Ryder Cup update - Morning Fourballs

The Welsh heavens certainly opened on what was a very wet first morning at the 2010 Ryder Cup. That aside it certainly didn't stop the Dragons from roaring.

Incredible noise met all the players especially from the European side with chanting and clapping in-between holding their umbrellas.

The Molinari brothers were out early whipping up the crowd as the Europeans wore Welsh red something they did similar back in 2006 when it was emerald green in Ireland.

After rain continued to fall, play was suspended after around 2 hours of play as the first group had made it only to the 6th hole.

All of the pairings had never played together in Ryder Cup golf before but that wasn't going to stop some good play early on through what was the worst of the conditions.

Dustin Johnson hit the first shot way right and that was proceeded by Phil Mickelson, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer all finding the fairway.

That top match went European blue on the 2nd when Westwood birdied and they doubled their advantage when Westwood again played a sublime bunker shot to get up and down for a par.

The second match again went Europe's way early on. A par on the 1st from Graeme McDowell saw him and Rory McIlroy go 1up but that was to go back all-square after a long birdie putt from Stewart Cink on the 3rd.

The short-lived American momentum was stopped when out of the same bunker Westwood was in on the 4th, McDowell followed him with a superb shot to go back to 1up.

In the third match a Ross Fisher par on the 1st was followed by a Tiger Woods birdie on the 2nd. Then on the 3rd Ian Pouter came to the party with a long birdie putt on the 3rd.

The USA rookie pairing of Bubba Watson and Jeff Overton got off to an great start in the final pairing with birdies on the 1st and 2nd to put Luke Donald and Padraig Harrington 2down before the delay.

Play eventually got going again at 5pm.

Match 1

An early mistake from Johnson on the 6th meant that Europe went 3up but the big hitting American redeemed himself on the 7th with a birdie to reduce the deficit to 2down for USA.

That would promptly go to 1down following a Mickelson birdie on the par-3 11th as the US pair began to pick up momentum.

Kaymer was slow to start but the German began to find the same form that won his the USPGA Championship back in August. Birdies on the 9th and 11th were vital to get halves and he was unlucky not to win the 12th after he just lipped out. This game is the only one that Europe are up in before play was suspended for bad light.

Match 2

Stewart Cink's putter was hot property in this match. After holing a monster before the delay, two more followed on the 5th and 7th as he and Kuchar came from behind the lead 1up on the Irish pairing.

The game was all-square as it moved to the 10th tee though as a Mcdowell birdie on the 9th brought it back level.

Another Cink birdie on the par-3 11th sent USA back to 1up and Cink to -4 on his round. The USA pairing went 2up on the par-5 11th after another Cink birdie before play was stopped.

Match 3

Poulter and Fisher ran a steady ship as they moved towards the turn. Woods was somewhat out of sorts and his partner Stricker was surprisingly trying to find his feel on the green. That was to change on the 8th as Stricker we know from US Tour came to the party with a 30ft putt to win the hole on the 8th to take that match to all square.

Woods sent USA 1up for the first time in the match with a superb chip on the par-5 9th before a Poulter birdie in the gloom on the 10th green ensured the got suspended on all-square.

Match 4

Watson missed a short putt early on that could have taken USA 3up against Donald and Harrington. The European paired failed to threaten the score through the early holes, though Donald was unlucky to have one hanging on the lip on the 6th.

Finally the European crowd could cheer a birdie in this pairing when Donald birdied the 8th to move back to 1down.

The final match walked in before they putted out on the 9th green with USA still 1up with Donald having to wait to putt out for a halve.

So play will continue tomorrow morning before all 12 players will play in the second session foursomes. The first time in the cup's history this will happen and that will be followed by two further foursomes alongside 4 fourball matches to try and ensure a Sunday finish.