Europe off to fast start on first day

Holders Britain and Ireland, inspired by Lee Westwood and David Howell, led Continental Europe by 3-1/2 points to 1-1/2 after the opening day fourballs in the Seve Trophy on Thursday.

Britain and Ireland won three of the five fourball matches played at Campo de Golf Parador in El Saler to take the early initiative in the Ryder Cup-style team competition.

"We would definitely have taken that if you had offered us a two-point lead at the start of play, so it has been a pretty good first day for us," said Britain and Ireland captain Colin Montgomerie.

"The competition is intense, as you would expect, but the standard of play has been excellent."

Englishmen Westwood and Howell set the tone, picking up eight birdies between them on their way to a two-hole victory against Ryder Cup veterans Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal in the first match.

Fellow Britons Brian Davis and Paul Casey maintained the momentum, beating Spaniards Ignacio Garrido and Miguel Angel Jimenez 2 and 1, before Germany's Alex Cejka and Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin earned Continental Europe's first points.

Cejka and Jacquelin, seven clear after just nine holes, held off a brave fightback by good friends Justin Rose and Ian Poulter before triumphing 4 and 3.

Swedish duo Fredrik Jacobson and Niclas Fasth squared their contest with the Scottish combination of Montgomerie and Paul Lawrie but Irishman Padraig Harrington and Briton Phillip Price completed a successful day for the visitors in the final match.

In-form Harrington and fellow Ryder Cup player Price beat Denmark's Thomas Bjorn and Spaniard Sergio Garcia by two holes to give Britain and Ireland a two-point lead going into Friday's fourball matches.

"Padraig played unbelievably well," said Garcia, after the Irishman had covered the four holes between the fourth and the seventh in five under par.

"We did well turning for home, but he had left us just too much to do."

Four greensomes are scheduled for Saturday morning with four foursome matches to follow in the afternoon.

The third edition of the trophy will then be decided over 10 singles matches on Sunday. The winning team needs a minimum of 14-1/2 points.

Continental Europe won the inaugural competition at Sunningdale in England by 13-1/2 points to 12-1/2, but Britain and Ireland levelled the series last year at Druids Glen in Ireland, triumphing by 14-1/2 points to 11-1/2.

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