Our golf expert Dave Tindall is at the K Club and he'll bring you all the latest news and colour.
 
Click here now to e-mail Dave

Thursday, September 21:

1820: I'm really warming to Woosie now. Lehman just seems too polished in his interviews but Woosie always comes out with something memorable or daft. Today's top Woosie moment came with this exchange: Q: Has there been any update on playing lift, clean and place?
Woosie: I know myself and Tom have agreed on it that we two would like to wipe and place, or whatever you call it in America. Pick it up and clean it.... and replace it.

1815: A very interesting last hour, chatting to Harry and Chris Lewis of Sports Illustrated. Chris is writing a book about life on the US Tour so I pick his brains about certain players.

1715: The first 3,000 pints of Guinness in the back of the press tent are free I'm told. Is that for the week or just for today? I'm going to knock one of that total while discussing the fourballs with Harry 'The Hat'.

1700: So, let's look at those fourballs then:

0800 Montgomerie/Harrington v Woods/Furyk
0815 Casey/Karlsson v Cink/JJ Henry
0830 Garcia/Olazabal v Wetterich/Toms
0845 Clarke/Westwood v Mickelson/DiMarco

A couple of surprises it seems with no room for Luke Donald or David Howell. But then again, all the European pairings look strong. As predicted Lehman is putting out his big guns, Woods and Furyk, first while saving his other stellar pair, Mickelson and DiMarco, until the end. Perhaps the Europeans feel they can take a hold of the middle games. Surprising to see Brett Wetterich in there but both captains revealed in their press conferences earlier that the course is playing very long and big hitters could be favoured.

1650: Amazing. I've had about 20 e-mails in the last 20 minutes, mostly from Irish sounding names with nice things to say. But I have upset one lady, who reckons I'm having a go at my hosts. For that I apologise. I knew that "turd" floor 'gag' would come back to haunt me.

1645: Amongst all the e-mails asking me for the pairings, I have to mention this one from James Elliott Parker. "My mate Dave is watching the opening ceremony at home. Can you confirm the female presenter is quite fit? He says she is." I was about to agree until I had an e-mail saying "11/2 it's a trannie".

1645: Time for some more entertainment. Pretty good as Opening Ceremonies go. Not too long. Some good Irish music and dance and Woosie didn't make a complete hash of it.

1640: The two teams march side by side off the stage, flanked by the WABs. "Here's to a great weekend of golf," says our announcer, who runs through the pairings again. The action will start at 8am. Am glad to see J.J. Henry in there having tipped him for top US points scorer.

1638: And over two and a half hours after revealing them to the press, the pairings are finally announced by the two captains. The two men are stood either side of the host and it comes across a bit like Family Fortunes.

1635: Woosie announces his team. Massive cheers for Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley but perhaps the ovation for Padraig Harrington is the loudest.

1631: Between tripping up over his words, Woosie describes the Irish fans as the best golf fans in the world which obviously goes down well. And there's a standing ovation for course designer Arnold Palmer who again fails to get picked out by the camerman. Is Arnie actually there?

1630: Can Woosie match him? 11/10 that he gets someone's name wrong.

1625: Tom Lehman takes centre stage and points out the great historical links between America and Ireland. He introduces his team who each take a little step forward when their name is read out. A little extra cheer for Tiger.

1620: The national anthem of America rings out. Most of the US WABs seem to be singing but not the players themselves. Now it's the United Kingdom. And now Spain. One year, we'll have 12 different nationalities on the European team and this will go on forever.

1612: I knew this would happen. I'm now getting a load of e-mails asking what the fourballs are. Sorry, can't say.

1610: Nice dance number there with some good traditional Irish music belting out. Drat, it's ended. Was hoping Woosie and Lehman would come from the opposite ends of the stage and do a jig.

1606: Jeanette Krankie now appears to be on stage. No, too tall.

1605: Some great Irish Ryder Cuppers are introduced.

1602: Whoops, a complaint from a former Irish work colleague, Keith McDonnell, drops into my e-mail box, telling me off for having a pop at Johnny Logan. "The Eurovision launched many a career, Hothouse Flowers, Michael Flatly, who knows what bud shall grow into a flower on the back of this exposure," says Keith.

1600: And now an American man with a newsreader's haircut. Not sure who he is. Looks a bit like Sam Hamman.

1558: Come on Carlos, you aren't anything like Jimi Hendrix. Start playing that strange instrument with your teeth or something.

1550: Polite applause but it's no Eurovision winner. Is dual winner Johnny Logan still going these days? Yes, he is. I've just googled and found his website. Johnny has just appeared on a German TV show - "Das Festival des Deutschen Schlagers" - and is on Dutch TV next month. His schedule for late September says "Occupied/Golf Tournament" so looks like he's here.