THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAINT-NOM-LA-BRETECHE, France — Britain and Ireland increased its lead over Continental Europe to 6-4 after Friday’s second round of fourballs of the Vivendi Trophy, a match-play event on the European Tour.
Captained by three-time Ryder Cup winner Paul McGinley, Britain and Ireland had a 3-2 lead overnight and kept up the pressure under clear skies at the Saint-Nom-la-Breteche Golf Club on the outskirts of Paris.
The Vivendi Trophy, formerly known as the Seve Trophy after Seve Ballesteros, was created in 2000. Continental Europe won the inaugural event before Britain and Ireland won it four consecutive times.
Simon Dyson and Oliver Wilson gave Britain and Ireland its first point of the day after securing their second win in the tournament, winning 2 and 1 over Alvaro Quiros and Henrik Stenson.
Dyson and Wilson were first-day winners over Soren Hansen and Peter Hanson.
Having recovered from food poisoning, Dyson had a bright opening when he won the first hole with a birdie. The pair went two up when Dyson birdied again on the fourth but Quiros’ eagle on the sixth — followed by a birdie on the ninth — did away with their lead.
The English pair prevailed on the last nine holes with Wilson scoring a birdie on the 11th before Dyson birdied on the 15th.
Britain and Ireland then moved to 5-2 up overall after Nick Dougherty and Ross Fisher downed Peter Hanson and Soren Hansen 3 and 2. The duo, kept together by Continental Europe captain Thomas Bjorn, was handed its second consecutive loss while Fisher –whose eagle on the 16th closed out the match– and Dougherty bounced back following their opening-day defeat.
Continental Europe rallied when Italian Francesco Molinari and Dane Anders Hansen defeated Northern Ireland pair Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy 3 and 1 to narrow the gap. Impressive against Soren Kjeldsen and Quiros on the opening day, the Irish duo trailed by two shots after seven holes.
Anthony Wall and Chris Wood stayed one shot up against Miguel Angel Jimenez and Soren Kjeldsen until the 13th in a tight match. But Wall then scored two birdies for a 3 and 2 victory.
In the last match of the day, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Robert Karlsson wasted a two-shot lead against Robert Rock and Steve Webster on the back nine but managed to keep Continental Europe in the game when Rock bogeyed on the last hole.
Four greensomes, where both players drive and hit alternate shots with the preferred tee shot, are set for Saturday morning. Then there are four foursomes Saturday afternoon and 10 singles matches Sunday.