Captains set mood for K Club showdown

The Ryder Cup teams arrived in Dublin airport yesterday under leaden skies. Despite a bright start to the day, spitting rain had begun at the airport as the aircraft carrying the US team touched down shortly after 11.30am, almost three hours later than planned.

Nine members of the team and their wives and girlfriends were welcomed on the tarmac by European captain Ian Woosnam before being whisked away by bus to the K Club in Straffan, leaving both captains to attend their first press conference at the Great Southern Hotel.

The tall and tanned Tom Lehman dwarfed Woosnam as they entered the conference room, Lehman in a brown and beige tank top over a blue shirt and tie and looking like a golfer from the 1930s.

Woosnam, in relaxed form and wearing a zip-up grey polo and dark jacket, officially welcomed Lehman to the 36th Ryder Cup and to Ireland, saying it was nice to see him, his wife Melissa and "all the lovely ladies".

"Let's enjoy the contest, the craic and the fantastic Irish hospitality," he said. "To you Tom and to your team the best of luck over the next week, but then again we will be trying our darndest to keep this Ryder Cup here for another two years."

Lehman thanked "Woosie" very much and joked that the flight delay may have been caused by people bringing more than their share of luggage.

He said one of his favourite things about Ireland was that when "you say hello, they say you're very welcome".

"We feel very welcome here, we certainly appreciate it," he said. "Thank you for opening your arms to this country."

He said that the week was phenomenal, historic and significant but they were not dealing with "world peace" or "Aids in Africa" and there were "millions of folks in the world" who didn't care whom he had picked to make up the team.

Lehman also spoke about his visit, with his wife and some USPGA officials, to Walter Reed military hospital in Washington, which treats soldiers wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"We just wanted to say hi to the troops, let them know how proud we are of them, their giving and their sacrifice and that there are people back home who are on their side and are proud of what they are doing," he said.

He said that the troops' courage, sense of honour and duty was inspiring.

"We didn't go to find some kind of a special recipe for a Ryder Cup team, we went because it it was the right thing to do as an American, to support the troops."

Both captains shrugged off any suggestion that poor weather might spoil the event. Woosnam however expressed concern for the spectators and said that he hoped there wouldn't be a need for too many umbrellas.

The captains took lunch at the airport with their wives, Melissa and Glen, before leaving by bus for the K Club. The European team followed, having landed at the airport in mid-afternoon.

They joined US players Jim Furyk and Tiger Woods, who had already travelled to the club. Phil Mickelson was to follow after attending a family wedding.

Some 40,000 people are expected to attend the K Club every day this week, beginning with the first practice day today. A massive tented village has been set up at the club to cope with the needs of the spectators.