Britain-Ireland extend four-ball lead

NEWTOWNMOUNTKENNEDY, Ireland, April 20 (UPI) -- Despite an amazing effort in his own event, Seve Ballesteros of Spain watched his Continental Europe team fall further behind Britain and Ireland during Saturday's fourball matches.

Britain and Ireland took three of the four matches to increase its lead to 8-4. It will need only 3 1/2 points from Sunday's 10 singles matches to win the inaugural Seve Trophy.

One of the most established players in Ryder Cup history, Ballesteros teamed himself with fellow Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal and put on a vintage display during a roller coaster match with the Irish duo of Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley.

With the match all square, Ballesteros drove into a creek at the 13th. But after taking a drop, he sent a 3-wood off a hanging lie to within 40 feet of the cup and sank the par putt to halve the hole.

Ballesteros then birdied the 14th to put the Spaniards 2-up, where the match remained before the Contininental Europe captain conjured up some of his past magic.

After Harrington hit his tee shot within three feet at the par-3 17th, Ballesteros found a bunker. But he holed the 60-foot blast to seal the 2 and 1 victory.

"It was a fantastic way to finish a special match," said Ballesteros, a two-time Masters champion.

"It was a special day for both of us -- just like the old days," added Olazabal, also a two-time Masters winner.

But Continental Europe had nothing else go its way Saturday.

Paul Casey and Paul Lawrie defeated Thomas Bjorn and Niclas Fasth, 2 and 1; Ian Woosnam and Colin Montgomerie routed Robert Karlsson and Mathias Gronberg, 4 and 3; and Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood edged Miguel Angel Jimenez and Raphael Jacquelin, 1-up.