Great Britain, Ireland team holds big lead

PARIS, Sept. 26 (UPI) -- Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell ran their record to 3-1 Saturday to help the Great Britain and Ireland team take a seven-point lead at The Vivendi Trophy.

The duo won two more matches -- both by 2 & 1 scores -- to move their team within two points of capturing the Ryder Cup-style event for a fifth consecutive time.

Great Britain and Ireland will carry a 12 1/2 -5 1/2 lead over Continental Europe into Sunday's singles matches. It will need to win just two of the 10 matches to retain the trophy.

McIlroy and McDowell defeated world No. 5 Henrik Stenson and Peter Hanson in the first match of the day. Great Britain and Ireland, which carried a 6-4 lead into Saturday, won three of the four morning matches to extend its lead to 9-5.

Continental Europe picked up its only full point Saturday when Miguel Angel Jimenez and Alvaro Quiros beat Simon Dyson and Oliver Wilson 1-up.