Europe grab the early initiative

Europe lead the Ryder Cup by 2.5 points to 1.5 following a mixed morning session for Ian Woosnam's team.

Padraig Harrington and Colin Montgomerie lost to Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk by one hole.

Woods' opening shot hooked into the lake, but Furyk birdied from six feet and the Americans continued to lead until Woods three-putted the fifth after his partner had been in trouble.

All four players went left into the trees down seven and Harrington and Furyk were in water for three.

An off-form Woods failed to get up and down and Montgomerie's two-putt par made Europe one up, but Woods with a five footer on the short eighth and Furyk with a 25-footer at the next - after the world number one had putted off the green - turned that around.

Woods made the gap three with 14-foot birdie putts at 11 and 12, but after Montgomerie found the target from 25 feet at the short 14th Harrington powered a wood over the water onto the green and was the only one to birdie the long 16th.

The Europeans both missed from around 18 feet at the 17th and after Montgomerie missed his 40-foot eagle attempt on the last Furyk, also in two, putted up close to clinch victory.

Paul Casey and Robert Karlsson halved with Stewart Cink and JJ Henry.

Any doubts over rookie Karlsson were dispelled at the third with a seven-foot birdie putt at the short third to bring the match back to all-square.

Casey then eagled the fourth after a stunning three wood to five feet to go one up before Karlsson's par four at the seventh was enough to double their lead after his partner and Cink found water.

The big Swede carded another birdie at the ninth to go three up but Henry's approach for a tap in at the 11th won one back for the USA.

American rookie Henry's confidence grew and at the next he hit his tee shot to within six feet to cut the lead to one.

The short 14th saw Cink sink a six-footer to bring the teams level and Henry then birdied the next.

But after Casey holed a 30-footer for birdie at the par-five 16th the American missed from four feet and it was back to all square.

Both Europeans had eagle putts to win at the last but had to settle for a half.

Sergio Garcia and Jose Maria Olazabal beat David Toms and Brett Wetterich 3 and 2.

Garcia rolled in a 25-footer from the fringe of the first and although Olazabal holed from 18 feet on the next Toms made his from 10.

The 568-yard fourth was also halved in birdies, with Garcia leaving his eagle putt a fraction short.

Toms came to the side's rescue again at the sixth with a 12-foot birdie putt for a half after Garcia had found the target again from 14, but Olazabal's five-footer on nine took the Spaniards, out in a brilliant five under 30, two up.

Wetterich was on in two to win the 584-yard 10th and Garcia needed a 10-footer for a half on the next.

Neither American could even par the 13th, however, and Garcia's 15-foot putt for his side's seventh birdie made it three up with three to play.

Garcia was on in two at the 16th and when he birdied again he and his partner were a spectacular eight-under.

Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke beat Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco by one hole.

Clarke, undoubtedly fired up by the Irish crowd, boomed a 300-yard drive down the first and then holed from 10 feet for birdie.

The Europeans held their one-hole advantage until the par-five fourth where Mickelson birdied.

Both DiMarco, from five feet, and Mickelson from 10, missed birdie attempts and Westwood holed from in between the two Americans to go one up again.

But DiMarco rolled in an 18-footer at the next to bring the Americans level again.

However, at the pivotal long 16th Clarke was just to the left of the green in two, chipped to three feet and with the Americans in trouble Mickelson missed an eight-foot putt to halve.

Fittingly it was Clarke who clinched the point when he two-putted from the fringes of the par-five 18th for a birdie.