Harry How / Getty Images

Darren Clarke, right, celebrates with teammate Jose-Maria Olazabal on the 18th green after winning his Ryder Cup match on Friday. Clarke is making an emotional return to golf just weeks after the death of his wife.

Clarke was hardly the only European feeling that way after his side rang up a 5-3 lead on opening day, in part because he and Jose Maria Olazabal, another decorated veteran, offered to sit out the second session so captain Ian Woosnam could get every one of his dozen players on the course. And each, in turn, contributed at least half a point.

That was in sharp contrast to the U.S. side, where Scott Verplank and rookie Vaughn Taylor never got into the game, and another rookie, Brett Wetterich, lost his morning match and didn’t get the chance to redeem himself in the afternoon.

Westwood, on the other hand, had little problem going out in the alternate-shot session without Clarke, making Woosnam’s mix-and-match philosophy work by combining with Colin Montgomerie to halve their match with Mickelson and DiMarco.

“I’ve never played with Monty before,” Westwood said, “but Woosie asked him who he would like to play with and he said me, which was nice.”

By the same token, Westwood, the Englishman, made his name riding shotgun for Clarke, from Northern Ireland, and the two will be back together Saturday in a better-ball match against Woods and Jim Furyk. They’ve become such close pals while beating the likes of Woods, Mickelson and even U.S. captain Tom Lehman during the last three Ryder Cups that not only do their styles fit together seamlessly, they often finish each other’s sentences.

During one post-match interview, Clarke was looking for the words to describe his reception on the first tee when Westwood interjected, “I was nearly crying myself.” A moment later, Clarke said about the opening tee shot, “That was always going to be a tough ...” and before he could finish, Westwood cut in grinning, “and then hit it 340 yards right down the middle.”

Clarke was on his own in the interview room later, though, and he wanted to make a point of sharing the credit for his sparkling play on what had been a very difficult day. He praised Westwood to the skies, then Mickelson and DiMarco, his teammates. his opponents and “everyone involved with the event.”

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Clarke’s two sons, Tyrone, who just turned 8, and Conor, who’s 6, were still in school, but he had few doubts his older boy would figure out a way to see the replay.

“He knows how to work it,” Clark laughed, “better than I do.”

Whether that win would help lift their spirits was a question Clarke left unanswered. But when the same question was put to him, Clarke didn’t hesitate.

“The only thing that can do that,” he said, “is time.”