Ryder Cup updates: Europe let an early advantage slip on the first day of the Ryder Cup at Valhalla Golf Club, Kentucky today. Padraig Harrington had the privilege of hitting the first shot of this year's tournament in the morning foursomes after a rousing welcome by the fans packed around the first tee. Chants of "USA, USA" and "Ole, Ole, Ole" echoed across the course.
The Irishman, paired with Swede, Robert Karlsson was also the first to draw blood with a 15-foot birdie putt at the sixth against the US pairing of Phil Mickelson and rookie, Anthony Kim.
The good start was supported by Spaniard Sergio Garcia, who struck a superb approach to eight feet at the par-four first and Lee Westwood rolled in the birdie putt for the Europeans to go one up on Kenny Perry and Jim Furyk in the fourth and final contest.
In the third match out, Justin Rose almost aced the par-three third and fellow Briton Ian Poulter tapped in from a foot to go one up on US duo Stewart Cink and Chad Campbell.
The European pairing went two up when Poulter birdied the fifth with the US pair struggling with their game
The solitary red number on the board for the Americans came in the second of the four alternate-shot matches where Justin Leonard and Hunter Mahan fought back from a bogey-bogey start against Britain's Paul Casey and Henrik Stenson of Sweden.
On a sun-drenched morning, Mahan holed a five-footer to birdie the fourth and level the contest before the Europeans conceded the fifth to a birdie to trail by one.
By the time Harrington and Karlsson made the turn the US had gone all square after Mickelson birdied the eighth while a sixth-hole birdie by Kenny Perry brought the entire match-up back to all square.
Europe are bidding for an unprecedented fourth consecutive Ryder Cup victory while the United States are seeking their first triumph since their come-from-behind success at Brookline in 1999.
The Americans have not won an opening session in the biennial competition since the 1991 matches at Kiawah Island.
However, US captain Paul Azinger believes his team have everything to gain as underdogs against Europe while missing Tiger Woods for the first time since he made his Cup debut in 1997.
"The Europeans have brought an incredible team over here and we have a great opportunity to change it," he said.
"We have everything to gain in this situation. Not a lot of people expect us to pull this off, minus Tiger Woods. Everybody feels pressure but hopefully they (my players) will be free-wheeling out there. That's my hope."
Match 1: Mickelson/Kim v Harrington/Karlsson - all square after 10 holes
Match 2: Leonard/Mahan v Stenson/Casey - US 2 up after 9
Match 3: Cink/Campbell v Rose/Poulter - Eur 3 up after 7
Match 4: Perry/Furyk v Westwood/Garcia - all square after 6
