The
world number one had won only three of his 10 Ryder Cup matches before this week
and a one-hole defeat in the fourballs by Darren Clarke and Thomas Bjorn followed
by a 2 & 1 foursomes loss to Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia on Friday continued
his poor record.
Just
as worrying for his captain Curtis Strange was the manner in which he and Mark
Calcavecchia conceded the afternoon match.
Woods
missed two putts from within four feet at the 10th and 11th holes before dumping
his tee shot into the sand for another lost hole at the next.
Westwood
and Garcia, who earlier completed a 4 & 3 fourball victory over David Duval
and Davis Love, slipped back to two up by taking six at the par five 15th.
They
closed out for victory, though, at the 17th, as Westwood nailed a three word to
find the 564-yard par five green in two.
Two
further putts for a birdie secured victory over the Americans who had found the
rough from the tee and could only match the Europeans thanks to a 15-foot putt
by Woods.
Woods's
agonies followed a triumphant start for the Europeans who are attempting to wrest
the trophy back after losing in Brookline, Boston three years ago by a point.
Sam Torrance's
men led by 3-1 after the opening foursomes, the Americans' worst opening session
result in the event for 31 years.
The
U.S. did briefly narrow the margin when Hal Sutton and Scott Verplank fought back
from two down after 12 holes to beat Clarke and Bjorn 2 & 1.
Bjorn
had edged his team ahead with the first eagle of this Ryder Cup, chipping in from
25 feet off the green at the long third.
He
then pitched to 12 feet for Clarke to birdie the 10th and double the lead, but
the Europeans were clawed back at the next after taking bogey five before Bjorn's
15 footer for birdie restored the two-hole cushion.
Then
came the Americans' comeback as Clarke and Bjorn conceded consecutive bogeys at
the 12th and 13th before a bunkered approach from the Dane at the long 17th sealed
their fate.
In
the third match of the foursomes, Colin Montgomerie and Bernhard Langer, morning
victors over Scott Hoch and Jim Furyk 4 & 3, continued where they left off
against world number two Phil Mickelson and David Toms.
They
raced into a three-hole lead with birdies at the second, fifth and eighth and
were still three up with four to play.
In
the last foursomes match out, the all-Irish partnership of Paul McGinley and Padraig
Harrington were trailing against Stewart Cink and Jim Furyk, three down with five
to play.
Strange
had replaced four players to ensure all 12 of his team saw action on day one,
while European captain Sam Torrance made only one change -- McGinley for Niclas
Fasth -- after a morning in which the U.S. made their worst start since 1971 when
Britain also led 3-1.
Westwood
and Garcia had the honour of claiming Europe's first point, the Englishman sinking
an 18 foot birdie putt at the 15th to beat David Duval and Davis Love 4 &
3 in front of a sell-out crowd of 35,000.
Montgomerie
and Langer then closed out their match against Scott Hoch and Furyk 4 & 3
to give Europe, bidding to win back the trophy, a perfect start.
But
Mickelson and Toms claimed the first point for the U.S, narrowly holding off a
late challenge from Harrington and Fasth to win by one hole.
More
than 1,200 armed police and marshals are maintaining a security presence at The
Belfry for this week's competition, which was scheduled to be held at the same
venue last year before being postponed for 12 months following the September 1
attacks.
The
U.S., who hold the trophy after their victory by 14-1/2 points to 13-1/2 at Brookline
in 1999, have won 24 times in the 75-year history of the biennial competition.
Britain (or Europe
since 1979) have won seven matches and two have been tied.
In
the foursomes format, each team play only one ball with the players taking alternate
shots. In fourballs, each player completes a hole with the best score counting.
