Britain and Ireland came roaring back in the Seve Trophy foursomes on Saturday to leave the match with Continental Europe on a knife edge.
After trailing by three points following the morning greensomes,
captain Nick Faldo's home side took the foursomes 3-1 to leave
Europe with a 9.5-8.5 lead going into Sunday's 10 singles.
This was despite Colin Montgomerie again finding his match a
struggle.
The former Britain and Ireland skipper is still without a
point after he and Graeme Storm lost 3 and 2 to Swede Robert
Karlsson and Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano.
Montgomerie had a poor day with his putter whereas Karlsson
and Fernandez-Castano enjoyed the sodden Heritage greens, soaked by
heavy afternoon rain.
This was typified at the 13th when Karlsson slid home a
curling 25-footer for birdie while Montgomerie missed from four
feet.
Four back-nine birdies in six holes led the European duo to
victory.
Justin Rose and Nick Dougherty started the home team's fightback
with a 2 and 1 triumph over Frenchmen Raphael Jacquelin and Gregory
Havret, who had until then gained maximum points from three
matches.
Rose's chip-in to birdie the 16th proved decisive.
Simon Dyson, one of Faldo's wildcards, and Oliver Wilson then
eased past Scandinavians Soren Hansen and Peter Hanson 3 and 2.
The final match proved the closest, with Bradley Dredge and
Phillip Archer almost allowing themselves to be caught by Markus
Brier of Austria and experienced Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez.
Dredge and Archer were three up with five holes to go but it
was not until Brier found water with his approach on 18 that the
home pair secured a two-hole win.
Earlier, Europe surged ahead with an inspired morning
greensomes display reminiscent of skipper Seve Ballesteros's days
as a player.
Havret recorded a hole-in-one with a four-iron at the short
seventh as he and Jacquelin continued their winning ways while Dane
Hansen and Swede Hanson claimed the only eagle-two of the week in
another Continental Europe victory.
Europe took the greensomes 3 1/2-1/2.
