Europe Races to 3-1 at Palmer Cup Presented By Monster
Europe's Davies and Shaw post 9 and 7 victory in opening match
        
OWINGS MILLS, Md.  —  Europe won three of four matches to take a 3-1 lead after the opening four-ball session at the Palmer Cup presented by Monster at Caves Valley Golf Club. Rhys Davies and Gareth Shaw posted a tournament record 9 and 7 victory in the first match of the day.
        
    “There were great matches this morning,” said European Head Coach Chris van der Velde. “Rhys Davies is our strongest player and Gareth Shaw said to me after their match that after Rhys birdied the first two holes he didn't want to be left out of the match. Gareth went on to birdie three, four, five, six, seven and nine. Anytime you can start a match by winning 9 and 7, it sends a message to the rest of the team and lets them know they can go for it.”
        
    Teammates at East Tennessee State , Davies and Shaw used a barrage of birdies to take control of their match against Luke List and Jamie Lovemark. The Europeans birdied the first seven holes to race to a 6-up lead and then birdied Nos. 9-11 for the record breaking victory - bettering the old mark of 8 and 6 posted twice by the Euros in 2004 at Ballybunion. Shaw posted nine birdies while Davies carded four.
        
    The U.S. would even the matches at 1-1 with a Brian Harman and Billy Horschel's 3 and 2 victory over Jorge Campillo and Pedro Oriol.  Team USA claimed the first hole but the Spaniards evened the match after the second hole. The two sides remained all square until No. 11 when both American players birdied and Harman birdied the 12th for a 2-up lead. Europe cut the lead back to 1-up with a birdie on the next hole, but a Billy Horschel birdie on No. 15 and pair of American birdies on No. 16 closed the match.
        
    Oscar Floren and Jonas Blixt won the third match 2 and 1 against Dustin Johnson and Chris Kirk to push the advantage to 2-1. Floren birdied the first hole to give Europe an early lead but Team USA evened the match with a birdie on No. 3. Floren regained the lead for the Euros with a birdie on fourth. The U.S. evened the score when Kirk birdied the next hole. The Swedes pushed the lead to 2-up when Floren drained a long birdie putt on No. 7 and both American players bogeyed the eighth. The European lead was extended to three holes when only Blixt managed par on No. 11. Team USA battled back to 1-up after a Kirk birdie on No. 12 and an eagle on the 13th by Johnson. Blixt posted his fourth birdie on No. 16 to move the lead back to 2-up and both teams recorded par on No. 17.
        
    In the only match to go the full 18 holes, Mark Haastrup and Gordon Yates claimed a 1-up victory against Jonathan Moore and Webb Simpson. Neither team was able to claim an advantage until Haastrup birdied the fifth. Simpson evened the match after a birdie on No. 6. Haastrup birdied both Nos. 8 and 10 to give Europe a 2-up lead. A Moore birdie on the 12th cut the lead to 1-up, but Yates birdied the next hole to push the lead back to 2-up. Simpson birdied No. 16 to again cut the lead to one hole, but the U.S. was unable to even the match over the next two holes.
        
    Afternoon singles matches teed off at 1:30.