Continental Europe take early lead

KILLENARD, Ireland -- Continental Europe held a 3-2 lead over Great Britain and Ireland after the first day of the Seve Trophy at The Heritage Club in Ireland.

The Continentals, captained by Severiano Ballesteros, after whom the trophy is named, looked set for a bigger lead in the opening fourballs.

But then up stepped tournament-new boy Graeme Storm to hole a crucial birdie putt on the final green to earn himself and Nick Dougherty a win over Danish pair Thomas Bjorn and Soren Hansen.

"It feels marvelous" he said. "We dovetailed well and it was hard to pick a winner right up to the end. Europe got off to a great start so for us to finish off well can only help our confidence," said Storm.

GB and Ireland are captained by Nick Faldo, who will also be in charge of the European Ryder Cup team for the 2008 match against the United States, and opposing skipper Ballesteros said he would have been encouraged what he had seen.

"I approached Nick on the 17th hole and said: 'You have very good material for The Ryder Cup' and he replied: 'Yes, yes!' I am hoping that we have more people come because it's Thursday and so many were working today. I think as the week goes on there will be more people here," a reference to the poor galleries on the first day with no Irish players in action.

Peter Hanson and fellow Swede Robert Karlsson were in tremendous form as the Continentals took an early lead with a 3 and 1 beating of Scottish combination Colin Montgomerie and Marc Warren, being 11-under-par when the match finished.

GB & Ireland struck back to win the second fourball, with Welshman Bradley Dredge and his English partner, Phillip Archer, beating the Spanish duo of Miguel Angel Jimenez and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano by 2 and 1.

But French pair Gregory Havret and Raphaël Jacquelin thrashed England's Paul Casey and Simon Dyson 4 and 3, while Markus Brier and Mikko Ilonen were 3 and 2 winners over Justin Rose and Oliver Wilson of England.

In the final match on course, Bjorn and Hansen hit back to level on the 17th before Storm provided supplied his timely coup de grace. E-mail to a friend