Sep27 Seve Trophy day one

Continental Europe took a 3-2 lead over Britain and Ireland after the opening fourballs in the Seve Trophy.

Seve Ballesteros’ European team looked set for an even healthier lead until England’s Graeme Storm sank an 18-foot birdie putt on the last for victory.

It gave Storm and Nick Dougherty a one-hole victory over Danish pairing Soren Hansen and Thomas Bjorn.

The only other winners for Nick Faldo’s team were Welshman Bradley Dredge and England’s Phillip Archer.

They beat Spaniards Miguel Angel Jimenez and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano 2&1.

606: DEBATE Could Faldo call on Seve for help?

But some of Britain and Ireland’s leading names struggled at The Heritage course in Killenard, Ireland.

Scotland pairing Colin Montgomerie and Marc Warren lost 3&1 to Swedish duo Robert Karlsson and Peter Hanson, who were out in 29 and a dazzling 11 under par for the 17 holes.

An out-of-form Paul Casey and Simon Dyson went down 4&3 to French pair Raphael Jacquelin and Gregory Havret, and Austria’s Markus Brier and Finland’s Mikko Ilonen beat Justin Rose and Oliver Wilson 3&2.

A dismally small crowd turned up to watch the opening day, perhaps as a result of the absence of any Irish presence in the home side.

The match continues with five more fourballs on Friday, then greensomes and foursomes on Saturday and 10 singles on Sunday.