Europe draw first blood on third day of Ryder Cup (3rd Lead)

By Peter Auf der Heyde Oct 3, 2010, 14:45 GMT

Newport, Wales - Europe drew first blood on Sunday at the Ryder Cup as Lee Westwood and Luke Donald picked up the first point of the day for their team.

The pair, playing in a foursome against Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker, managed to birdie the first four holes they played when play resumed early afternoon on Sunday.

As the Americans, however, also managed to birdie the 12th, the match was only decided at the 13th, where Westwood managed to hole a six-foot putt, which gave the Europeans the game 6&5.

It was the first defeat for the Stricker/Woods combination in international competition and cut the US lead in the standings to just one point at 6-5. Europe is leading in all remaining five matches on the course.

It was also Woods' heaviest Ryder Cup defeat-ever.

American captain Corey Pavin paid a tribute to Westwood and Donald. 'I have to say that they played very well.

'It happens sometimes. Woods and Stricker played well in their first two matches, but then it did not work for them in their third. I think it was a combination of their opponents playing well and them not playing well.'

There was also good news for the Europeans in the final match - a fourball between Ian Poulter and Martin Kaymer against Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler - where the Europeans managed to go three under at the fifth hole after Poulter birdied the par-4.

The Americans bounced back on the next hole though as Fowler managed to hole a 12-foot putt to win the hole and take the team back to 2-down through 6.

The only good news for the American team in the early stages of the session was a brilliant eagle from Jeff Overton at the par-4 eighth, which took the rookie and playing-partner Bubba Watson to 1- down through eight against Peter Hanson and Miguel Angel Jimenez.

In the other fourball, Padraig Harrington and Ross Fisher stayed 1-up through nine against Jim Furyk and Dustin Johnson, while the Molinari brothers - Francesco and Edoardo - were 1-up through 7 against Stewart Cink and Matt Kuchar.

In the second foursome on the Celtic Manor Resort course the Irish duo of Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy were 2-up against Zach Johnson and Hunter Mahan through 10.

Earlier Sunday, organizers announced that the concluding 12 singles matches would be played on Monday after the water-logged course made play impossible until midday.

Players were due to tee off early Sunday in an attempt to make up some of the backlog after pouring rain forced a seven-hour break in play on Friday, but organizers said that rain falling throughout Saturday night had resulted in a water-logged course.

It is the first time in the history of the competition, which sees 12-man teams from the United States take on their European counterparts, that play will have to go into Monday.

The organizers said that only spectators with tickets for Sunday would be admitted to the course on Monday and that there would be no tickets on sale to the general public.

Read more about Golf RyderCup