europe lack early killer punch
Monty agony after another missed putt.
By Harry Emanuel, the K Club
A good start to the Ryder Cup for the European team but you can't help feel it could have been better as they led all four matches at various stages. After a wet and windy night the players had wonderful conditions for golf playing lift clean and place. This was no help to Tiger Woods. The world number one was all over the course - apart from the fairway that is - and spent more time in the river Liffey than a local trout. One up after seven and with the momentum things looked very promising for Montgomerie and Harrington. Unfortunately for Europe though both players putted poorly with Harrington the main culprit. They soon found themselves three down with five to play. Although they staged a comeback the putter failed them again on 17th and they lost the opportunity to level the match. The US team held on to win on the 18th. As Tiger Woods said a few weeks ago: "The Ryder Cup is all about holing putts." Furyk played excellent golf and has proved himself as the ideal foil to Woods. We will be seeing a lot more of the Woods/Furyk pair not only over the next few days but also the next few years. Mind you, if Woods doesn't find something to fix his swing in the lunch break even his partner will have trouble saving them in a very tough foursomes match against the in-form Sergio Garcia and ever-steady Luke Donald. The Spanish duo of Olazabal and Garcia disposed easily of Toms and Wetterich to give Europe their first point and level the match. It was very pleasing in particular to see Olazabal back with Garcia and these two provided a vital confidence boost to the whole European team. Casey and in particular Karlsson meanwhile played brilliant golf to be three up at the turn but after five birdies in a row from Cink and Henry they found themselves one down with three to play. But a great birdie from Casey on the16th after Karlsson hit his second into the water and they were all square going down 18. The points were shared and a fair result in the end, but you have to feel the European team let half a point slip. As expected the fate of the morning session lay in the hands of Clarke and Westwood, who struggled to hole a decent putt and put pressure on Mickelson and DiMarco. A real ding-dong battle ensued with the European pair crucially edging ahead on the 16th and they brilliantly held their nerve to win and swing the momentum in favour of Ian Woosnam's team.
