Belfry welcomes belated Cup

THE posturing and the propaganda have abated and a year later than scheduled, the 34th Ryder Cup is all set to start today at 8am.

As always the Americans with their greater strength in depth and powered by Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, the game’s two best players, are favourites at 4/7. That’s always been the way, of course, yet the widest margin since 1983 has been the 16½-11½ bonanza enjoyed by the Europeans in 1985 here at The Belfry.

There were no Irish men in that side. This time round, there are three and Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington go straight into the action.