A decision on Ireland's application for the 2005 Ryder Cup has been put back from the expected announcement at Valderrama next month. Ken Schofield, executive director of the PGA European Tour, emphasised yesterday that while negotiations were still going ahead smoothly, there was no rush on a final announcement.

"We met again this week and will continue to have dialogue in the months ahead," he said, in reference to discussions with Mark Marnell, Matt McNulty and Padraig O hUiginn of Bord Failte.