BLOOMFIELD HILLS, United States (AFP) - Europe came out firing to get off to a sparkling start against the United States in the opening four-balls of the Ryder Cup.
Europe led in three of the four matches and were level in the other.
The tone was set by Europe's general, Colin Montgomerie.
In the team thanks to being a captain's pick, the Scot rewarded Bernhard Langer's faith in him by collecting three birdies in the first four holes, to put himself and Harrington two up over the US's big guns of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.
It was a stunning blow for the huge American galleries and for US captain Hal Sutton who had gambled that Woods and Mickelson would get the home team off to the flier that he so desperately wanted.
As the players reached the turn the Americans had managed to cut the European lead to one but Montgomerie and Harrington still had momentum on their side.
It was not the start Sutton wanted in his decision to go for bust by putting Woods and Mickelson together for the first time.
There is no love lost between the two players and while Langer made it clear he selected his pairings by making sure the players would gel together, Sutton clearly believes the antipathy between his top duo can be set aside.
But there looked little sign of it on the first tee. While Harrington and Montgomerie were standing joking, Woods stood stern faced on one side of the tee while Mickelson stood alone with his caddy on the other side.
Montgomerie, the European hero two years ago at the Belfry, admitted before teeing off that his match was key.
"I have a fantastic partner. We can win that game and if we do win the game it will have a dramatic effect on the day. It would be huge for the European team, and everybody here, to see we can cope with their top two," said the Scot.
Matching the sparkling performance of Montgomerie and Harrington were the duo of Darren Clarke and Miguel Angel Jiminez. Langer said he had decided to pair the two because they both liked red wine and Cuban cigars.
By the time they reached the sixth tee it was more like champagne rather than red wine they seemed to be sharing as they went three-up over David Love and Chad Campbell.
The last group of the morning had Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood moving to three up over David Toms and Jim Furyk after only four holes.
Ireland's Paul McGinley, who became Europe's hero two years ago when he sank the winning putt at the Belfry two years ago, and rookie Luke Donald, were locked in a struggle with Chris Riley and Stewart Cink.
Unlike the other three groups, birdies were in short supply. Nobody could manage one after four holes.
But the intense pressure created by the Ryder Cup was underlined when the first match failed to find the fairway off the tee.
Montgomerie, who had the honour of driving first, saw his drive plunge into a bunker on the righthand side. Harrington found the left hand bunker.
It was then the Americans' turn and Masters champion Mickelson, playing with new clubs, hit his drive so far right it clattered into the thousands of spectators lining the fairway.
Woods was equally erratic. His drive hit a tree before dropping into a bunker.