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Europe extend Ryder Cup lead

European Ryder Cup players Jose Maria Olazabal, center, and Sergio Garcia, right, of Spain line up a putt on the first green as the US' Phil Mickelson looks on during their fourball match at the Ryder Cup in County Kildare, Ireland, yesterday. PHOTO: REUTERS

World No. 1 Tiger Woods lost his second successive match as Ryder Cup holders Europe grabbed a 7 1/2 to 4 1/2 lead after the morning fourballs yesterday -- their third successive session win.

Woods was well below his best on Friday and again sprayed the ball all over the K Club course on the second day as he and Jim Furyk were beaten 3 & 2 by wildcards Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood.

Jose Maria Olazabal equaled the all-time fourballs record after combining with fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia to defeat Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco 3 & 2.

Paul Casey and Robert Karlsson won the last hole to halve with Stewart Cink and J.J. Henry while rookie Zach Johnson chipped in at the 17th as he and Scott Verplank triumphed 2 & 1 over Henrik Stenson and Padraig Harrington.

"Lee played great today," Clarke told reporters after sealing victory by chipping in at the 16th. "If we had putted better we would have been more under par than we were."

"People said we were a wildcard gamble and the people who were sure it wasn't a gamble were the two of us. We enjoy playing with each other," he added.

Former US basketball star Michael Jordan enjoys a cigar on the seventh fairway during the fourballs at The K Club in County Kildare, Ireland, yesterday. PHOTO: REUTERS

Europe began the session with a 5-3 lead on another day of sharply contrasting weather, torrential rain mixed with spells of bright sunshine.

Westwood produced a hat-trick of magical approach shots early on. He holed from three feet at the first but spurned birdie chances from seven feet at the second and five feet at the third.

CONSECUTIVE BIRDIES

Clarke came to the party at the fourth and fifth, holing from four and three feet for consecutive birdies.

US Ryder Cup player Tiger Woods reacts after missing a putt on the 12th hole during his morning fourballs match during the second day of the 2006 Ryder Cup at the K Club in Straffan, County Kildare, Ireland, yesterday. PHOTO: AFP

Woods missed from four feet at the eighth, three feet at the ninth and eight feet at the 13th before reaching a new low by finding the water at the 15th.

Four down with four to play, Furyk came to the rescue by holing a six-footer to win the US pair's first hole of the day but it was too little too late.

European skipper Ian Woosnam provided his own unique brand of leadership, planting a kiss on the cheeks of Garcia and Olazabal before they took on the heavyweight pair of Mickelson and DiMarco.

The Spanish duo, suitably inspired by their skipper, grabbed two birdies in the first four holes to go one up.

Garcia was inches away from finding the water hazard at the eighth before his partner sank a 12-foot birdie putt to extend their advantage.

The 26-year-old Garcia sank a 10-footer for another birdie at the ninth and Olazabal birdied the 10th to put the Europeans four up.

WOOSNAM RECORD

The writing was on the wall for the US when DiMarco found water at the 13th and the Spaniards coasted home.

The win meant Olazabal equaled Woosnam's record fourballs tally of 10 1/2 points.

"Jose played amazing today," said Garcia. "I don't think he missed a fairway."

Cink and Henry, who came from three down on Friday to halve their match with Casey and Karlsson, produced a similar performance to claim another half.

Karlsson chipped in for a birdie at the second and World Match Play champion Casey added further birdies at the fourth and eighth to go two up, the latter after rolling in an 18-foot putt.

Cink birdied the 10th to reduce the deficit and rookie Henry eagled the 16th and birdied the 17th to turn the match around.

Casey then birdied the par-five last to earn a half.

Johnson, 30, was the outstanding performer on either side, firing seven birdies as he partnered the experienced Verplank to a 2 and 1 victory over Harrington and Stenson.

The match began with an early flurry of birdies from both teams, including four in five holes from Johnson.

But Swede Stenson also prompted wild cheers from the Irish gallery when he chipped in for a birdie at the second.

"He didn't need much help today, he was in another world," Verplank said of his partner.

"There's still golf to be played, we are down three but with a committed afternoon you never can tell," Lehman said. "The players know they have to get it done, they need to putt with conviction."

Reuters, STRAFFAN, Ireland

US captain Tom Lehman resisted the temptation to drop an out-of-form Tiger Woods from a Ryder Cup session for the first time in his career yesterday.

The world No. 1, well below his best this week, was due to partner Jim Furyk for the fourth successive match at the K Club in yesterday afternoon's foursomes.

Furyk and Woods, who has competed in 23 matches since making his Cup debut at Valderrama in 1997, was set to take on Irish duo Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley in the final encounter of the day.

Woods struggled throughout his two matches on Friday, though he won the fourballs, and barely made a contribution yesterday as he was wayward off the tee and missed several short putts en route to a 3 and 2 defeat by Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood.

Lehman and his opposite number Ian Woosnam both decided to shuffle their packs for the final session of pairs matches at the 36th Ryder Cup.

Woosnam was due to start the afternoon with good friends Sergio Garcia and Luke Donald, who took on Phil Mickelson and David Toms in the format where teams use a single ball and take alternate shots.

European talisman Colin Montgomerie, who sat out the morning fourballs, partnered Westwood in the second match against Chad Campbell and US rookie Vaughn Taylor, who made his first appearance of the week having been the only player to be completely overlooked during the first three sessions.

Match three features Paul Casey and fellow Briton David Howell against Stewart Cink and first-timer Zach Johnson, one of few Americans to shine so far this week.
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