VERSAILLES, France, Sept 16 (Reuters) – Continental Europehit back at Britain and Ireland in Friday’s Seve Trophyfourballs to leave the biennial match finely poised 5 1/2-4 1/2in the away team’s favour.
Europe captain Jean Van de Velde said after sliding 4-1behind on Thursday that he hoped the second series of matches atSt Nom La Breteche would not turn into “groundhog day”.
It was anything but as the continentals rallied to win theseries 3 1/2-1 1/2.
Victories by Swedes Peter Hanson and Alex Noren, SpaniardsMiguel Angel Jimenez and Pablo Larrazabal and Matteo Manasseroof Italy and Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts lifted Europe’s chancesof ending a run of five successive defeats in the event.
“We’re still behind but it was a good reaction by my team,”Frenchman Van de Velde told reporters. “the intensity andcommitment was there, they were actually tuned in this time.”
Van de Velde tinkered with his line-up but it was just solidperformances by regular tour winners that turned the tide, hesaid.
“I told my players I want to see everyone into his game thistime. Everyone has an off-day but not three or four players outof 10. I also reminded them we had just lost a battle and notthe war.”
Britain and Ireland skipper Paul McGinley had warned histeam the continentals would strike back.
“as I keep telling my players, we are up against a strongteam and we shouldn’t underestimate them,” the Irishman said.
“I have told them it isn’t the end of the world … and weare still ahead.”
Hanson and Noren provided early Swedish rhapsody byoverwhelming British pair Ian Poulter and Robert Rock 5 & 3,McGinley calling that match the second-day watershed.
“Ian Poulter is livid because the defeat was a huge boostand the foundation for Europe’s comeback. They (Poulter andRock) lost three holes to pars and you can’t afford to do that,”the Irishman added.
Jimenez and Larrazabal took control just before the turn asthey beat British Open champion Darren Clarke and David Horsey 3& 2.
“now we are talking business,” said a delighted Jimenez,puffing on a large cigar.
While Jimenez, at 47, is the event’s oldest protagonist,Manassero, at 18, is the youngest since the tournament began in2000.
The Italian teenager and Colsaerts took care of Britons RossFisher and Scott Jamieson by a two-hole margin.
“We put it all together this time,” Manassero said.“Yesterday I missed quite a few greens.”
World number two Lee Westwood and fellow Briton Mark Fosterbucked the trend, avenging a narrow defeat the previous day toFrancesco Molinari and Anders Hansen by pounding thecontinentals 5 & 3.
“We probably deserved to get something yesterday and todaywe took revenge,” said Westwood who set the match alight with anirresistible run of six birdies and an eagle in 11 holes fromthe fifth.
British pair Simon Dyson and Jamie Donaldson halved theirmatch with Dane Thomas Bjorn and Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin.
(Editing by Tony Jimenez. To comment on this story:)