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Americans take 3-1 lead in Ryder Cup

  • Story Highlights
  • USA lead Europe 3-1 after the morning foursomes in the Ryder Cup
  • Texans Mahan and Leonard beat Stenson and Casey 3 and 2
  • Cink and Campbell come from down to beat Poulter and Rose 1 up
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(CNN) -- Newcomer Hunter Mahan and Justin Leonard led the way for America, with an impressive three and two victory over Henrik Stenson and Paul Casey, as the home side won the opening foursomes 3-1 on the first day of the Ryder Cup at Valhalla.

Texans Mahan (left) and Leonard lost the opening two holes before battling back for an impressive victory.

Texans Mahan (left) and Leonard lost the opening two holes before battling back for an impressive victory.

It was the first time since 1991 that the Americans had led after the opening session and it was a great response to captain Paul Azinger's call for a storming start.

Yet the home team had initially trailed in three matches and were level in the fourth.

Texan pair Leonard and Mahan lost the opening two holes against big hitters Casey and Stenson before winning three in a row to take the initiative.

Stewart Cink and Chad Campbell, who found themselves three down after seven holes, battled back to beat Justin Rose and Ian Poulter one up.

Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim also came from behind to earn a half against Padraig Harrington/Robert Karlsson.

Experienced European pairing Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia did well to win the last two holes to snatch a half against Kenny Perry and Jim Furyk.

Leonard, a hero in America's last victory in the Ryder Cup, at Brookline said:"It feels great .I told Hunter I lost the first two holes for us on purpose to take the pressure off. We had a lot of fun out there."

In the opening match Harrington and Karlsson looked in control at three up after 12 holes before the Swede in particular started to falter.

The Americans won the next three holes to level and the par-five closing hole Harrington's 14 foot putt for the win slipped past after both tee-shots had found sand.

"We were very grateful to take a half having been three down with six to go," said Mickelson who was again teamed with Kim in the first of the afternoon fourballs."

Harrington was understandably disappointed.

"We had a chance at the last hole," he said. "We had a putt to win from 10 feet and I thought I had holed it. Besides that, we can't be disappointed. We didn't leave too many shots out there."

In the third game England's Justin Rose and Ian Poulter were three up on Stewart Cink and Chad Campbell after seven holes when they suddenly lost their touch.

By the 14th they were one down but drew level at the next. Cink and Campbell though clinched the point at the 18th after Rose left his approach shot short in a bunker.

America looked to have another victory in the bag when Perry had a six-foot putt to clinch the win on over Garcia and Westwood on the 17th.

But the 48-year-old local hero missed and Garcia holed a two footer to cut the deficit to one hole.

Perry pushed his drive on the 18th into a water hazard and the Europeans gratefully picked up a half point.

Around 40,000 golf fans provided an electric football-match like atmosphere at the rolling countryside course east of Louisville. The vast majority were pro-American chanting "U-S-A!, U-S-A", but there were pockets of European support with fans dressed as Irish leprechauns and Spanish matadors.

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