Euros fantastic value for money

IT took until 10 minutes past five local time for the Americans to win a match on the opening day of the 35th Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills yesterday.

The fist-waving duo of Chris DiMarco and Jay Haas beat Miguel-Angle Jimenez and debutant Thomas Levet by 3 and 2, but otherwise there was little or nothing for the usually noisy Detroit fans to cheer.

Having been crushed 3½ to ½ in the morning fourballs, they were being treated in similarly ruthless fashion by the Europeans in the other afternoon fourballs. The irrepressible Pádraig Harrington and Colin Montgomerie restored the morning status quo with a 16th green defeat of Davis Love and Fred Funk, while Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood, three down after five against Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, fought back so effectively that they were one ahead with four to play.