Paul O’Connell went into the European Ryder Cup team room on Tuesday night with no intention of providing inspiration, merely to talk about what being a team player meant to him. 

Yes, yes, I know it’s nearly November and the leading golfers in the world are out east chasing dollars, dirhams and yuan — there’s gold in them thar (Mission) Hills, eh, Rory! — but it has actually been quite a good week for the Irish Open.

YOU read it here first - Bernhard Langer will retain the captaincy of the European Ryder Cup team for The K-Club in 2006.