Both Spaniards found the same bunker in two at the long fourth but Olazabal’s splash out was almost perfect to set up a birdie to win the hole.

It remained unchanged until the short eighth when Olazabal rolled in an 18-foot birdie putt to put Europe two up.

Garcia then produced a superb mid-iron to 10 feet at the ninth and holed for birdie to put the pressure on America’s number two pairing.

Olazabal holed from 16 feet for birdie at the 10th but DiMarco could not follow him in and the Spaniards went four up with eight to play.

There was a moment of controversy at the 13th when DiMarco pushed his drive right onto a path of wood shavings, where a spectator picked it up. Having dropped the ball back onto the path there was some discussion before the American then hit his approach into the pond.

The hole was halved in four before Mickelson carded his first birdie of the day with a 10-foot put at the par-three 14th to reduce Europe’s lead.

But the end was not long in coming as Garcia powered his second at the par-five 16th into the bunker and then splashed out to a couple of feet, bringing an immediate concession from the Americans and Europe’s first point of the morning fourballs.