Anecdotal evidence provided by Paul McGinley suggests that Ireland's World Cup victory at the Ocean Course, Kiawah Island in 1997 was not without its amusing side.

McGinley's triumph alongside Padraig Harrington makes them popular interviewees this week as the tournament returns to the much changed South Carolina venue.

The minutiae of the on-course success has been regurgitated for the assembled media but a quiet conversation with McGinley illustrates an incident that still makes him laugh to this day.

In 1997 on arriving in Kiawah, the Dubliner found out that his caddie couldn't make the journey and so set about finding a replacement. He bumped into a Corkman called Alan - his surname escapes him - who was working on building sites but who convinced McGinley that he had done a little bag toting in his time. McGinley decided to take a chance and elaborates on their pre-tournament chat.

"I told him that there was no way that I would pay him normal caddie rates because he wasn't a regular but agreed to pay him $1,000 for the week. I told him that all I wanted him to do was carry the bag; not to venture any club selection or get involved in the yardage, simply to carry the bag.

"I told him that I'd pay him a further three per cent of any money that we won and if we were somehow to win the tournament I would give him 10 per cent of the winners' cheque.

"Everything was fine and he did exactly as he was asked until we were coming down the stretch on the Sunday. Things started to get a bit tight and you could see the strain on his face."

Alan was obviously mentally banking his slice of the $250,000-per-man cheque - $25,000 - and didn't want to see anything come between him and a lucrative payday.

McGinley laughs as he recalls having to administer a minor rebuke to Alan, who seemed to think that his golfer, required a verbal gee-up to help him over the finishing line.

McGinley and Harrington duly delivered the victory, much to the delight of everyone associated with the triumph.

Alan received his cut and parted company with his benefactor. On the Monday McGinley was in Charleston and was taken to an Irish bar to unwind and enjoy a quiet drink. There down at the far end of the bar was the bold Alan, head down on the counter.

It may appear slightly apocryphal but the suspicion, apparently confirmed by the barman, was that he had been there ever since the Irish victory. Nor was Alan the only Irish caddie who took to the drink after the World Cup success.

During yesterday's press conference, the Irish duo were asked whether they remembered the post tournament party or was it lost in an alcoholic haze. McGinley smiled: "He (Harrington) does. He was drinking Coke. I remember John O'Reilly (Harrington's former caddie); we put a small bottle of Irish whiskey on everyone's table.

"As John got up to leave his coat opened and all these bottles fell out. It didn't bother him in the slightest. Nothing would embarrass John. He just smiled and continued on."

It was a lighter side to a media grilling that included a rehash of Harrington's singles contretemps with Jose Maria Olazabal - it revolved around the Spaniard repairing what was possibly a spikemark on a green and therefore illegal - last Sunday during the final day of the Seve Ballesteros trophy. The Irishman answered with typical candour. "Nothing has happened since Sunday night.

"We have to see how time goes along. Obviously it's something that's said and done now. There is nothing more to say until we meet again. We had a good conversation afterwards and to be honest so far all that could have been said has been said. There is nothing I can say or do now."

For Harrington the priority is trying to win the World Cup. "Considering a big week like this, it is something I have to keep out of my mind and consign to the past."