FanHouse Seve Ballesteros

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.

It is really hard for Tiger Woods to do anything without garnishing the utmost attention. Anything he does off the course is newsworthy and we treat it like a presidential move. What is so interesting about this week at the Players Championship is Tiger is doing what made him famous, only we're too busy complaining about all that he is doing wrong and not focusing on what he's doing right.

On Saturday at TPC Sawgrass, Woods had a camera on his every swing, and while critics were complaining about his driver (Guilty party number one -- I actually tweeted during his round, "When was the last time Tiger didn't block a tee shot right, the Mike Douglas Show?"), we were forgetting to pay attention to the more important thing ... his golf.

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Kenny Perry had the Masters wrapped, staring down a two-stroke lead with just two holes to go. But he missed just left on 18 to close out bogey-bogey, and after an impressive Angel Cabrera up-and-down for par on 18, there's going to be some free golf at Augusta.

That's right: playoff time. Chad Campbell, Kenny Perry and Angel Cabrera head to a sudden-death Masters playoff on holes 18, 10 and 11.

Update, Hole One: Campbell lost his putt low and is eliminated from the playoff -- Perry and Cabrera head to 10.

Senior tour players have been known to call the Champions Tour "the greatest mulligan in life." I think Seve Ballesteros, a senior in his own regard, might disagree with that assessment.

Ballesteros, 51, was diagnosed with a brain tumor six months ago, has since gone through four different surgeries and is on his fourth stint of chemotherapy. Seve was always known for his ability to get up-and-down from just about anywhere on the golf course, but is now having to scramble with real life. But the thing is, Seve's just happy to have a chance.

Just in case you thought the Europeans needed another advantage in the upcoming Ryder Cup, good news, they got it. Thanks to trusty Jack Nicklaus, they can hang this article above their lockers in Valhalla for a little extra motivation.

The President Cup captain said that he thinks the Americans will win the Ryder Cup easily, even without Tiger Woods.

"Even without Tiger, (the Americans) should win easily".

The 18-time major winner, twice a Ryder Cup captain, told Golf Digest: "I just believe we have better players.

"I think American golf is better than perceptions based on recent Ryder Cup results."

You know, all this is true. The American golfers are better than most of the world probably thinks and just because we choke like Pierce Brosnan in "Mrs. Doubtfire" when the Ryder Cup rolls around doesn't mean they can't play. It just means they aren't good Ryder Cupers. Big difference.

I'm pretty sure Nick Faldo is just talking out his arse, because there's no way he believes any of this. In talking about the Ryder Cup, Faldo, the European captain, offered the following:

"I don't think [the U.S. losing Tiger Woods is] a given that it improves our chances," Faldo said. "The best player in the world over 18 holes in match play can be very vulnerable. Players raise their game in that kind of situation. Ultimately, we'll just have to wait and see. And in the meantime, let's hope that Tiger makes a swift recovery."

I'm quite certain it improves Europe's chances. Sure, since becoming a professional, he hasn't been nearly as successful in match play, but he's still Tiger Woods. He affects everybody else's game.

That said, even if Woods was 100 percent for the event, I'd still like the Europeans. Seve Ballesteros had it right: the U.S. has been routinely getting their asses kicked in the event since '99 at Brookline (and Jose Maria Olazabal is still smarting over Justin Leonard trampling through his line), it would be nice if they showed up later this summer.

That said, there's no way Woods' absence makes the U.S. more competitive because the team will rally around the loss. It just means the Cup will be decided mid-day Saturday instead of earlier Sunday.

Take that, Paul Azinger.

Seve Ballesteros retired from tournament golf last July, and Spain's best golfer is known as much for his "competitive spirit" as for his five major championships and tenacious Ryder Cup performances.

Something of a controversial figure on the course -- he and Paul Azinger spent much of the '89 Cup accusing each other of cheating -- but some 20 years later Ballesteros has softened. Kind of:

"They need to win badly," said the five-time Major winner. "I hope the Americans win this year in all seriousness.

"I see the Ryder Cup getting very boring because we are beating them so badly. Everybody is losing interest. I think it will be good if they win the next one. It would give the Ryder Cup a lift.

"I just hope the matches are a little bit closer because they have been no-contests. My heart is always with the Europeans but my head is with the Americans for the good of the trophy."

Nice. This is what happens when Europe (which, apparently, is not a country) wins three events in a row, all in convincing fashion, and four of the last six. For as much as I'd love to have a snappy comeback for Ballesteros, he's right; the Ryder Cup is slightly more competitive than one of those silly season skins game televised in prime time. That's what happens when the tournament is pretty much decided by Friday night.

On the Masters' website, you can sort the leaderboard by first-time players, International vs. American, amateurs and past champions. The only good news for Seve Ballesteros is that he's not in last place in three of these categories. Otherwise, the former two-time Masters champion has to be having a miserable time. He posted an 86 on Thursday -- good for last place, and through 13 holes today, he's 5-over (including double-bogeys at the Par-4, 5th and Par-3, 12th).

The fact that a 50-year-old past champion would struggle on one of the planet's toughest courses isn't really news; but that many people revel in his misfortune is kinda curious. Ballesteros is, shall we say, known for stretching the rules. During his prime -- and especially during the Ryder Cups -- Ballesteros has been known to do things like "accidentally" cough during his opponent's mid-backswing and things reached a tipping point in 1991:

After accusing each other of cheating at The Belfry in 1989, the feud between Seve Ballesteros and Paul Azinger escalated at Kiawah Island in 1991. Azinger: 'I can tell you were not trying to cheat.' Ballesteros: 'Oh no. Breaking the rules and cheating are two different things.'

Um, okay. Whatever, Ballesteros is responsible for putting Spain on the pro golfing map. He trail-blazed the way for players like José María Olazábal and later Sergio Garcia. Still, if you see people smiling as Ballesteros walks off the green after carding another round north of 80, you'll know why.