Joy for McGinley as Irish pair display ‘Ryder Cup potential’

GRAEME McDOWELL teamed up with Rory McIlroy yesterday to help fellow Irishman Paul McGinley’s Great Britain and Ireland side to a 3-2 lead over Continental Europe after the opening fourballs.

The pair beat Dane Soren Kjeldsen and big-hitting Spaniard Alvaro Quiros 4&3 in the top game of the Vivendi Trophy in Paris however afterwards European captain Thomas Bjorn blamed the morning’s opening ceremony for his team’s faltering start.

McGinley, for his part, was delighted by the start made to the four-day match and admitted the big surprise was the record-equalling six and five win by debutants Chris Wood and Anthony Wall over Swedish stars Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson.