Harrington tees off for Europe

Open champion Padraig Harrington began Europe’s bid for a fourth straight Ryder Cup victory on the opening day’s play at Valhalla on Friday.

Harrington, winner of the last two major championships, was partnered with Sweden’s Robert Karlsson in the first foursomes match against Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim, and found the first fairway with his drive.

Mickelson, like Harrington only claiming half a point from five matches at the K Club two years ago, then smashed his drive around 40 yards further down the right-hand side of the fairway on the 448-yard par four.

Both teams had received loud cheers on the first tee and there were chants of ’USA, USA’ as the players headed off down the fairway.

The American players and captain Paul Azinger attended a ``pep rally'' in downtown Louisville last night to urge spectators to be their ``13th man''.

But Azinger could have overstepped the mark with his reported comment to the crowd that “you can cheer when they (Europe) miss putts”.

So far that was not a factor as Paul Casey and Henrik Stenson had the luxury of two putts from 10 feet to win the opening hole against Justin Leonard and Hunter Mahan after Mahan pulled his approach well wide of the green and then missed from 12ft for par.

Harrington uncharacteristically missed the third green by some distance to leave Karlsson with an impossible shot from the trees, and after one hack apiece the hole was conceded.

Leonard and Mahan then reduced their deficit as Mahan holed from 15ft for birdie on the same hole, while Justin Rose and Ian Poulter halved the opening hole with Stewart Cink and Chad Campbell after the Americans scrambled a par four.

In the vital bottom match, Europe’s top pairing of Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood got off to the perfect start, Westwood holing from 10ft for birdie to win the first against local favourite Kenny Perry and Jim Furyk.