RYDER CUP 2008 USA 5 1/2, Europe 2 1/2:THESE THINGS should come with health warnings. You want heart-pounding, chest-thumping, knee-knocking, mind-numbing sporting battle? You got it.
These things should come with some sort of health warning. You want heart-pounding, chest-thumping, knee-knocking, mind-numbing sporting battle? You got it. Yesterday's opening day of the 37th Ryder Cup at Valhalla was tight and tense and, oh, so finger-licking good as the United States - taking a 5 1/2 to 2 1/2 first-day lead - went some way towards finding redemption.
If the USA performed a stealth attack to grab the initiative, claiming the morning foursomes 3-1, the first time since 1991 that they'd usurped Europe in the opening session, their was no throwing in of the towel. Nor would you expect a team chasing an unprecedented fourth successive win to be submissive, although their task at the end of the day was much tougher than it was starting out.
"We just have to stick in there and wait our turn and hope things turn around," admitted Pádraig Harrington.
For sure, this latest edition of golf's greatest team competition still has some more tales of the unexpected to unfold in today's foursomes and fourballs and tomorrow's singles. But yesterday belonged to the Americans, as US captain Paul Azinger used all 12 of his players - mainly with hugely positive results - to claim the start he had so badly desired. He got it, and more, as the momentum was carried on into the fourballs.
"Have you ever seen anything like this in your life?" wondered Azinger, after his side had turned destiny into their own hands having trailed in three of the four matches at one stage of a remarkable foursomes session. It was only an appetiser of what was to come in the fourballs, as the Americans again demonstrated their superiority - and, crucially, an ability to hole putts - to take the upper hand going into the weekend.
On a beautifully sunny day, with barely a breath of wind, the USA overpowered Europe in the foursomes and also proved more than up to the task in the fourballs. Europe battled hard for everything that came their way, epitomised by Harrington's feistiness in guiding partner Robert Karlsson to a halved match in the top foursomes against Phil Mickelson and young gun Anthony Kim.
Indeed, Europe failed to win any of the four foursomes and that halved point gathered by Harrington and Karlsson was one of just two halves gathered for all their hard work. It could have been worse. The other halved point came from anchormen Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood, who won the last two holes to get back to all square with Kenny Perry and Jim Furyk when it mattered most. It was the first time in nine career foursomes matches that Garcia hadn't emerged a victor.
Azinger's admiration for the way that Harrington gritted his teeth and holed one clutch after another in that foursomes was plain to see. "You've to take your hat off to Pádraig Harrington. He made one key putt after another. He just kept doing it all day. That's who Pádraig is. He's just turned into a remarkable player and just keeps making clutch putts," said a gracious Azinger.
But it was very much the USA's day, rubbishing the tag of underdogs and rising to the occasion. There were wins in the foursomes for Justin Leonard and Hunter Mahan over Henrik Stenson and Paul Casey and for Stewart Cink and Chad Campbell over Justin Rose and Ian Poulter. Mickelson and Kim, who energised the crowd with his high-fives and fist-pumping, and Perry and Furyked grabbed the halved points that moved them into a 3-1 lead.
There was more to come, and the number one pairing of Mickelson and Kim rose to the occasion in a big way, following on from their halved foursomes match with a thrilling, nail-biting fourballs win by 2 Holes over Harrington and McDowell in the top fourballs. "I love playing with this guy. He has a lot of talent, a lot of game, and it's infectious," said Mickelson.
The first - and only - win of the day for Europe had been posted shortly before Mickelson and Kim closed out their match. It came from Justin Rose and, vindicating his wild card pick, Ian Poulter who secured a 3 and 2 win over Ben Curtis and Steve Stricker, two Ryder Cup rookies paired together.
McDowell, too, made his debut; and played some wonderful golf in partnership with Harrington in the top fourballs. The Ulsterman had sat out the foursomes, although he didn't twiddle his thumbs. He worked on the range and even managed to get in two holes of practice - on the first and the ninth - in preparation for his debut appearance.
When it came, McDowell combined with Harrington to produce eight birdies in a fourballs match that epitomised all that is good and great about the Ryder Cup. Unfortunately for them, they came up short as Mickelson's birdie on the 17th - from 35 feet, the ninth birdie conjured up by Lefty and Kim - settled the match. When neither Harrington nor McDowell managed to birdie the last, Mickelson's eight-footer was conceded, and the Americans claimed a 2 Hole win.
"Graeme played great, I was really impressed. He hardly missed a golf shot," said Harrington of his partner. "He's going to feeling this a bit because he really played great." Leonard and Mahan - claiming two wins from two - beat Garcia and Miguel Angel Jimenez in the third fourballs by 4 and 3, but Westwood and Soren Hansen salvaged a halved point for Europe in the bottom match - to keep hopes alive - by winning the 18th, after Boo Weekley and JB Holmes both found the water off the tee..
Who had seen this American revival coming? For much of the day, it was the Europeans - certainly over the front nine - who held the initiative. But, when it really mattered over the closing holes, it was the Americans who came up trumps. A first Ryder Cup win since Brookline in 1999 is very much in their own hands, with today's second session of foursomes and fourballs to follow and tomorrow's 12 singles to come.
For Europe, it will be more than a case of picking up the pieces. Nick Faldo's men - who may point to the fact that three of the four foursomes went to the 18th, indicating how tight the matches were - need to somehow rediscover the spirit of 2002, 2004 and 2006. Otherwise, the Ryder Cup will have a new home. It ain't over yet, though.
Foursomes
Mickelson/Kim halved with Harrington/KarlssonAS
Leonard/Mahan beat Stenson/Casey 3 and 2
Cink/Campbell beat Rose/Poulter 1 up
Perry and Furyk halved with Garcia/Westwood AS
Fourballs
Mickelson/Kim beat Harrington/Karlsson 2 holes
Stricker/Curtis lost Poulter/Rose 4 and 2
Leonard/Mahan bt Garcia Jimenez 4 and 3
Holme/Weekley v Westwood/Hansen
