Pressure builds at The Belfry as phoney war starts

RYDER CUP nerves bubbled under the surface at The Belfry yesterday with Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson accusing the Europeans and especially Bernhard Langer of slow play and Lee Westwood throwing a magazine article about him away in disgust.

The day may also have been significant or otherwise as the captains showed their hand for the first time with their practice pairings. Thomas Bjorn and Darren Clarke teamed up against Colin Montgomerie and Lee Westwood and lost the tidy sum of £200 sterling. They were followed by Niclas Fasth with Padraig Harrington and Pierre Fulke with Philip Price. Bringing up the rear were Sergio Garcia and Bernhard Langer against Paul McGinley and Jesper Parnevik.

And it was this last match that caused the ire of Woods and Mickelson. Woods was partnered by Mark Calcavecchia in a duel with Paul Azinger and Stuart Cink. Having completed only three holes, Woods and his party stormed off to the 8th tee claiming they were being constantly held up by the players immediately in front. The problem raised its head again when Mickelson, lining out with David Toms against David Duval and Davis Love III, arrived on the 10th tee only to be detained there again by the Langer-Garcia group.