Three shots behind overnight leaders Argentina going into the Saturday fourballs, Colin Montgomerie and Marc Warren had been hoping for a fast start to pile the pressure on their playing partners going into the final day's play.

But the Scottish pair . . . winners of the European Tour rookie of the year award 18 years apart . . . could only manage two birdies in the first seven holes at Sandy Lane to fall even further off the pace set by the consistent South Americans.

In fact Warren had to hole from three feet just to salvage par on the opening hole after Montgomerie threeputted from long range, Andres Romero quickly stretching Argentina's lead with a nice birdie from seven feet.

It took Montgomerie and Warren, who had combined with some excellent play for six birdies in Friday's foursomes, until the fifth hole to record their first birdie and Montgomerie also birdied the seventh to lift his team to 10 under par.

That was good enough for a share of third place, albeit five shots behind Argentina for whom Andres Romero had birdied the third and partner Angel Cabrera had birdied both the sixth and the seventh . . . the latter after a fantastic drive.

Italy's Francesco Molinari and Emanuele Canonica had stormed into second place after racing to the turn in 30 with four birdies and an eagle, but that front nine performance was bettered by the American team of Stewart Cink and JJ Henry who were enjoying a decent round.

The Ryder Cup teammates carded seven birdies in a row from the third, Cink contributing five and Henry two, to be out in 29 and join other hopefuls Scotland, Sweden and Germany on 10 under.

However, pre-tournament favourites England could manage just two birdies on the front nine to lie eight under par, seven shots off the pace.

Ireland's Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley and defending champions Wales were four under for the day after going out in 32 but at six under par, they look too far back to mount a serious challenge in the final foursomes round today.

Argentina gave the chasing pack some hope when they bogeyed the eighth and then failed to birdie the parfive ninth. Then Scotland had two chances to close the gap further but Warren and Montgomerie missed birdie putts on the ninth, the latter staring in disbelief when his effort from seven feet caught the edge of the hole and agonisingly span out.