Caddie's Role: The Ryder Cup. That big thing between America's best golfers and the brave European team who shouldn't ever win according to statistics but keep on doing so. As much as I hate the preamble to an event that is truly worthy but flogged like the proverbial dead horse by the world's media, I am going to give you my impression of the course for next year's event which will be held at the K Club.

As if last Sunday's European Open finish needs any explaining to those of you who were gobsmacked in front of the telly. Those fellas looked like you and I last Sunday at the K Club. Three-putting from two and a half feet, repetitively whacking your three wood (for safety) tee -shot on 17 into the water, and general mishaps resulting.

For someone connected with the game it was all deeply disturbing. I feel for those who suffered last Sunday afternoon down by the river Liffey.

The European Open on the Palmer course at the K Club was the final run-up to the Ryder Cup. The European captain, Ian Woosnam, not only got to choose his two vice-captains last week in his good friend, Peter Baker, and the Irish favourite choice, Des Smyth, but he also got a large say in setting up the golf course.

He advised the greens staff as to how he would like to see the course looking for next year's bout. If last week's presentation is anything to go by then we are in for a battle of par golf. Three of Europe's finest completed their four rounds under par. Some of them took advantage of some very fortunate weather conditions on the Saturday morning whereby the course was perhaps three shots easier than it was that afternoon when the wind became strong. It's no surprise two of the top three finishers including the winner played early on Saturday.

With the Irish connection to the historic challenge, the Ryder Cup was destined to come to these shores this decade. The K Club was the first of the Irish country clubs to reshape the nature of golf in the 1990s. When the European Open moved from Sunningdale very briefly to East Sussex and finally to its recent permanent home in Kildare I can't help but feel it was part of the vision of the owner, Dr Michael Smurfit, to create a venue befitting the ever-growing cup challenge.

In fact Smurfit's enthusiasm knows no bounds. He is so keen he presents himself on the fairways during the four rounds of play, mingling with the players and taking a keen interest in proceedings. I have never seen a club owner get so close to the action.

Thomas Bjorn, the talented, almost veteran, Danish golfer took a four-shot lead with him to the final round. He had hit the ball well for three days and he finished it off well on the greens. His third round of three under in extremely windy conditions was fantastic.

It is a tall task to win taking a convincing lead into the final day. On a course like the Palmer, it is as demanding as it gets on this side of the Atlantic.

This year, with Woosnam whispering in their ears, the organisers got it right. The fairways tapered off at the long hitting zones in order to try to limit the power advantage. The rough was a sufficiently punishing length whereby if you were crooked off the tee then you paid the price.

The changes to the course with a new tee on the seventh hole making it 35 yards longer is a good addition. The redesigned 12th green is excellent. The final four holes are as demanding as any you will find on the toughest courses world wide.

If you feel yourself succumbing to pressure while playing these holes, which, of course, every player will in September next year, then you are in for a severe end to your round with potential disaster on each of the these holes.

With a tournament hosting a large field of entrants like the European Open last week, there is an added problem.

Despite the weather being quite severe in terms of wind last week which contributed to the high scoring, the surface of the greens is also an added factor in keeping the scores up. Even the best putters find it difficult to hole putts on the snaking and bumpy greens on the Palmer course.

Despite the greens' slick surface, quite frankly the ball just does not roll on them, it bumps and jumps and rarely hugs the surface on its journey to the hole. On top of the weather this is a huge contributing factor to the high scoring in Kildare last week.

The surface of the greens is not such an important factor when it comes to a team event with a maximum of 24 players passing over them each day.

When I walked the course last Tuesday morning the greens looked wonderful. There had been no traffic on them due to the British Open qualifier in Sunningdale the previous day, the mob had not arrived by then.

So I am going to guess that the course will be in excellent condition in September next year for the historic challenge between the American giants and the European minnows. The final act in the Dr Smurfit golf drama, Ryder Cup Ireland 2006.

The fish are already jumping in anticipation of drama down by the river Liffey.