Graeme McDowell and Anthony Wall both kicked off The Vivendi Trophy with Seve Ballesteros with birdie putts for Great Britain & Ireland in Paris.
Trying to avoid a fifth successive defeat, Continental Europe - the favourites at Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche - fell behind in the top two fourballs.
First McDowell, partnering fellow Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, found the target from nearly 25 feet against Spain's Alvaro Quiros and Dane Søren Kjeldsen.
Then Wall made a nine footer to put himself and Chris Wood, both debutants in the match, one up on Swedes Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson.
It was the first event since the end of May for last season's European Number One Karlsson, who has been battling with a blister behind his left retina.
After missing the curtain-raising pro-am with food poisoning, England's Simon Dyson was well enough to take his place alongside Oliver Wilson in the third game against Søren Hansen and Peter Hanson.
Great Britain & Ireland were very soon up in four and down in only one of the games.
McDowell and McIlroy remained one ahead after five, Wall and Wood took the first three holes and Wilson sank winning birdie putts on the first and second greens from 25 and two feet.
Robert Rock and Steve Webster did lose the first to Anders Hansen and Francesco Molinari, but Ross Fisher's par four there was good enough for him and Nick Dougherty to take the lead against Miguel Angel Jiménez and Gonzalo Fernandez Castaño.
