Bookings for Waterville House are being studied very closely in search of clues. Chief executive Jay Connolly didn't expect to see names like Woods, O'Meara or Stewart among the advance bookings - "They don't operate that way". But there could be other names that might point to distinguished arrivals.

Portmarnock are also waiting and wondering. And it would seem that the celebrated group are on their way, the only doubt being where precisely they plan to play. Expectations are that David Duval, Tiger Woods, Mark O'Meara, Lee Janzen and recently-crowned US Open champion Payne Stewart will savour Irish links terrain next week before heading off to Carnoustie.

The reasoning of twice US Open champion Janzen is quite revealing and indicative of his attitude to the major championships. "Mark, Tiger and Jim Furyk were over in Ireland before the British Open last year and all three finished in the top four at Royal Birkdale," he said. "So I figure the Irish visits must have had something to do with it."

He went on: "The first advantage of arriving over there a few days early was that they got acclimatised to the time zone. And playing different courses every day, as they did, helps stimulate the brain and would have been very useful preparation for the variety of shots they needed at Birkdale.

"Up to now, my approach has been to arrive early at a British Open venue and then play the course every day. But I now intend to try a little variety before getting to Carnoustie." He concluded: "I've seen the great special, Golf in Ireland, that they did on the Golf Channel, so I'm really looking forward to playing over there."

The US Open champion of 1993 and 1998 has never played in Ireland, though he made a brief visit here when Concorde touched down in Shannon en route to the US after the 1993 Ryder Cup, in which he played.

Duval, on the other hand, has played Lahinch, which became Phil Mickelson's favourite links, when the American Walker Cup team prepared there for the matches at Portmarnock in 1991. And Stewart will be remembered for his challenge in the Irish Open at Killarney in 1991; an ill-fated appearance in the European Open last year and a memorable visit to Ballybunion, also last year, when he had a hole in one at the short third.

On that occasion, Woods and O'Meara were also at Ballybunion, having played earlier at Waterville. Then, on leaving the south-west, they travelled to Dublin and a round at The K Club. Portmarnock was not on their schedule, nor is it expected to be on this occasion.

Meanwhile, the wonder is that it has taken them so long to realise what they've been missing. I remember Tom Watson's first visit here in 1981, when I had the privilege of seeing him at Portmarnock after he was utterly captivated by his introduction to Ballybunion.

A good gallery had gathered by the time Watson reached the long 13th. "Go for it," they urged as he surveyed his second shot. With that, he nailed a two-iron which ripped through the air before coming to rest on the green, about 230 yards away. And we had reason to recall that shot two years later, when he used the same club on the 72nd hole when capturing a fifth British Open title at Birkdale.

"In the Ryder Cup, you should consider both the present and the future. And by picking Sergio Garcia, Europe would be making an investment in the future, even if he didn't perform this time. I think he would be a good pick."

- Lee Janzen

Sentiment is not readily associated with professional golfers. But Ian Woosnam was sufficiently moved by his Ryder Cup debut at PGA National GC in Palm Beach Gardens in 1983 to have kept an official menu from the closing dinner. In fact he also had the presence of mind to have it autographed by all of the players, European and American.

Sixteen years on, Dublin's Rutland Centre has benefited from the Welshman's foresight, to the extent of £5,000. That was the amount former champion jockey Michael Kinane paid for the menu when it was auctioned earlier this week at a banquet following the Smurfit Christy O'Connor Pro-Am at The K Club.

There was an even greater reward from a contribution by Paul McGinley, the local tournament professional. Having acquired a rather special golf bag at a similar, charity function at St George's Hill GC in England recently, he passed it on for auction in his native city.

So it was that the MacGregor bag, which carried Jose-Maria Olazabal's clubs en route to a second US Masters triumph at Augusta last April, came to be purchased for £9,000 by financier Dermot Desmond. And Bill Cullen, chief of Renault Ireland, considered two Ryder Cup tickets for Brookline, presented by the PGA European Tour, to be good value at £5,000.

Another Dublin businessman, Sean Barron, paid £7,000 for a charming, framed presentation of Ben Hogan's famous one-iron shot to the 18th at Merion in the 1950 US Open - signed by the man himself. In all, the function raised £144,000 for charity.

While the Ryder Cup has been dominating the thinking of Europe's leading players for some months now, David Duval seems rather unimpressed by it all. "I view it more as an exhibition, which is the way it started," said the world's number one. "I certainly don't see it as the end-all and be-all and I certainly won't be bed-ridden for a week if we get beat."

Duval, who will be making his Ryder Cup debut at Brookline, went on: "I've heard some European players remark that it is the biggest event in golf to them. I just don't see it that way." Perhaps he became somewhat disenchanted by team golf after his Walker Cup appearance at Portmarnock in 1991, when he was dropped from the second day's singles, after losing 2 and 1 to Gary Evans.

John Daly's dire predictions as to how the USGA are likely to set up Pebble Beach for next year's US Open, may prove to have more than a little substance. It seems plans are already advanced to trim the famous layout on the Monterey Peninsula from par 72 to 71.

Reports from the US suggest that the par-five second hole is to be converted to a long par four, by reducing it from 502 yards to 485. All of which is entirely in keeping with the sort of approach which had par fours measuring 482, 485 and 489 yards when the event was staged two weeks ago at a par-70 Pinehurst No 2.

In fact the champion, Payne Stewart, considers his remarkable, final-round four at the 489-yard 16th to have been a birdie. For their part, however, the USGA clearly feel we have moved on from the time when Jack Nicklaus (1972), Tom Watson (1982) and Tom Kite (1992) played Pebble as a par 72. And they hope to prove the point during the forthcoming US Amateur there.

This day in golf history . . . On July 3rd, 1972, David Graham gained a breakthrough victory on the USPGA Tour when he beat fellow Australian Bruce Devlin in a play-off for the Cleveland Open. It was to open the way to a sparkling career for a player who started golf as a 14-year-old with left-handed clubs before becoming a right-handed player two years later.

Born in Windsor, Australia on May 3rd, 1946, Graham won eight tournaments on the USPGA Tour, including the 1979 USPGA Championship and the 1981 US Open. Among 19 other victories internationally were the 1976 World Matchplay and the 1977 Australian Open. He now competes on the US Seniors' Tour, where he has had four victories.

Teaser: John Daly seemed to have cornered the market on moving-ball incidents with his exploit at Pinehurst. But there was another incident a week later in Memphis, which has been brought to my attention by David Nolan of Tralee. It seems that Mark Brooks hit a moving ball while playing a chip during the St Jude Classic. But there was no penalty. "Curtis Strange, a member of the TV commentary team, gave a ruling on the matter but I think he may have been incorrect." Decision 14-5/1 poses the question: A player's ball starts moving during his backswing and he strikes the ball while it is still moving. What is the ruling?

Answer: There is no penalty under Rule 14-5 because the ball began to move after the player had begun his backswing. However, if the player caused the ball to move, had addressed it or removed a loose impediment within a club-length of it, he incurred a penalty stroke (Rules 18-2a, b or c). So, Brooks clearly believed he had done none of those things.