I had made my travel plans for Scotland so that I could watch the denouement of the battle of the Belfry on Sunday afternoon. My colleagues had left word that Ma Belles restaurant, just up the road from the first tee at St Andrews, was where they would be.

They had all arrived early to prepare for the arduous Dunhill Links Championship. It's a diligent caddies' nightmare because you have to prepare for three different courses. As most will know, St Andrews alone, with all its playing options presented on each hole, is as demanding as three courses. That is why many of us arrived well in advance on the Fife coast.

So we all downed yardage books and mingled in Ma Belles with the Sunday regulars, many of whom looked like they had no interest in the outcome of the nail-biting end to a hard-fought Ryder Cup. We outweighed their disinterest with a passionate vocal enthusiasm.

The caddies' standing has improved over the years due to more communication and a general higher level of respect given to a role previously considered as bag toting and not much else. What struck me about this Ryder Cup was that the caddies were sporting the same uniform as the players. This is the first year I have noticed this form of unity and it did seem to show that the caddie and player do work closely. They are indeed a team and their emotional unity also came across clearly on Sunday.

Dave McNeilly, Padraig Harrington's caddie, has the utmost respect for the game and other players. The emotional charge displayed by him as he galloped onto the 18th green on Sunday when Paul McGinley holed the winning putt, emphasised that even the most reserved individuals are overcome by it.

The picture of JP Fitzgerald and his boss Paul McGinley on the front of the newspaper yesterday, jumping in unison after Paul holed the match-deciding 10-footer, gave me a tingling sensation on the back of my neck as I picked up my morning paper.

McGinley looked like he was enjoying his match with Jim Furyk more than any other time in his career.

He had a warm grin that filled his face as he was cheered off every green. I have never caddied in a Ryder Cup but if it was going to be half as enjoyable as Paul McGinley was making it look, I really would love to participate.

Andy Prodger, the caddie of the heroic Montgomerie, was dreading the week as I sent him on his way from Ireland to Birmingham last week. With his man's back situation he could only see problems. Of course the Montgomerie team never looked like they had a problem all week. It was the most outstanding performance by any player in this event. What back ailment?

Underdogs, lack of form, back pains and even the yips were all mooted as the almost certain downfall of the Europeans. As those of us who play the game know, you never really know what to expect when you set off down the first hole of a golf course.

The only thing that is predictable is the unpredictability of the game - it can draw the best out of us when we least expect it. The scenes of elation that beamed from the Belfry to us in St Andrews has left us yearning for the first hand reports of how it really felt for Torrance's European heroes.