Afternoon foursome: Yet again Colin Montgomerie was the centre of attention when all his Ryder Cup team-mates had gathered round the 18th green to witness their talisman hole the final putt of the first day's play. Of greater importance was the fact that the pressurised six-footer ensured Europe kept their noses in front in the overall contest.

Nothing is ever won or lost after the first day but when the 43-year-old converted the birdie putt it ensured he and Lee Westwood came from one down playing the last to halve their match with Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco. It was also the

first time Monty and Westwood have played together in the Ryder Cup.

The truth is this wasn't the all-singing, all-dancing show that perhaps the crowds had expected.

It was more the softly, softly approach to a match which was played in great spirit as opposed to one of fierce rivalry and gamesmanship.

That said, there was enough to rouse the interest of a certain Irish/American political axis.

Former tánaiste Mary Harney and her husband were seen scouting for a vantage point around the par three eighth - and by the time this match had made it's way to the ninth former US president George Bush snr was seen being whisked around in a buggy driven by chief referee John Paramour. It was high rolling stuff alright.

There were several points in the match in which Monty was forced to rectify some untidy play from his partner.

The most obvious came at the difficult par four seventh called "Michael's Favourite".

Not for the first time Westwood was left in the centre of the fairway with a mid-iron to the green but managed to pull his approach.

On this occasion Montgomerie faced an unlikely 30-footer for birdie. He not only rammed it home but didn't even consider approaching the hole to collect the ball, rather he nonchalantly lay the putter down and strode to the next tee.

This wasn't so much bravado as one against the head and the badly hidden smirk to his partner on the next tee suggested as much.

Mickelson and DiMarco quietly went about their way and early in the round they took advantage of their opponents' pair of bogeys at the fifth and sixth to go one up.

But by the time they had reached the turn it was back to all-square again in a match where there was never more than one hole in it.

Although it was hard to fault Montgomerie all afternoon he made a serious error in judgment at a crucial period of the match.

By the 16th the match was poised at all-square and Westwood had left his partner some 240 yards to the risk-reward par five.

The hole doesn't suit Monty's fade at the best of times, but for the second time he opted to take on the green with a fairway metal and for a second time he found the water right of the green.

It seemed a dangerous play considering he did virtually the same thing playing alongside Padraig Harrington in the morning.

To almost compound matters DiMarco had the same notion to go for the green when he had just seen his opponent land one in the Liffey.

This seemed dangerous and unnecessary but the American produced a fine second to finish 15 feet behind the pin for the win.

Sporadic sun showers had arrived by the time the match was entering the closing stages.

They didn't last long and soon a rainbow had emerged in time for Monty to take to the stage at the last.

He found the par five 18th with a long second (250 yards), albeit some 90 feet away from the hole, before Westwood made an excellent attempt at the lag from some distance to set up his partner for the crowning moment.

Montgomerie and Westwood halved with Mickelson and DiMarco