Ryder CupPhilip Reid is left a little confused after yesterday's practice sessions would appear to have thrown up the ideal fourball partnerships for both teams

Do you believe what your eyes tell you? In past Ryder Cups, we've had opposing captains playing mind games that only served to confuse. They'd mix and match players in practice, then play completely different pairings when the time came for the real thing.

Yesterday's first official day of practice brought with it an apparent honesty that, well, left us confused. Had all of the pieces of the jigsaw fallen into place already? So easily? Had the two captains discovered matches made in heaven and decided it was not their place to tinker?

It remains to be seen if all of the partnerships remain intact, but it seems a safe bet that Tiger Woods will play with Jim Furyk, that Phil Mickelson will play with Chris DiMarco, that David Toms will play with Chad Campbell. For the moment, the US camp is happier than at any time in the recent history of the Ryder Cup. Which, for them, is a good thing, considering their lack of success since the millennium turned.

On the European front, too, all seemed so cosy. Just like old times, in fact. Darren Clarke with Lee Westwood, Padraig Harrington with Paul McGinley, Paul Casey with Luke Donald, Jose Maria Olazabal with Sergio Garcia, Robert Karlsson with Henrik Stenson, and Colin Montgomerie with David Howell. If nothing else, it indicated that Europe's captain Ian Woosnam knew his geography.

Unlike previous years, it would seem that yesterday's pairings provided a very strong hint as to what lies ahead come Friday, the first day of competition. While confirming that "a little bit" could be read into how he had sent out his pairings yesterday, Woosnam also made the point that, "it's important that the guys are honest with themselves, honest with me and how they feel they are playing. It is important we go out with the strongest team on Friday morning."

For yesterday's opening of the gates to spectators, a relaxed atmosphere prevailed. Players from both teams spent considerable amounts of time signing autographs.

In Oakland Hills, Detroit, four years ago, the European team went on a charm offensive during practice by stopping to sign autographs while the American team stuck to playing golf.

Here, the Americans seemed to have learned from that mistake, although captain Tom Lehman didn't see it so much as a charm offensive, rather as a duty.

"I'd say the Irish golf fans are some of the very, very best in the world. I don't think it's a matter of winning over the crowds as much as our guys showing respect," said Lehman.

Indeed, many of the American players stuck around for a considerable amount of time after finishing their rounds and before heading to the range. David Toms spent a good half an hour signing autographs, Phil Mickelson some 20 minutes doing the same. Tiger Woods, too, signed autographs for children on his way from the driving range to the chipping green area.

But there has been a contrast to the approach of the two teams. Yesterday, the tees were available to them from 7.30am. While the Americans started off the first shortly after that time, the Europeans didn't start their practice rounds until 9.30am, so the plan to send them off the 10th tee was changed and they too played off the first.

The early start is something that the Americans will adhere to today and tomorrow. Which will certainly suit Woods, who traditionally plays his practice rounds in the days before majors shortly after dawn.

Indeed, Woods had finished his day's work yesterday by 1.30pm, which allowed him to return to the hotel's gym for a two hour workout and, then, to have some "downtime," as Lehman put it, to himself.

Lehman explained: "It's always something that Tiger's wanted to do in the Ryder Cup, is to have some time where he can relax and have time to himself . . . (to) have some time where he can exhale. I think that's very important."

The American pairings yesterday interchanged after nine holes, so that players got the opportunity to play with new partners. But the way they started out was, perhaps, more telling.

"I think they have a very good chance of playing some golf together (come Friday)," was the carrot offered by Lehman on the original pairings that included Woods with Furyk and DiMarco with Mickelson. His plan is to have them play foursomes in today's practice session which, again, get under way at any time after 7.30am.

There seemed to be some sort of geographical, yet natural, plan to the way that Woosnam sent out his pairings.

"The Swedish guys together? I just feel they play a similar sort of game. They are both long hitters. They are good, if they miss the fairways. They are good at getting out of the rough, and get on great together.

"It's the same with Olazabal and Garcia. I see Olazabal as a bit of a mentor, as a leader, and Garcia as the young up-and-coming bull."

Whatever about conjecture and possible pairings, yesterday's first day of practice at least provided some insight into the thinking to the two captains. We think!

Bring wet gear

Hurricane Gordon, which is out in the mid-Atlantic, is moving on an easterly track and should remain that way, according to meteorologists. Gordon remains over warm water and should stay a hurricane before hitting the Azores and moving towards the Iberian Peninsula. While local weather forecasts advise bringing wet gear today because of the predicted unsettled weather in Ireland, the chance of Gordon spoiling The K Club party seems remote.

"A couple of the computers are saying that it might happen but I don't think so," said on-site meteorologist Mike McClellan. "It's a remote possibility for the weekend." The system was still a full-blown hurricane when it affected the Azores last night but after that, it is expected to move over much cooler water and weaken further. Today, however, will be windy (40 mph) with heavy periods of rain.

- Johnny Watterson

Captains' hints

The practice sessions yesterday gave an indication of the pairings for Friday's opening fourball matches. This is how they lined up:

Europe

Casey, Donald

Clarke, Westwood

Harrington, McGinley

Karlsson, Stenson

Montgomerie, Howell

Olazaba, Garcia

US

Cink, Henry

Mickelson, DiMarco

Taylor, Johnson

Toms, Campbell

Verplank, Wetterich

Woods, Furyk