An inspired Eduardo Romero and Angel Cabrera outshone playing partners Tiger Woods and David Duval to give hosts Argentina the perfect start to the World Cup in Buenos Aires yesterday.
Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley, winners for Ireland three years ago in America, had to wait longer than any other side for their first birdie - at the sixth. But they did at least come home in 31 to move through the field and finished on 64, seven shots off the pace.
On a day of spectacular low scoring in the opening fourballs - and spectacular noise from a huge crowd starved of worldclass golf for 30 years - Romero had a magical 10 birdies and his partner five for a 15under-par 57.
Yet New Zealanders Frank Nobilo and Greg Turner matched that, Nobilo just four days after competing in the US Tour qualifying school, and Australians Peter O'Malley and Lucas Parsons would have done too but for both bogeying the 429-yard last.
Despite Duval having a 10under-par 62 on his own ball, hot favourites America are down in joint fifth place, four behind, entering today's foursomes.
World number one Woods contributed only two birdies and admitted: "I wasn't as sharp as I needed to be."
It was a far worse day, though, for the nine European countries in the 24-strong field. France and Germany did best with 10 under par 62s, but Scotland and Ireland are only joint 13th on eight under, England 18th two further back and Wales 21st on four under.
Scots Paul Lawrie and Gary Orr turned in a six-under 30 and were lying joint second after Orr's 35-foot eagle putt on the long ninth - timely indeed with his partner having driven into water.
But the putts dried up after that and Lawrie, seeking his first win since last year's Open, said: "It's not often that you come off gutted at scoring `only' 64.
England's Jamie Spence and Brian Davis double-bogeyed the 464-yard dog-leg second. As the wind picked up, Spence drove into water and Davis only just made the carry. The latter could not make the green in two, then pitched over it and took three more to hole out.
Ian Woosnam and Phil Price were delayed at the start when a spectator collapsed and an ambulance arrived just as they were about to tee off. Price still birdied the first two holes and Woosnam the sixth, but they simply could not sustain things and bogeys went on their card at the seventh, 10th and 18th to leave them with a huge amount of ground to make up.
New Zealand were without Michael Campbell, but Nobilo, called in as his replacement six weeks ago, had four birdies in the first six holes and then matched O'Malley's eagle at the 14th.
In between Turner had six birdies in seven holes from the seventh and he then took over the baton again, collecting three more in a row from the 15th.
No country had been hit harder by drop-outs than Australia, who in O'Malley and Parsons had had to call on players ranked 103rd and 184th in the world rankings.
Yet O'Malley, the man who won the 1992 Scottish Open at Gleneagles by playing the last five holes in a magical seven under par, had six birdies and two eagles in the opening 14 holes and then saw partner Parsons add two birdies and an eagle of his own.
