On a day for wind-cheaters and woolly hats, Ireland won again, the US lost to Italy and the Old Course was mocked by English players who should have known better. It was also an occasion for would-be rivals to note with some alarm, the stunning form of defending champions South Africa.

Padraig Harrington got the key point in a 2-1 victory over France, which became a lot more difficult than it might have been. And so, the Irish meeting with Spain today will decide the winners of Group Four and a place in the semi-finals. As number two seeds, the Spaniards had the captain's option and Sergio Garcia did as expected by picking himself to face Darren Clarke in the top match. Paul McGinley responded by opting to play Jose-Maria Olazabal at number two, leaving Harrington to meet Ryder Cup colleague Miguel-Angel Jimenez.

The Spaniards will be difficult. While RAF Tornado jets swooped noisily overhead, Garcia and Olazabal kicked up their own storm, sharing seven birdies on the outward journey before progressing to matching 67s in a 2-1 win over Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile, spectators who braved the sharp wind were rewarded with plenty of excitement: cumulative figures of 12-under-par from the South Africans; a holed pitch, albeit unavailing, by Scotland's Paul Lawrie for an eagle two on the 18th, and a marvellous win for Paraguay in tie holes against Australia.

But the defeat of the top-seeded Americans by such a minor golfing nation, was clearly a shock. Coupled with the US defeat by France on the opening round day here in 1990, however, it served simply to emphasise the potential for embarrassment in 18-holes of matchplay.

Now, the only route towards survival for Tom Lehman, Mark O'Meara and Payne Stewart, is that they whitewash Sweden today while hoping that New Zealand beat Italy 2-1 in the remaining match in Group 1.

Lehman, a hero in the recent Ryder Cup triumph, was understandably upset at losing to the diminutive Emanuele Canonica. And he betrayed it on the 18th where, after Canonica had holed out for a winning 72, the American mistakenly picked up his own marker, thinking he was engaged in straight, rather than medal matchplay.

"I'm breaking all the rules this week," said Lehman, who also missed the opening ceremony on Thursday morning. But the one-stroke penalty incurred for this latest indiscretion, had no bearing on a tight match. Naturally, the Italians were delighted, especially 29-year-old Massimo Scarpa, who kissed the turf while leaving the 18th green where he carded a closing birdie to beat the reigning US Open champion, Stewart, by one stroke. "I feel fantastic, marvellous; it is a wonderful day for us," he enthused.

As might be expected, Costantino Rocca was a worthy leader, carding a 70 to beat O'Meara in the top match. And he did it with a sparkling back nine of 32, which included four birdies and a crucial, par-saving six-foot putt on the 17th, where the American made a splendid three.

Rocca's love of the Old Course goes back to 1995 when he almost won the British Open here, losing in a play-off to John Daly. But the intense dislike which Mark James harbours for the place, extends a lot further back than that.

Even in the immediate aftermath of England's 2-1 win over China, he declined to hide his feelings, referring to it sardonically as: "A shrine to history; a monument to our past; a golfing temple." And he was roundly supported by the English captain, Lee Westwood, who, drawing on the vast experience of his 26 years, said dismissively: "It wouldn't be in my top-200 favourite courses."

The duo's feelings were some way removed from those of the great Bobby Jones, who once observed: "I could take out of my life everything except my experiences at St Andrews and I would still have a rich and full life."

Meanwhile, if only from a competitive standpoint, the Irish are clearly benefiting from their obvious liking of this ancient links. At the top of the order, Clarke birdied three of the last four holes on the way to a winning 67 which left him eight-under-par for his two rounds so far.

Clarke - "I'm hitting the ball very nicely" - admitted he was keeping a eye on the Spaniards, on his way to an eight-stroke win over Marc Farry. But a seemingly comfortable Irish situation suddenly took a nasty turn when McGinley ran up a wretched six at the 17th.

Level with Jean Van de Velde playing the hole, McGinley pulled a six-iron approach short of the Road Hole Bunker after the Frenchman had hit his second to the back of the green. "He forced me to play the shot but I was between clubs," said the Irish skipper afterwards. In the event, he proceeded to duff a chip into the bunker on the way to a double-bogey.

So, it was left to Harrington. He, too, was level playing the 17th against Jean-Francois Remesy but the Dubliner squandered a chance of the lead, missing from less than four feet after his opponent had three-putted. Which left them still level going down the last.

Here, Harrington's competitive strength came to the fore. After Remesy had pitched to within six feet of the 18th pin, situated 30 yards up in the back right quarter of the green, Harrington pitched two feet inside him. And when the Frenchman missed his birdie putt, victory was sealed by a four-footer which turned into the hole from four inches outside the right lip.

"It was nice to win the match that way, but I didn't putt well," he said, referring to three-putts on the 12th and 17th. With that, a sporting occasion was sealed with a kiss, from Van de Velde to the cheek of Harrington's wife, Caroline.

Today's tee-off times: Group Four: Spain v Ireland - 9.30 - S Garcia v D Clarke, 9.40 - JM Olazabal v P McGinley, 9.50 - MA Jimenez v P Harrington.