Rocky start for GB & Ireland pair
Justin Rose and Ian Poulter will not forget their introduction to the Seve Trophy in Spain today in a hurry.
Making their debuts for Colin Montgomerie’s Britain and Ireland side at El Saler near Valencia the close friends incredibly lost the first six holes to German Alex Cejka and France’s Raphael Jacquelin.
The Continental Europe pair had their sights on a record win when they also won the ninth to be out in a seven under par better-ball of 29, but then Poulter and Rose birdied the next five holes before losing four and three.
“We were playing for respectability at the end,” admitted Rose.
Elsewhere, however, Britain and Ireland had the edge in the opening fourballs of the four-day match.
Home captain Seve Ballesteros and his old Ryder Cup partner Jose Maria Olazabal were two down with two to play against Lee Westwood and David Howell, Brian Davis and Paul Casey were one up after 15 and Phillip Price and Ireland's Padraig Harrington led by two after 13 against Thomas Bjorn and Sergio Garcia.
In the other game Montgomerie and Paul Lawrie were all square with three to play against Volvo Masters champion Fredrik Jacobson and his fellow Swede Niclas Fasth.
