Continental shift as players team up again

MICHAEL CAMPBELL is the champion and another HSBC World Match Play has ended.

But golf's pampered millionaires must endure another week of the head-to-head stuff, with the US taking on the International selection for the President's Cup in Virginia and Britain and Ireland up against the Continent of Europe for the Seve Trophy in Northumberland, both starting on Thursday.

It could be argued neither of these team events matters much, there's only one that counts, the Ryder Cup.

Still, this form of golf invariably makes for fascinating viewing, not least because players who normally would have little or no chance over 72 holes against the likes of Tiger and Phil must cope with the 'anything could happen' syndrome endemic in one round of matchplay.

This has helped to focus many minds and a number of those involved in the President's Cup (USA v the Rest of the World excluding Europe) at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club at Prince William County, Virginia, have been sounding off on how best to cope with a new kind of challenge.

"The hardest part is you have to think about somebody else team-mates and a team in a sport that mostly is very individualistic," said Australia's Stuart Appleby.

He advised: "Stay focused on your goals as an individual and you'll be successful as a team."

Appleby's US rival Phil Mickelson believes the key to the USA's success whatever about the Ryder Cup, the US lead the President's Cup series 3-1, with the 2003 clash ending in a tie is not changing your approach.

"As soon as you change your mental approach from an individual game to a team game, you start relying on team-mates and you don't play your best," says the left-hander, who failed so dismally to strike up a rapport with Tiger Woods in last year's Ryder Cup.

"You think your partner is going to carry you and you're not focused to play your best. There's an extra feeling of pressure when you have to be accountable to a team-mate or

country. I'm an aggressive partner so I want a conservative partner in the betterball. In the alternate shot, I want someone who has a similar game so we both feel comfortable with the shots the other is playing."

Once again, Gary Player captains the International team, handicapped this time by the absence of his fellow South African Ernie Els due to his leg injury, although hugely encouraged by Michael Campbell's victory at Wentworth.

Still, Fiji's Vijay Singh, ever present since the matches began in 1994, will have an added weight to carry this week. Not that he sees the situation that way.

"While I might have to change the way I play during a round because it's matchplay, I try not to change how I prepare going into the week."

Hal Sutton, the beleaguered US captain, played into European hands when he paired Woods and Mickelson in the Ryder Cup last year. 12 months ago.

The point is not lost on Mike Weir, the 2003 Masters champion.

He said: "You might think pairing two higher-ranked guys together means they'd kill everybody, but it doesn't always work out well. There's a fine line."

Woods's captain Jack Nicklaus won't let him know until later in the week who his partners will be, but Mickelson will hardly get the call.

Tiger acknowledged: "I just want to win five points. I played with Fred Couples in Australia and we went 1-1 (won one, lost one). I get along great with Freddie. I really would like to play with Jim Furyk. He and I have been on every team since 1997 and have never played together."

This year, both sides might be more motivated because of the unusual and thrilling tie that occurred at Fancourt, South Africa in 2003.

The teams finished tied on 17 matches each, and in the play-off Els and Woods were still level after three holes when they had to quit because of fading light. Nicklaus suggested the US should keep the trophy because they were the holders but Els stood up to the Golden Bear.

Each side held it for 12 months.

"There's an unsettled score," said International key man Adam Scott.

"It would have been great to have a winner. We've something extra to play for now, it's unfinished business."

But there's a danger of going too far.

At the 2000 Sunday singles, Singh's caddie, Paul Tesori, wore a hat with "Tiger Who?" stitched on the back. Woods beat Vijay by 2&1!

Still there will hardly be a lot of needle in that contest, or indeed in the Seve Trophy especially now that Ballesteros is unable to play. He raises a few hackles from time to time!

While money doesn't matter unduly to these guys, there is €2 million on offer, with €125,000 for each of the winning side and €75,000 for the losers.