Seve Trophy, first day First Day's Results: The Seve Trophy, the biennial contest between the best players of Britain and Ireland and their continental colleagues, got off to the kind of start yesterday that has come to be associated with its big brother event, the Ryder Cup: with Europe ahead. But there ended the similarities between the two tournaments.

Where Sam Ryder's creation has had tension, packed galleries and some genuine needle down the years, Seve Ballesteros's counterpart feels more like a third-generation photocopy, although the great man will no doubt have been delighted to look at the results table last night and find the team captained by his old friend Jose Maria Olazábal ahead four points to one.

Only the pairing of Colin Montgomerie and Graeme McDowell, which got off to a great start when the Britain and Ireland captain eagled the first and eventually ran out 4 and 2 winners against Maarten Lafeber and Emanuele Canonica, stopped the European squad from sweeping all five of the first day's fourball matches.

"I was delighted with the way we played," Montgomerie said, as he looked at a scoreboard showing the four other matches still out on the course awash with European blue. "But I'd better get out there and support the rest of my team."

There is no doubting the Scotsman's competitive instincts when it comes to the team format but clearly his motivational powers need some working on.

The next three points all went to Europe, including a surprising win by Niclas Fasth and Peter Hanson, who defeated a strong - in theory at least - pairing of David Howell and Paul Casey. Olazábal and Miguel Angel Jimenez had a comfortable 4 and 2 victory over the Welshmen Bradley Dredge and Stephen Dodd.

The day's opening match went all the way to the 18th green where Thomas Bjorn rolled in a birdie putt to see off Montgomerie's "Hollywood" pairing of Ian Poulter and Nick Dougherty.

"I didn't want them hanging around because I didn't want their hair gel getting all messed up," explained Monty when asked why he had put two of the most fashion-conscious members of the European tour together.

Fashionable certainly, but pretty decent players too, with Dougherty in particular beginning to live up to the expectations that have accompanied his development from Nick Faldo protégé into genuine Ryder Cup prospect.

Unfortunately for Dougherty and his partner, they ran into another rising star on the European team, Henrik Stenson. Ian Woosnam, who will captain the European team at the K-Club next year, has recently been raving about the Swede and it is easy to understand why.

Partnered by Bjorn, Stenson contributed five birdies towards a two-hole victory, as well as a series of prodigious drives.

The 387-yard 13th was a prime example. While the two Englishmen were 80 yards short, the Swede was playing his second from the fringe after hitting his tee shot 380 yards and arrow-straight. It takes a lot to make the Dane smile while going about the serious business of professional golf, but that shot raised a laugh.

"Henrik hits it very, very long. But the key is keeping the ball under control and he did that very well. That is why he's doing so well," Bjorn said.

That put Olazábal's team 3 and 1 up. The last match might have been expected to fall into the home column, not least because Montgomerie's two best players, Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley, were matched against Thomas Levet and Jean-François Remesy.

So much for expectations. Ahead for much of the day, the French pairing were caught on the 17th when Harrington holed a 30-foot putt for birdie.

But with Montgomerie looking on at the final green, Remesy rolled in a 10-footer for birdie and Harrington missed a five-footer to halve the match.

Guardian Service

(The Wynyard Golf Club, Billingham)

Continental Europe 4

Britain and Ireland 1

FOURBALLS

Maarten Lafeber, Emanuele Canonica lost to Colin Montgomerie, Graeme McDowell 4 and 2.

Thomas Bjorn (Den), Henrik Stenson (Swe) bt Ian Poulter, Nick Dougherty 2 holes

Jose Maria Olazabal (Spa), Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) bt Stephen Dodd, Bradley Dredge 4 and 2.

Niclas Fasth (Swe), Peter Hanson (Swe) bt David Howell, Paul Casey 3 and 2.

Jean-Francois Remesy (Fra), Thomas Levet (Fra) bt Paul McGinley, Padraig Harrington 1hole.

TODAY'S FOURBALLS

(Brit and Irl names first):

10:35 - Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley v Niclas Fasth (Swe) and Peter Hanson (Swe).

10:50 - Paul Casey and David Howell v Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) and Jose Maria Olazabal (Spa).

11:05 - Colin Montgomerie and Graeme McDowell v Thomas Bjorn (Den) and Henrik Stenson (Swe).

11:20 - Stephen Dodd and Bradley Dredge v Maarten Lafeber (Ned) and Emanuele Canonica (Ita).

11:35 - Ian Poulter and Nick Dougherty v Jean-Francois Remesy (Fra) and Thomas Levet (Fra).