LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Europe is off to another fast start at the Ryder Cup.

Padraig Harrington and Robert Karlsson birdied the first hole shortly after sunrise today to go 1-up on the U.S. team of Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim, then Henrik Stenson and Paul Casey quickly jumped ahead in their match when Justin Leonard and Hunter Mahan bogeyed No. 1.

The Europeans are seeking their fourth straight win in Ryder Cup, the last two coming by huge nine-point margins.

Mickelson's opening tee shot was 30 yards past Harrington's, but Karlsson hit a brilliant iron to 6 feet. Kim's approach left Mickelson with about a 25-foot putt, but his birdie attempt slid just right of the hole. Harrington, winner of golf's last two major championships, calmly rolled in his birdie to take the hole.

With the first shot of his Ryder Cup career, Mahan left the Americans with a mess at the opening hole when his approach veered off into a runoff area left of the green. The Americans wound up taking bogey, while Stenson and Casey had an easy two-putt par to take an early lead.

The other two alternate-shot matches of the morning session: Stewart Cink and Chad Campbell (U.S.) vs. Justin Rose and Ian Poulter (Europe); and home-state favorite Kenny Perry and Jim Furyk (U.S.) vs. Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia (Europe).

Mickelson was eager to tee off with Kim, the rising star of American golf.

"Anthony and I have been talking about this for some time," Lefty said. "I love that we are able to get off in the first group and get out and hit the first shots."

U.S. captain Paul Azinger did all he could to stop Europe's recent dominance in the Ryder Cup. He overhauled the qualifying process to field the best team he could. He set the course up just like he wanted, with moderate rough that should yield lots of birdies. He tried to convince his players that the past — Europe has won five of the last six — means nothing.

"It's like drawing back a bow string," he said, motioning like an archer. "You pull it back for two years, and now you've got to let it fly. All you can do is hope you've got it pointed in the right direction."