Darren Clarke
VERSAILLES, France - Britain and Ireland defied captain's Paul McGinley's belief that they are Seve Trophy underdogs by taking a 4-1 lead against Continental Europe in Thursday's fourballs opener.
McGinley's team dominated Jean Van de Velde's men at St Nom la Breteche, with former World Matchplay champion Ross Fisher of England and rookie Scott Jamieson of Scotland leading the way. The Britons overwhelmed 2010 Ryder Cup Swede Peter Hanson and home favourite Raphael Jacquelin 6 & 4.
McGinley, although delighted with the way his team had come out of the blocks, said his men were still underdogs despite Britain and Ireland winning the last five editions.
"It's a brilliant start but we are underdogs on paper," McGinley told reporters.
"It's not a question of making it up. I've been telling the team that - they are playing against world-class players. They are going to come back at us for sure."
Van de Velde acknowledged that McGinley's combinations, largely experience with youth, had worked but his team had been on the back foot as early as the first match when Welshman Jamie Donaldson began birdie-birdie.
Donaldson and last week's Dutch Open champion Simon Dyson of England defeated the highly-experienced Miguel Angel Jimenez and Pablo Larrazabal of Spain 2 & 1 in the opening match.
"We went behind very quickly and it wasn't good for the morale," said Van de Velde. "A couple of my players had off-days and maybe some of my team tried too hard.
"But tomorrow is another day, well I hope it is. I hope it's not groundhog day."
Former World Golf Championship winner Ian Poulter and fellow Englishman Robert Rock's victory was equally comfortable as they saw off Europe's current Ryder Cup table leader Thomas Bjorn of Denmark and Swede Alex Noren 5 & 3.
Although British Open champion Darren Clarke and another trophy rookie, Englishman David Horsey, were taken to the last by Italian teenage prodigy Matteo Manassero and Belgium's Nicolas Colsaerts before winning by one hole, the away pair were never caught after Horsey also birdied the first two holes.
Britain and Ireland's only defeat came for world number two Lee Westwood and fellow-Englishman Mark Foster, by one hole to Italian Ryder Cup player Francesco Molinari and Dane Anders Hansen.
McGinley has stuck with the pair, though, and the Irishman has kept all five of his pairs together for Friday's second round of fourballs.
FRIDAY FOURBALL MATCHUPS
Bjorn and Jacquelin v Dyson and Donaldson
Hanson and Noren v Rock and Poulter
Colsaerts and Manassero v Jamieson and Fisher
Hansen and Molinari v Foster and Westwood
Jimenez and Larrazabal v Clarke and Horsey.