EUROPEAN

• Americans three points ahead at Ryder Cup

  
  

  Louisville, KY (Sports Network) - The Americans were in unfamiliar territory at the Ryder Cup on Friday.

  They were in the lead.

  The United States grabbed a 5 1/2 - 2 1/2 lead over Europe after Friday's two sessions of at Valhalla, marking the first time it held the day-one advantage since 1995.

  In afternoon fourballs, the U.S. took 2 1/2 points to win both sessions in a day for the first time since 1981.

  After a 3-1 win in foursomes in the morning, the Americans' first Friday morning victory since 1991, the U.S. finds itself in a commanding position after day one.

  But, U.S. captain Paul Azinger is not about to get cocky. The Americans have lost five of the last six Ryder Cups, including the last three. The last two losses were historic, nine-point drubbings.

  Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim led off both sessions and gained 1 1/2 points, including a 2-up victory over Padraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell in fourballs.

  In both matches, the U.S. pair was 3-down, but came out of it with some points for the team.

  "It was a fun day for us," said Mickelson.

  "I thought that being 3-down in both matches, we played with a lot of heart and a lot of emotion today to be able to pull a halve and a win out." Match No.

  2 in fourballs was a bright spot for Europe. Justin Rose and Ian Poulter had little trouble with the U.S. team of Steve Stricker and Ben Curtis. Europe won 4 & 2 for its side's only full point on Friday.

  The American duo of Justin Leonard and Hunter Mahan went 2-0 on Friday. After a 3 & 2 win in the morning, they came out inspired in a 4 & 3 trouncing of the Spanish team of Sergio Garcia and Miguel Angel Jimenez.

  Kentucky native J.B.

  Holmes and crowd favorite Boo Weekly earned a halve against Lee Westwood and Soren Hansen in Friday's final fourball match.

  That anchor match became a classic to end Friday's action.

  In a spirited contest that saw Weekley often imploring the crowd to make noise, followed by Westwood shooting glances in his direction, Europe grabbed a 2-up lead after a win at the fifth.

  With wins at nine and 10, the U.S. drew even. Weekley holed a long shot from off the green for a birdie to win the 12th and put the U.S. 1-up. The two sides halved the next four holes.

  Hansen took an unplayable at the 17th, but after a drop he hit his approach to seven feet. Weekley stepped up and hit his second to 10 feet. Not to be outdone, Westwood's approach spun back to six feet.

  Holmes, often outdriving all three in his group by 40 yards, found the right rough off the tee. His wedge rolled up to a foot.

  The U.S. conceded Hansen's par putt, allowing them to putt first.

  Holmes walked up and tapped his in to guarantee at least a halve.

  Westwood rolled his birdie putt in the hole to extend the match to 18.

  Both of the Americans drove into the water at the closing hole and both Europeans landed in the short grass.

  Weekley dropped and hit his third into the right bunker. Westwood and Hansen both played solid seconds on to the green, giving them both decent looks at eagle. Holmes, with only around 160 yards for his third, came up short.

  Neither American holed out from off the green. Westwood's lag putt went a little past concession range, but Hansen's did not. The Americans conceded the hole, but the half-point gave them a three-point overall edge.

  "We played great today," said Holmes.

  "It was a fun day.

  It's a little frustrating at the end not to finish it off, but it was a good battle." For European captain Nick Faldo, he was happy to just see that last half point.

  "We haven't lost any spirit," said Faldo. "To claw back at the end of the day, that's good for the boys' morale. The golf's been incredible." Europe started with the incredible golf in the afternoon fourballs.

  Mickelson and Kim fell 3-down after three straight losses from the second. Mickelson took the fifth hole, then Kim won six after a great approach to get within 1-down.

  McDowell made a 20-footer for birdie to win the eighth, but Mickelson kicked in a short birdie putt to take the ninth. Mickelson hit an amazing approach from a bunker at 13 to a few feet to set up a birdie that squared the match.

  Kim holed an eight-footer to win No. 14 and put the U.S. ahead. It didn't last long when McDowell drained a 12-footer to win the 15th to pull even.

  At the 17th, Mickelson drove into the heavy rough, but was able to muscle an approach to 30 feet. He converted the long birdie effort, then watched as both Europeans narrowly missed birdie tries.

  The U.S. had a 1-up lead with the par-five closing hole to go. Mickelson had a reasonable look at birdie, but one of the Europeans needed to make birdie, then have Mickelson miss to pull out a halve.

  Neither Harrington nor McDowell could make their birdie tries. They conceded the hole and match to the U.S.

  Poulter and Rose gave the rookie American tandem very little chance on Friday. Europe won the second hole, but Stricker drew even with a win at the third.

  Poulter won the sixth and seventh holes by himself to move his squad 2-up. Stricker rolled in a few putts to halve some holes, but when Poulter sank a 15-foot birdie putt at 14, the lead was 3-up.

  Rose was conceded a par at 16. Stricker or Curtis needed to make birdie to extend the match and neither could, giving Rose and Poulter Europe's first win of the competition.

  It was a good win since that pair squandered a 3-up lead in the morning en route to losing to Stewart Cink and Chad Campbell.

  "To get out this afternoon, playing the golf we played on the front nine this morning was nice," said Poulter. "It was nice to do that." Mahan got his side out in front with a 25-foot birdie putt at one. He made a 12-footer at nine to give the U.S. a 2-up advantage.

  Jimenez got the Spaniards back within 1-down after a birdie at 11, but the U.S.

  took the next two holes to go 3-up. Leonard chipped in for birdie at 15 to give himself and Mahan a 2-0 day.

  09/19 19:52:29 ET