their captain once again. Woosie said to Karlsson everyone is coming short here take an extra club - which he did - and the ball smashed into the TV compound over the green. "Woosie was slightly to blame for that misinformation," laughed Karlsson.

If the Europeans thought it was going to be a stroll from here Henry had other ideas. He reeled off three birdies in four holes from the 11th, which added to a further two from Cink meant they had turned the match on its head to be one up by the 16th.

The risk-reward par-five 16th was the pivotal hole in the outcome of this match.

Henry looked assured of par while Casey was struggling. That was until the recent World Matchplay winner holed a monster 30-foot putt for birdie while Henry missed from four feet. One against the head, match all square.

The closing stretch of the Palmer Course will surely throw up moments of high drama over the weekend but on this occasion both pairings would free-wheel to the finish line with pars at the moon-shaped 17th around the Liffey and matching birdies on 18.

With a little help from captain Woosie, a fair result was had.

Casey/Karlsson halved with Cink/Henry