Rose/Poulter lead Woods/Stricker at turn

Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker got off to a rocky start Friday as both hit wayward opening tee shots in their foursome match against Justin Rose and Ian Poulter at the 39th Ryder Cup. The Europeans, who wore dark pants with lime green sweaters, were 1-up through nine against the Americans, who wore dark pants, white shirts, with red hats. The 36-year-old Woods teed off for the USA pair in the morning alternate shot matches at Medinah but he hooked his drive way left up against temporary fence. That left Stricker with no choice but to chip it back into the fairway. They still managed to halve the hole when Poulter ran his putt three feet by the hole. On the par-three second hole, Stricker hit a seven-iron left and into the water. Rose's tee shot found the green as he and Poulter went on to win the hole and go 1-up. Rose won the WGC-Cadillac Championship in March. The Americans won the third hole but Europe regained the lead by taking the par-four fourth when Rose nailed a long putt. His 40-footer snaked right to left and in for a birdie. Woods' match was put on the clock on the seventh hole after he hit a spectator with another errant tee shot that travelled way right. It smashed into a fan before bouncing back into the fairway. Woods went over to the downed spectator and presented the man with an autographed glove before he was taken away for medical treatment. Woods has been part of just one winning Ryder Cup team, back in 1999, and his last appearance in the competition on US soil was eight years ago. He played with Stricker at Celtic Manor, two years ago when they won two and lost one. Englishmen Rose and Poulter, close friends for years, struck up a winning partnership at Valhalla, Kentucky in 2008 where they won two and lost one.