Golf: "Man, it's brutal out there," was a familiar refrain among the galleries during Thursday's play as 30 m.p.h. winds assailed the Ocean course on Kiawah Island. That sentiment could equally be applied to Ireland's fortunes during yesterday's foursomes.

Paul McGinley and Padraig Harrington's chances of repeating their 1997 World Cup triumph at the South Carolina course all but evaporated following a five-over-par 77.

That left them 13 shots behind South Africa, whose three-under-par 69 was the best of the day and put them on five under overall.

Conditions were relatively benign, the gentle breeze a cooling presence on another warm day. And Ireland were by no means alone in their travails, but that is scant consolation.

Foursomes play accentuates the need for both players to be on their mettle. When one golfer is struggling, it's very difficult to maintain an even keel; when both prove wayward, it's a one-way ticket to the wrong end of the scoreboard.

Crunching the numbers illustrated the Irish duo's plight. They managed to hit just two greens in regulation on the front nine and none in the first six holes. Dropping shots at the first and the third, they briefly rallied when McGinley holed a bunker shot for birdie on the fourth, but even that respite was short-lived.

The sixth, a 445-yard par four, was a low point. McGinley hit a fine drive to the centre of the fairway, but his partner pushed a six-iron 30 yards right. Trying to visualise the shot, McGinley omitted to look behind him and never saw the tree in which his backswing would become entangled. The ball moved five yards.

Harrington chipped to about six feet but his partner missed the bogey putt.

A bogey at the ninth - they turned in 40 shots, four over regulation figures - was followed by another on 10, and at that stage a score in the eighties beckoned.

But, as they had on Thursday, they demonstrated their fighting qualities.

McGinley holed a superb, slaloming 20-foot putt on the 11th for birdie, and although another shot was claimed by the course on the 13th, the same player hit a sumptuous wedge on the 15th to 18 inches for another birdie.

Further opportunities presented themselves on 16 (poor chip) and the 17th (a glorious tee-shot by Harrington to the spectacular par three to seven feet) but were not converted, and the final hole proved an anti-climax, another stroke leaked away.

The Irish duo paused briefly for a bite to eat before heading once again for the range to "beat" balls, as they say in these parts. Unsurprisingly, Harrington was the last player on the range on Thursday night.

After yesterday's round Harrington was content that the hard work had paid dividends, happy that the problems affecting his swing on the opening day had been eradicated. "I was happy with my swing today; it was the mental errors that led to the mistakes. It's disappointing, but the mindset won't change. We'll try to go out and play good golf."

For McGinley, it was another day of huge frustration, particularly with his short game.

The Ocean course is not the sort of environment conducive to rectifying flaws. Yesterday may have seen the wind abate significantly, but only three countries managed to break par, with South Africa's 69 the exception to a day of high scoring.

It allowed Rory Sabatini and Trevor Immelman to take a two-shot lead over the US and France.

Today the teams again play fourballs before the tournament concludes with a second round of foursomes on Sunday.