Harrington shows the way

Double Open champion Padraig Harrington today led from the front as Europe began their quest for a fourth straight Ryder Cup victory at Valhalla.

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 they promptly birdied the opening hole.

A terrible tee shot from Harrington on the third allowed the Americans to get back on level terms, but the Irishman then holed a superb par putt on the sixth to restore their lead despite Karlsson finding trouble off the tee.

With 90 minutes’ play gone, Europe were up in two matches, down in one and level in the other, and it could have been even better after Paul Casey and Henrik Stenson had the luxury of winning the first two holes with pars against Justin Leonard and Hunter Mahan.

However, Leonard and Mahan then birdied the next three holes to put a home pairing ahead for the first time in the match.

In the third match, Justin Rose and Ian Poulter led Stewart Cink and Chad Campbell by one after four holes courtesy of a birdie at the third where Rose’s tee shot finished two feet from the hole.

The final foursomes clash saw Europe’s top pairing of Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood get off to the perfect start with a birdie on the first against Kenny Perry and Jim Furyk.

But local favourite Perry then holed from 20ft for birdie on the third to get back to all square.

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, European fans responding with cries of ’Where’s your Tiger gone?’ and ’There’s only one Nick Faldo’.

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.”