Friday lunch never tasted so good, since the birth of a European team 20 years ago. That's how long it took to gain a first-morning advantage over the Americans, but the holders eventually did it yesterday, by 21/2 to 11/2 with the help of a half from the partnership of Padraig Harrington and Miguel-Angel Jimenez.

For some precious minutes towards the conclusion of battle, a 3-1 lead seemed probable. But after a destructive drive by Jimenez into trees on the right of the 17th, Payne Stewart and Davis Love drew level, and stayed that way to the finish.

From an overall perspective, however, it was an unqualified triumph for Colin Montgomerie, who filled his expected role as Europe's on-course leader. By sinking several, critical putts he coaxed a solid, supportive role from his partner Paul Lawrie for a 3 and 2 win over the top US pairing of David Duval and Phil Mickelson.

The great fear was that a storming performance from the American pair would have been carried through the team, with the considerable help of some frenzied support from the galleries. Instead, Monty effectively silenced the crowd with a performance of supreme confidence.

Immediately behind, the improbable partnership of 19-year-old Sergio Garcia and the eccentric Swede, Jesper Parnevik, had the confidence to overcame Tiger Woods and Tom Lehman. These were blows the Americans found it difficult to digest.

"We fitted together very well," said Montgomerie. "It was almost as if we were walking in each other's footsteps, enjoying every moment of the experience."

Mickelson, who was frequently engaged in repairing the damage of an indifferent Duval, was clearly stunned by the quality of the opposition. "To play a US Open course without a bogey in alternate shot (foursomes) is very impressive," he said. In fact Montgomerie and Lawrie were three under for the 16 holes they needed.

The key was Montgomerie's early putting, notably a crucial eight-footer for a saving par at the first and a 12-footer for another half in par at the second. As we suspected, once the blade was compliant at the outset, it would remain that way. "I've been putting poorly, but the Ryder Cup seems to bring out the best in me," he said.

After the first five holes had been halved, the Americans won the sixth with a birdie to lead for the only time in the match. Which clearly didn't please the big Scot. As he walked towards the seventh tee, he turned on the US official with the match, rebuking him for announcing the wrong result of the previous hole.

Then there was a brief exchange with the gallery. But for the most part, Montgomerie let his clubs do the talking - most effectively. And his most crucial contributions were a 10-foooter for a half at the 13th and a chip to two feet for a win in birdie at the next.

Given the nature of the course, there was little to choose between driving the odd and even holes, other than the challenge of the fourth and sixth. So, it was interesting that Garcia and Woods should both have elected to take on the even ones.

It meant the crowd were deprived of seeing them hit off the first, but compensations came later. Anyway, there would have been no thrilling, birdie chip-in from Tom Lehman at the first, had Woods not pushed a six-iron approach wide of the target.

As it happened, neither Woods nor Garcia managed to make the green at the 335-yard fourth, which was out of reach, nor at the 310-yard sixth, which was reachable. But the Spaniard was more than pleased to have contributed to approximate figures of two-under-par for the 17 holes. "We knew what we had to do and we showed them we had the game," he said afterwards.

Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood never recovered from successive birdies at the sixth, seventh and eighth, which brought Jeff Maggert and Hal Sutton from two down to one up. In fact the Americans were five under par from the sixth to the 17th. "You can't do much against that," said Westwood, ruefully.