FanHouse Robert Karlsson

SAINT-NOM-LA-BRETECHE, France (AP) -- Britain and Ireland led 3-2 over Europe after Thursday's opening fourballs of the Vivendi Trophy, a matchplay event on the European Tour.

Captained by three-time Ryder Cup winner Paul McGinley, Britain and Ireland had leads of 2-0 and 3-1 but Continental Europe hit back each time 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. Europe won the inaugural event before Britain and Ireland won it four consecutive times.

Somewhere in the United Kingdom, Colin Montgomerie and Darren Clarke are having a good chuckle. It's early -- we're only one day into the 37th Ryder Cup -- but the European squad is in an unfamiliar position: down after seven matches. Specifically, they trail the United States, underdogs on paper and in real life, 5-2.

And part of the reason for the early-on beatdown is because captain Nick Faldo, known just as much for his quirky disposition and sometimes vindictive personality as for his six major victories, thought it would be great fun to go with Ian Poulter and Paul Casey over grizzled Cup veterans Monty and Clarke. So far, so bad on that front.

The U.S. got off to a 3-1 lead after the morning foursomes, but Faldo inexplicably decided to break up the Lee Westwood-Sergio Garcia and Padraig Harrington-Robert Karlsson pairings for the afternoon four-ball, even though they were the only groups to earn points (halves, as it turned out).

Instead, Harrington was paired with Graeme McDowell, and Sergio with Miguel Angel Jimenez (Johnny Miller's a big fan, by the way). The result: 0-2. For more perspective, when Poulter and Justin Rose are the only group on the European side to win a match in seven tries, things are pretty dire.

The Ryder Cup starts Friday, which is another way of saying the Europeans are just three days from Operation Beatdown '08. It's hardly surprising that our friends across the pond are favored -- they've won the last three events, and the only reason it's not six straight is because Justin Leonard holed a "no way that goes in" 40-footer in 1999.

But, hey, there's a reason they play these things: anything can happen. As a companion piece to Shane Bacon's look at the American side, here's my ill-informed take on the European team, their past record, and who I think they will be best paired with this week.

Sergio Garcia (14-4-2) and Oliver Wilson (rookie) -- America hates Ryder Cup Garcia for a reason: because he never loses (or at least it seems that way). He's played with Jesper Parnevik, Jose Maria Olazabal and Lee Westwood during the last four events and he's won 70% of the time. Not too shabby. I'll be honest: I have no idea who Oliver Wilson is. For all I know, we're related. Whatever, he'll just have to stay out of Garcia's way on Friday and Saturday and hope the Euros are far enough ahead on Sunday that it won't matter if he goes down 9 and 8.

Some might consider that a deceptive headline. See, the point of it is to get people to think "Oh Wow, Phil Mickelson must really be struggling out on the golf course today!" when in fact, it's just a funny way of explaining Lefty's first nine holes.

Starting on number 10 today, Mickelson opened with two bogeys, made a birdies, followed that with consecutive pars (boo consistency!) and then made two bogeys and two birdies to finish up his outward nine. In a more successful way than John Daly and Michelle Wie, Lefty has a great gift of making a scorecard look like a strand of multi-colored Christmas lights and still posting a number around par. He's even par through 13 holes so far at Oakland Hills.

Robert Karlsson, Jeev Milkha Singh and Sean O'Hair are all tied for the lead at two-under with Anthony Kim and Sergio Garcia both lurking (and playing together) at one-under.

I really can't remember the last time I've found the U.S. Open more enjoyable. A tournament that usually has people looking like the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night, the course has been fair and the players have appreciated the set-up.

Also, it never hurts when Tiger Woods, after eight weeks off from competitive golf, is one shot back, making fist-pumping eagles and shooting a completely alien five-under 30 on the back nine yesterday.

You've had Phil Mickelson do things that, well, don't surprise you from Phil, Ernie Els bring form to the U.S. Open that we haven't seen since Brett Favre was winning a Super Bowl and even a caddy--spectator fight!

Before you tune in to coverage this afternoon, check the list of players in the top-10, their current position, some facts about them and the FanHouse odds on them winning.

We're halfway through this U.S. Open thing and Tiger Woods, as has been the case for every tournament he's entered in 2008, is on the front page of the leaderboard. This time, though, the difference is that he's fresh off left knee surgery, and last teed it up at the Masters.

Most of the last five weeks has involved media speculation about the state of Woods' game upon his return. And Thursday's opening round, despite two double bogeys (prior to this week, Eldrick hadn't carded a double bogey all year, and had only five in ten years at Torrey Pines), wasn't all that surprising given the circumstances.

But we're talking about Tiger Woods, and 2-over, even at the U.S. Open, even with one good knee, is somehow a disappointment. Things actually got worse before they got better, though; on Friday, Tiger went out in 38, made the turn at 3-over for the tournament, and looked to tweak his knee while hitting a shot off the cart path.

But something happened between Woods' 9th and 10th holes on Friday because he fired a 30 on the back nine, had birdies on four of his first five holes after the turn, and birdied his 18th to get to 2-under for the tournament.

Not to quote the Weepies, but the world spins madly on with the FanHouse Media Guide.

• Fredrik Jacobson -- t-5 -- Jacobson is the typical European golfer that you see randomly in a major playing well, take the needed time to remember his name and then you don't hear of him again for five years. I hate that.

• Lee Janzen -- WON -- Ok, trivia time. Did you know there are nine golfers that have won a major championship with a "Z" in their name? Janzen is one, can you name the other eight?

• Miguel Angel Jimenez -- t-2 -- Not a doubt in my mind that Jimenez is my favorite Spaniard golfer in his 40s with a dyed ponytail that looks like an extra from every movie with pot and people laughing.

• Brandt Jobe -- t-33 -- Jobe has played on Tour so long, he was around back when the Nissan Open was still called the Los Angeles Open. Never a winner on the big boys tour, Jobe has notched ten wins around the world.

• Dustin Johnson -- DNP -- This is his first year as a full time PGA Tour pro and he's doing well, notching two top-10s thus far. Never a problem when playing a lengthy course, Johnson is third on tour in driving distance (307.1).

• Zach Johnson -- t-45 -- Who knew Drake University was the new Oklahoma State? Johnson (pictured) went from obscure golfer to occasional favorite after his Masters win last year. He will struggle with the distance of Torrey Pines but if his wedge play is on, it won't matter. Also, if it looks like he's going to win, you can skip church on Sunday because he tends to give a sermon during his victory speech.

• Robert Karlsson -- t-45 -- Not a lot of experience at the U.S. Open, but a top-10 at this year's Masters should have him ready for similar conditions.

• Martin Kaymer -- DNP -- The 23-year-old German is being touted as the "Next Big Stud Who Will Probably Dominate the Americans in the Ryder Cup," winning his first European Tour event earlier this season. Kaymer shot a 59 in the second round of the Habsberg Classic in 2006, following that up with a 62 the next day. Also, he won that tournament (shock ensued).

• Shingo Katayama -- t-35 -- Most famous for always rocking the Nike cowboy hat, Katayama has won 24 times on the Japan Golf Tour. Also, on the Japan Golf Tour website, they give six profile categories -- full name, birth date, birth place, height, weight and blood type?! Huh?

• Jerry Kelly -- t-7 -- A grinder on tour, Kelly has only two top-10s in majors, both coming in 2007. Also, Kelly helps his brother-in-law, Jim Schuman, coach the University of Wisconsin golf team.