NEWPORT, Wales -- For the first time in Junior Ryder Cup history, the biennial matches were halved with a 6-6 draw at Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales.

In the final matches, the Americans appeared to be in control, following a 1-up victory by No. 5 ranked Tony Mapu Finau, of Salt Lake City, and Cassandra Blaney, of Rochester, N.Y., over Germany’s Maximilian Kieffer and Belgium’s Laura Gonzales-Escallon. With that win, the Americans headed into the final event with a 1-match lead.

Teamed up in the final match were the 2006 Westfield Junior PGA Boys’ and Girls’ Champions, Joe Monte, of Chantilly, Va., and Brittany Altomare, of Shrewsbury, Mass. However, they fell short to France’s Victor Dubuisson and Molinaro 4 & 3.

The Americans were determined to improve on their poor finishes in 2004 and 2002. Both the United States and European Ryder Cup Teams were evenly matched, as they each recorded three victories apiece on both the first and second days.

The first day consisted of four-ball matches, where separate two-person boys’ and girls’ teams from the United States and Europe competed. Highlighting the first day were three victories by the U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Team, which helped the Americans gain momentum going into the final day.

The No. 1 ranked male junior golfer in the country, Philip Francis, 17, of Scottsdale, Ariz., paired with No. 4 ranked Drew Kittleson, 17, of Scottsdale, Ariz. The All-Star team finished 3 and 1 over then Norwegian duo of Anders Kristiansen and Are Friestad.

The second victory for Jack Connelly’s United States Junior Ryder Cup Team came when the No. 5 and No. 6 girls’ golfers in the country -- Isabelle Lendl, daughter of former professional tennis star, Ivan, and Vicky Hurst of Melbourne, Fla. * earned a one-hole win over the Spanish pairing of Carlota Ciganda, the reigning Spanish Ladies International Amateur Champion, and Marta Silva, a member of the Ping Junior Solheim Cup Team.

"It has been fun and a real honor to represent my country in the Junior Ryder Cup. I'm back to school tomorrow but I will leave with some good memories, although we could have won it," said Lendl, whose dad was undergoing root canal treatment and was not able to attend.

The American’s fourth match featured a team of the No. 1 girls’ golfer and Captain’s selection Esther Choe, 17, of Scottsdale, Ariz., and 2006 Westfield Junior PGA Championship runner-up Kristen Schelling, of Mesa, Ariz. They defeated Scotland’s Carly Booth, who at 14 won this year’s Scottish Under-16 Championship, and Italy’s Giulia Molinaro, 1-up.

Once first-day play was complete, the Americans found themselves deadlocked with the Europeans for the first time since the inception of the Junior Ryder Cup in 1995 -- and the United States Team was determined to keep the momentum.

Early in the final day, which consisted of mixed four-ball matches, the Americans found themselves having to climb back up after falling to Kristiansen and Ciganda 2 & 1. Lendl and Kittleson then boosted the Americans, as they earned an impressive 3 & 1 victory over Germany’s Sean Einhaus and Germany’s Saskia Hausladen.

In the third match of the final round, Andrew Yun, of Tacoma, Wash., the No. 10 boys golfer in the country, and Schelling had a difficult time against Friestad and Booth, who claimed the match 3 & 2. The leader board continued to change as No. 12 boys’ golfer Bud Cauley, of Jacksonville, Fla., and Hurst entered the clubhouse with a 3 & 2 win over Portugal’s Pedro Figueiredo and Silva, before the dramatic ending played out.

The Junior Ryder Cup began in 1995, with the vision of encouraging friendship, exchanging cultures and enhancing the enjoyment of golf. The United States Junior Ryder Cup Team is comprised of six boys and six girls who are American Citizens and 2007 high school graduates and younger. Team members qualified through their performances in the Callaway Golf PGA Junior Series, Westfield Junior PGA Championship, as well as various tournaments throughout the country.

Celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2006, The PGA of America was founded in 1916, and is a not for profit organization that promotes the game of golf, while continuing to enhance the standards of the profession. The Association is comprised of more than 28,000 men and women PGA Professionals who are dedicated to growing the game and the business of golf.

The complete results were as follows:

Monday's fourballs (Europe first) - Anders Kristiansen (Nor) and Are

Friestad (Nor) lost 3 & 1 to Philip Francis, Scottsdale, Ariz. and Drew Kittleson, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Carlotta Ciganda (Esp) and Marta Silva (Esp) lost by one hole to Vicky Hurst, Melbourne, Fla. and
Isabelle Lendl, Bradenton, Fla.

Pedro Figueiredo (Por) and Victor Dubuisson (Fra) beat Tony Mapu Finau, Salt Lake City, Utah, and Joe Monte, Chantilly, Va. 2 & 1

Carly Booth (Sco) and Giulia Molinaro (Ita) lost by one hole to Esther Choe, Scottsdale, Ariz. and Kristen Schelling, Mesa, Ariz.

Sean Einhaus (Ger) and Maximilian Kieffer (Ger) beat Bud Cauley, Jacksonville, Fla. and Andrew Yun, Tacoma, Wash. 4 & 2

Laura Gonzales-Escallon (Bel) and Saskia Hausladen (Ger) beat Brittany Altomare, Shrewsbury, Mass. and Cassandra Blaney, Rochester, N.Y. 2 & 1

Tuesday's mixed fourballs (Europe first) - Anders Kristiansen (Nor) and Carlota Ciganda (Esp) beat Philip Francis, Scottsdale, Ariz. and Esther Choe, Scottsdale, Ariz. 2 & 1

Sean Einhaus (Ger) and Saskia Hausladen (Ger) lost 3 & 1 to Drew Kittleson, Scottsdale, Ariz. and Isabelle Lendl, Bradenton, Fla.

Are Friestad (Nor) and Carly Booth (Sco) beat Andrew Yun, Tacoma, Wash. and Kristen Schelling, Mesa, Ariz. 3 & 2

Pedro Figueiredo (Por) and Marta Silva (Esp) lost 3 & 2 to Bud Cauley, Jacksonville, Fla. and Vicky Hurst, Melbourne, Fla.

Maximilian Kieffer (Ger) and Laura Gonzales-Escallon (Bel) lost by one hole to Tony Mapu Finau, Salt Lake City, Utah and Cassandra Blaney, Rochester, N.Y.

Victor Dubuisson (Fra) and Giulia Molinaro (Ita) beat Joe Monte, Chantilly, Va. and Brittany Altomare, Shrewsbury, Mass. 4 & 3