Europe Sweeps Four-Ball Matches

Charge to 4-0 Lead

PRESTWICK, Scotland  —  Europe jumped to a 4-0 lead after sweeping the four-ball matches this morning in the Palmer Cup presented by Monster at Prestwick Golf Club in Prestwick , Scotland .  It was the first in four-ball in the 10-year history of the event and the first sweep in any format since the Americans swept the foursomes matches in the inaugural Palmer Cup in 1997.
        
    Europe claimed the first match of the competition when Spaniards Alejandro Cañizares and Pablo Martin defeated University of Georgia teammates Brian Harman Chris Kirk, 5 and 3.  Cañizares and Martin claimed the first three holes when Martin went birdie-birdie and both players were one-under on the third.  Both teams parred No. 4 before Cañizares birdied the fifth and seventh to push the lead to 5-up.  Harman birdied No. 8 to cut the lead to 4-up but Cañizares was the only player to par the 11th to move the margin back to five holes.  Team USA would again reduce the European margin to four on a Harman par on No. 13.  Martin clinched the match with a birdie on the 15th.
        
    Rhys Davies of Wales and Scotland 's Richard Ramsay extended the lead to 2-0 by defeating Team USA 's Ryan Baca and Ryan Blaum.  The European's won the first, third, seventh, ninth, 10th and 14th holes for a 6 and 4 victory.  Davies birdied the first hole while Ramsay birdied Nos. 3, 7, 10 and 14.
        
    Europe moved to a 3-0 lead when Denmark 's Mark Haastrup and Joost Luiten of The Netherlands downed Luke List and Clay Ogden, 4 and 3.  Luiten gave Europe a 1-up lead with a birdie on No. 3, but List evened the match with a birdie on the fourth.  Haastrup birdied the No. 6 and parred the seventh, 10th and 11th to push the lead to 4-up.  List cut the advantage to three with a birdie at No. 12 but Luiten countered with birdie at the 14th and the two sides halved No. 15.
        
     Sweden 's Oscar Floren and England 's Stephen Lewton completed the sweep by defeating Roberto Castro and Kevin Larsen, 2 and 1.  The Europeans birdied the second and parred the fifth to go two up, but the Americans birdied No. 6 and No. 8 to even the match.  Lewton drained a long birdie putt to reclaim the lead for Europe on the ninth.  Team USA evened the match with a birdie at No. 10, but Europe won the next two holes.  The Europeans extended the lead to three holes at No. 15 but the Americans birdied the 16th.  The two sides halved No. 17.
    
    Afternoon singles matches are currently under way.