Ryder CupPhilip Reid on how Harrington and Monty aim to plug America's best in the opening match
Finally, belatedly, the Ryder Cup gets an Irish airing. And, in truth, the wait for The K Club to play host to the 36th edition of the most white-knuckle ride in team golf has been worth it, as Europe - seeking to retain the trophy and searching for an unprecedented third successive win - go head-to-head with the United States, a wounded giant attempting to re-establish itself as the most powerful force in the game.
Fittingly, too, the opening act is as alluring as it gets. Really, it couldn't have been better scripted with one of Ireland's own, Padraig Harrington, teaming-up with his old sparring partner Colin Montgomerie to take on Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk in the first fourball match. It's a match that only counts for one point out of 28, but in truth it is more than that. It's huge. It sets down a marker, a statement of intent. It's a momentum builder.
That Woods and Furyk would play at number one for the Americans was well flagged. It was no secret. In such situations, there are no places for opponents to hide and, so, just as they did at Oakland Hills in 2004, where Europe inflicted a record sized defeat on the Americans, Harrington and Montgomerie volunteered for the parts.
In stepping up to the plate to take on Woods, the world's number one, and Furyk, ranked two in the official rankings, the Celtic cousins will bid to extend an impressive partnership which has seen them win three out of the four times they've played together in Ryder Cup combat.
"It's going to be a big boost for us if we can beat that pairing," said Europe's captain Ian Woosnam.
Certainly, it's as appetising a starter to the menu as it gets. "We've got two of Europe's best," acknowledged Woods, after the draw, adding: "Hopefully we'll be able to get it started and get the momentum on our side."
Just as Woosnam anticipated his opposite number would put Woods and Furyk out at the top of the order, Lehman expected to see Harrington and Montgomerie as the first two names down for Europe. "I expected Monty to be in that first group with Padraig," said Lehman.
"The first point is a big point, (but) it's not like the first match, whoever wins that match, that the tournament is over. That's not it at all."
And, if the first fourball match is the stuff of dreams for golf spectators, the bottom match - pitching Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood against Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco - is also one to savour.
It's also poised to be an emotional moment for Clarke once he gets to the first tee, a point made by Mickelson. "It's going to be a difficult match, not just because Lee and Darren are such incredibly talented players, but because of the emotions that will be involved."
Momentum is a buzz word in golf, and both Europe and the US will want to claim the early initiative. When the two captains named their pairings for the opening series, there were some surprises. Woosnam, for one, caused a wee stir with his decision to omit Luke Donald, ranked ninth in the world.
"Very difficult," said Woosnam of how it felt to tell Donald, David Howell, Paul McGinley and Henrik Stenson that they wouldn't be playing in the opening fourballs.
"I've got nine players in the top-25 in the world and it is difficult to tell players they are not playing. That's the trouble we've got."
Lehman, showing his fate in the four rookies that qualified for his team, chose to play two of the newcomers, Brett Wetterich and JJ Henry, partnering them with David Toms and Stewart Cink respectively.
The decision to pair Sergio Garcia with Jose Maria Olazabal was, as far as Woosnam was concerned, a natural partnership. The two Spaniards have never previously partnered each other, mainly due to Olazabal appearing in the event for the first time since 1999, the only time they were on the same team.
Garcia and Olazabal will meet Toms and Wetterich and Woosnam believes the two can replicate the old "Spanish Armada" aura of Olazabal and Seve Ballesteros in previous matches.
"Olazabal has been around for a long time. He has a lot of experience, and the enthusiasm he has shown all week has been incredible. Keeping him off the golf course has been the hardest problem . . . and Sergio's been around a while now and he's such a fantastic player. They are just going to work beautifully together," said Woosnam.
Woosnam also demonstrated an ability to think outside the box in selecting Paul Casey to play with Robert Karlsson, the English-Swedish combination facing Cink and Henry. Both are in form, Casey having won the world matchplay and Karlsson having reached the semi-final last week.
Due to the amount of rain that has fallen this week, another two inches dousing the Palmer Course on Wednesday night, the likelihood is preferred lies will be in operation, certainly for today. A decision will be taken by tournament referee Andy McFee, but Woosnam and Lehman have each let it be known they believe lift, clean and place would make for a fairer contest. "We don't want to see any balls just flying off anywhere," said Woosnam.
For this match, Europe head in as marginal favourites.
They deserve to be. Although the US have the top three ranked players in the world, Europe have developed a winning habit. On four of the last five occasions the Ryder Cup has been played, Europe have taken the trophy. You've got to think that, somewhere and sometime, the Americans will buck that trend.
On the back of the hoarding around the 10th tee, there is a quotation attributed to George Bernard Shaw.
"There are two tragedies in life. One is not to get your heart's desire. The other is to get it." Certainly, the Americans' desire is to reclaim the Ryder Cup. Whether that happens is another matter entirely. Let's Play!
