Five thousand miles from Straffan, a very different sort of sporting occasion kicked off yesterday.
The Homeless World Cup - a gathering of street children, recovering drug addicts and refugees from 48 countries, including Ireland - was officially opened by South Africa's president Thabo Mbeki.
In terms of sponsorship, organisation and even decorum, the event was a million miles removed from the Ryder Cup. But there was no shortage of passion, nor excitement, as the Irish team opened their account with a 6-2 thrashing of Norway.
Simon Canning, from Tallaght, Dublin, captain of the eight-man squad, believes they can go all the way. "We are here to win. This is a chance in a lifetime for us, and we want to make the most of it," said the 29 year old who gave up drugs a year ago, and has since returned to school to complete his Junior Certificate.
He said a recently established football league for homeless youths, from which the team was picked, had helped him to turn his life around. Around 150 people play in the Dublin-based league, organised by Ireland's Issues magazine with the Football Association of Ireland (FAI).
"Sport has helped me a lot - interacting with people again," he said. "All this year, I knew Cape Town was there as a target. It kept me going."
The squad, which includes some ex-prisoners and is drawn from Co Dublin, Co Cork, Co Limerick and Co Tipperary, was welcomed into the country at the weekend with a reception hosted by Irish Ambassador to South Africa Colin Wrafter.
Yesterday, the players paraded with competing teams through the centre of Cape Town before their first match in the four-a-side tournament.
The annual competition, first held in 2003, is organised by Big Issue South Africa with the help of an international network of street papers and other supporters. This year is the first time the world cup is being held outside of Europe.
Irish team manager Sean Kavanagh said he was planning to mount a bid for Ireland to host the event in a few years.
"The project has been really successful. At a basic level, it gets people off the streets, and it gives them something to look forward to every week.
"If you have an addiction problem, there is nothing better than having something to take your mind off it," he said.
The Irish players, who recently gained FAI coaching badges, will travel to Kenya next week to conduct coaching sessions in a slum outside of Nairobi.
"It breaks your heart to see how little the Kenyan boys are. We've all been affected by it. It makes me feel grateful for what I have," said Mr Canning.