PALMER CUP: Matches square after four-ball at Royal Portrush

Afternoon foursomes matches are currently under way.

The Europeans were on the board first when they won the opening two matches of the morning. Henrik Norlander and Pontus Widegren downed Scott Langley and Corey Nagy, 4 and 3, in the first match of the competition.

The Swedes won holes with birdie at Nos. 3, 5, 12 and 13 and by eagle on both the ninth and tenth holes. They led all but the first two holes and only allowed American wins when they birdied No. 8 and No. 11. The United States conceded the match on the 15th green.

Rhys Enoch and Andrea Pavan and John Chin and Daniel Miernicki were even thru four holes in the second mach before Pavan birdied No. 5 to take a lead Europe would not relinquish on its way to a 3 and 2 win.

Europe conceded the eighth and eagled No. 9 to push its lead to three holes before the two sides trades the next three holes to drop the lead back to two holes. Enoch birdied No. 15 to move the advantage back to three holes before both teams birdied No. 16.

David Chung and Jonathan Randolph scored the first point for the United States after holding on for a 1-up victory against David Lingmerth and Patrick Spraggs. The Americans never trailed in their match and led by 3-up after 13 holes.

Both teams posted par the next two holes to move the match to dormie. Lingmerth would birdie Nos. 16 and 17 for Europe to close the gap to 1-down on the 18th tee box with Europe looking to deny the USA its first victory of the competition. Lingmerth missed his birdie attempt to win the hole and Europe conceded Chung's par putt after he left his birdie attempt a foot short.

The United States would claim the final bout of the first round when Tyson Alexander and Russell Henley downed James Byrne and Jesper Kennegard, 3 and 1. Europe appeared to control the match early, leading leading three of the first six holes and holding a 1-up advantage after the sixth.

Alexander evened the match with a par on No. 7 and followed with a birdie on the eighth to give the U.S. its first lead. Henley eagled the ninth to move to 2-up. A birdie by Byrne on No. 10 would get Europe back to 1-down, but that was the closest they would get the rest of the way.

The Americans pushed the lead to three holes after No. 14, dropped a hole on the 15th and clinched the match with a Henley birdie on No. 17.