What would Mark James have given for an exchange of places with Jimmy Greene (right) in Brookline last week. Greene was the captain of the European Junior Masters in their `Mini Ryder Cup' match with the US and for the first time on US soil the Europeans won by a massive margin of 10 1/2 points to 1 1/2.

The inaugural match was held in New York in 1995, when Europe won thanks to the wonderful golf played by an up-and-coming 15-year-old Spaniard called Sergio Garcia. The 1997 match was staged in Spain at the San Rogue Club in Andalucia when the US won by 7-5. This year's event took place, on the same week as the Ryder Cup, at Cape Cod, just 65 miles from Brookline Country Club and the 12 members of the European team were special guests of the USPGA.

It is a team matchplay event between the US and Europe and teams consist of 12 players, six boys and six girls, and the format is fourballs on the first day and mixed fourballs on the second day.

Day one opened well for the European side when they won five of the six matches and gained a half in the last match between David Porter, Craig Stevenson against Hunter Mahan and James Vargas. Day two went on similar lines with Susann Pettersen of Norway and David Porter of England getting Europe into a winning position with a 4 and 3 win over Leigh Anne Hardin and James Vargas of the US. Although the US took the second match by 6 and 5, the Europeans took the remaining four matches to seal victory by 10 1/2 points to 1 1/2.

Ireland had no representatives on this year's team but the incentive is now there because the 2001 event will be played at the K Club during the week that the Ryder Cup is being staged at the Belfry. And judging by the standard, European golf is in safe hands.

It was also a great honour for Jimmy Greene, the captain of the Irish Boys' team that won the European championship last year. Greene is the first Irishman to be honoured with the captaincy of a European side.