Not for the first time at the Ryder Cup Colin Montgomerie has expressed surprise at a decision by his opposite number Corey Pavin.

FOR a man that earlier in the week brought in a military man to gee up his players, USA captain Corey Pavin cut an extraordinarily benign figure on the eve of today’s deciding Ryder Cup singles matches.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE last night heaped praise on Pádraig Harrington and hit back at those who criticised his decision to grant the three-time major winner a wild card Ryder Cup spot.

Europe take a remarkable three-point lead into the Monday singles at the Ryder Cup after a quite stunning session at Celtic Manor.

THE Ryder Cup is heading back to Europe if the words of the PR people at Sun Mountain Sports are to believed.

WITH the golf shots at a bare minimum and Mother Nature a dominating winner on the first day of the 38th Ryder Cup matches, there was nonetheless a desperate search for storylines to satisfy our appetite for this biennial event.

THE sun may or may not come out to play in the Usk Valley this weekend but European captain Colin Montgomerie was certainly saying hip, hip, hip hooray to the prospect of a vastly rejigged Ryder Cup schedule intended to beat the weather.

PADRAIG HARRINGTON will be warmly fancied to win his first Ryder Cup match since 2004 when he and Luke Donald take on rookies Bubba Watson and Jeff Overton in the final fourball of this morning’s opening session at Celtic Manor.

USA captain Corey Pavin forgot to introduce 2009 Open champion Stewart Cink when he presented his team at the opening ceremony of the 38th Ryder Cup.

IT WAS in the gloom of a cool October Sunday five years ago when Tiger Woods stood to the back of the 18th green at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club and watched his American teammates celebrate a Presidents Cup win over the International Team.

FIRST it was Rory McIlroy saying any member of the European team would fancy taking on Tiger Woods in the Ryder Cup. Last night it was his captain, Colin Montgomerie, of all people, adding fuel to the fire by using the word “hidden” to describe the world number one’s placing at number three in the order for this morning’s fourballs at Celtic Manor.

His battling qualities are legendary, but the US Ryder Cup captain also has a reputation as a hothead and being thin-skinned. Simon Lewis wonders wether will he keep the latter emotions in check this weekend?

Ian Poulter, beaten by Tiger Woods in his first-ever Ryder Cup match, finally has the chance for revenge at Celtic Manor tomorrow.

DESCRIBING sporting contests as battles and rivals as enemies are regrettably easy metaphors to employ.

RORY McILROY could never have imagined that a throwaway remark about Tiger Woods last month would come back to haunt him during one of the biggest weeks of his career.

An upset Rory McIlroy was given something to smile about at Celtic Manor today - team-mates and caddies wearing wigs that resembled his very distinctive curly hair.

Europe are the ones using motivational videos in the final countdown to the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor – and a talk by Welsh rugby legend Gareth Edwards - but the Americans have been spoken to in their team room by a decorated fighter pilot back from Iraq.

Corey Pavin would be glued to a clash between Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy at the Ryder Cup this week – but he has no wish to pre-arrange it with Colin Montgomerie.

Stewart Cink has given his fellow former Open champion Tiger Woods a ringing endorsement heading into the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor.

TIGER WOODS could well beup for this Ryder Cup and ifthat’s the case, young Rory McIlroy had better watch out.

THE Europe and United States Ryder Cup teams have been banned from tweeting until after the end of the tournament.

NO tricks, no tweets and no teasing.

Ian Poulter’s million followers on Twitter will have to make do without his many thoughts on the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor this week, with all 24 players having been told to focus on the match instead.

GRAEME McDOWELL willput the finishing touches tohis Ryder Cup preparations this week after making an encouraging return to action.

A WIN apiece for Europe and the USA gave cheer to both captains with just three weeks to go until the 38th Ryder Cup matches at Celtic Manor.

United States Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin insists he is not afraid to drop Tiger Woods.

RORY McILROY believes fellow young gun Rickie Fowler earned his Ryder Cup captain’s pick after winning the respect of American veterans on the PGA Tour.

COREY PAVIN yesterday handed Tiger Woods the chance to go into the Ryder Cup record books – as the American with more defeats than any other.

Corey Pavin today handed Tiger Woods the chance to go into the Ryder Cup record books – as the American with more defeats than any other.

DESPITE all that is read into the fact America won the last Ryder Cup without Tiger Woods and lost the previous three with him, there seems no way Corey Pavin will choose to bring a Tiger-less team to Celtic Manor in three weeks’ time.

COREY PAVIN, the US Ryder Cup captain, today announces his four wild cards for Celtic Manor next month well satisfied with the form of most of those who have already qualified were performing in the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston over the weekend.

Despite all that is read into the fact America won the last Ryder Cup without Tiger Woods and lost the previous three with him, there seems no way Corey Pavin will choose to bring a Tiger-less team to Celtic Manor in three weeks’ time.

Only four weeks until the Ryder Cup and still golf fans do not know for sure whether Tiger Woods is going to be there.

ANTHONY KIM continues his return from thumb surgery this week knowing that American Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin is keeping a close eye on him.

AMERICAN Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin has praised the way Dustin Johnson handled the two-shot penalty which cost him a chance of a first major title.

American Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin has praised the way Dustin Johnson handled the two-shot penalty which cost him a chance of a first Major title.

WITH 49 days to go until the Ryder Cup, the hotly-contested matches between the USA and Europe at Celtic Manor should quite rightly be exercising the minds of rival captains Corey Pavin and Colin Montgomerie.

Colin Montgomerie’s reign as Ryder Cup captain was always likely to be a lively one.

PÁDRAIG Harrington’s hopes of winning a Ryder Cup wild card got a significant boost from European captain Colin Montgomerie last night as rival skipper Corey Pavin said his United States team were underdogs for the October showdown at Celtic Manor.

Corey Pavin is refusing to say whether Tiger Woods will be in his Ryder Cup side – but opposite number Colin Montgomerie has no doubt what he would do.

When Phil Mickelson crashed to a closing 78 in Akron on Sunday the suspicion grew that trying to replace Tiger Woods as world number one was taking its toll.

Tiger Woods now says he will play in the Ryder Cup if American captain Corey Pavin offers him a wild card.

World number two Phil Mickelson believes he will eventually overtake Tiger Woods at the top of the rankings despite missing the opportunity at the weekend.