Jimenez: No letting up

Miguel Angel Jimenez today urged his team-mates not to take Ryder Cup victory for granted as the rain-delayed event resumed at Celtic Manor.

Two lengthy rain delays on the Twenty Ten course on Friday and yesterday meant the 12 singles matches were being played on a Monday for the first time in the event’s 83-year history, with Europe leading 9.5-6.5 and needing five more points to regain the trophy lost two years ago at Valhalla.

That was an amazing turnaround from trailing 6-4 after the second session, the home side winning five and halving one of the six matches – two foursomes and four fourballs – completed on Sunday.

But Jimenez, who combined with Sweden’s Peter Hanson for one of the five wins by beating Bubba Watson and Jeff Overton on the 18th, is keen for Colin Montgomerie’s side not to suffer the same fate as the 1999 team, who led 10-6 going into the singles at Brookline but failed to win after an amazing American comeback.

“We can’t relax now because it’s going to be tough and we hope everything stays the way it is,” the 46-year-old Spaniard said. “The Americans are very good players and they are going to put a lot of pressure on us.”

That sentiment was echoed by Ian Poulter, who also won yesterday alongside USPGA champion Martin Kaymer and added: “We need to stay focused.

“The guys are going to come out tough. They are a great US team and you’ve got to expect them to come out quick so we need to keep the blue on the board and hit the right shots at the right time and play some good golf.”

Montgomerie’s singles line-up looked designed to try to end the match as soon as possible, with Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald and Kaymer out in the first four matches.

But three-time major champion Padraig Harrington and US Open champion Graeme McDowell will bring up the rear in case the match goes down to the wire.

“We know we are going to have to be really strong,” said Harrington, who has two points from three matches with an inspired Ross Fisher despite still looking to be struggling to find top form after being a controversial wild card selection.

“It’s nice to win the points but there’s a lot of work to be done and we are going to have to make sure that we are ready for it and focused.”