Opening day round-up

It was a shame, a crying shame. After nearly ten years of waiting to stage Wales’ first Ryder Cup, the elements villainously contrived to put a serious dampner on proceedings at rain-sodden Celtic Manor.

After taking a right pounding from the heavens, the South Wales venue more resembled Glastonbury than an international golf event.

There was mud everywhere and it wasn’t glorious either. It was downright frustrating and depressing but full credit to both teams and the enthusiastic galleries for gutsing it out in appalling conditions.

The outcome of the opening fourballs is of course still up for grabs and it’s a fact US captain Corey Pavin will sleep better tonight after seeing his plucky side battle back when play eventually resumed at 5pm.

At that time the Americans were down in three matches but, inspired by the superb display of former Open champ Stewart Cink, they now hold a 3-1 lead and the all-important momentum.

Colin Montgomerie knows his team will have to pull out all the stops to turn things round in the morning and no doubt he’ll be hopingthat stars likeRory McIlroy can start to shine on the big stage.

He’ll also be banking on Lee Westwood to return to form. Westy, sidelined for several weeks with injury, seemed to run out of steam and the overnight break could do him the world of good.

In the treacherous circumstances, some amazing golf was played by players from both sides and full credit too to the 110 greenkeepers who somehow got the course playable again after suffering a mammoth 37mm of rain fell between 5.30pm yesterday and 3.30pm today (fri).

Hopefully we’ve seen the last of the rain and from now on we can concentrate on the quality of golf and intense competition between the world’s best golfrs as opposed dubious weather reports.