Bill the ordinary boy in a rich man’s playground

MONTY is cleaning his spikes in anticipation of next month’s action at Celtic Manor while the Americans are checking their passports are valid and changing their money to Euros.

They say horse racing is the sport that sees kings and paupers mix; but the Ryder Cup allows cub reporter and the world’s most influential to walk together.

At the last Europe vs America extravaganza held on these islands, in 2006, I was pretty new in the job. Sent to the K Club in Straffan, Co Kildare, I envisioned rubbing blazered-shoulders with sport’s great and good by the roaring comfortable fire, after a hard day over a hot Remington typewriter.