Tiger leaves a jinxed trail behind

Westwood and Garcia beat former major winners David Duval and Davis Love 4 & 3 in front of a sell-out crowd of 35,000 amid tight security at The Belfry.

The experienced European pair of Colin Montgomerie and Bernhard Langer then closed out their match against Scott Hoch and Jim Furyk 4 & 3 to give Europe, bidding to win back the trophy, a perfect start. But Phil Mickelson and David Toms claimed the first point for the US, narrowly holding off a late challenge from Padraig Harrington and Niclas Fasth to win by one hole.

Bjorn had collected his sixth birdie at the par-four 16th to put himself and Clarke two up against Woods and Azinger.

But Woods, who had only won three times in 10 previous Ryder Cup matches since making his debut at Valderrama in 1997, hit back with a birdie-four at the long 17th, taking the match to the last before Bjorn settled matters with his seventh birdie.

Northern Ireland’s Clarke had made a fast start with four birdies in the first five holes, but Woods recovered from a bogey-five at the first with birdies at the second, third, fifth and eighth holes to give the US an early one-hole advantage.

The 26-year-old Woods had found the same fairway bunker as Clarke off the tee at the 411-yard first but was distracted by a photographer on his back-swing and ended up pushing his second shot right into a greenside bunker.

“Not on my swing – golly, Christ,” the American yelled in frustration before he and Azinger fell behind.

Woods, however, recovered with a birdie-three at the 379-yard second but it was matched by Clarke, who sank his second successive birdie putt from around eight feet. Spaniard Garcia tapped in a par-putt from two feet at the first to put himself and Westwood one up against Duval and Love in the second match out, both Americans having found trouble off the tee.

Although the US pair both birdied the par-five third hole to level matters, Westwood birdied the fifth and seventh to put the Europeans one up. (Reuters)