Faldo resigned to losing Ryder race

Golf/World Matchplay Championship: After a short, well-supported but ultimately futile campaign, Nick Faldo, arguably Europe's greatest golfer, bowed to the inevitable yesterday and all but conceded defeat in the race for the 2006 Ryder Cup captaincy, leaving the way open for Ian Woosnam to lead the European team against the United States at the K Club in Kildare.

With rumours intensifying that the Welshman has the overwhelming backing of the European Tour tournament committee, which will meet in Dubai next Tuesday to vote on the captaincy, Faldo was downbeat about his chances.

"Like everyone else, I've heard the rumours," he said in Carlsbad, where he is commentating on the WGC Accenture World Matchplay for US television. "But we shall see, we shall see."

But it is a measure of the Englishman's expectations that when the captaincy decision is announced he will be on the other side of the world, filming an TV "info-mmercial" in Puerto Rico. Suffice to say, the European Tour has no plans to set up a live link-up with the Caribbean next week.

Ironically, just as shares in the Faldo captaincy were falling through the floor, one of Europe's best players, Luke Donald, stated his preference for the six-time major winner. Asked who he would like as captain, Donald said: "Personally, for me: Faldo.

"I know him a little better, though it's a tricky one. I think there are advantages for both. Some say that because Faldo has got into broadcasting that maybe that will take away from his skills as a Ryder Cup captain; too much juggling too many things. Woosnam, on the other hand, is friends with a lot of the guys out there."

Donald, as impressive and thoughtful a speaker as he is a golfer, went on to make an eloquent case for Faldo, based on his record as a six-time major championship winner and his similarity - in professional ethos at least - to Bernard Langer, who led to the European team to a crushing victory over the US last year.

"Nick has very similar characteristics to Bernhard. He had a very similar career, golf-wise - a better resume, in fact. He dedicated his life to making that happen, and maybe some of those skills could be put to good use if he was the Ryder Cup captain."

Woosnam, Faldo, whoever, there is little doubt Donald will be one of the team's most important members. After a stellar amateur career, the 27-year-old has made an impressive transition to the professional ranks, winning once in the US and twice on the European Tour last year.

His performance at Oakland Hills in last September's Ryder Cup, when he won 2½ points out of four, also gave notice that he is some matchplay player, indeed the kind who might win here in southern California, perhaps.

Remarkably, though Donald is yet to play in the Masters (his debut comes in April) and in five attempts at the British Open he has yet to survive the cut, but he could leap seven places to 10th in the world ranking were he to win this week.

First, though, the rain has to stop and the play must start after the scheduled first round was postponed for 24 hours.

Donald is fast getting used to hanging around. Last weekend his chances of getting back into contention for the Nissan Open in Los Angeles were washed away by the downpours which reduced the event to 36 holes.

During that event the golfer from High Wycombe said one of his goals for the season was to climb into the top 10, and he was told by an American journalist it sounded "pretty ambitious".

Donald politely pointed out that he was already 19th. Now he is 17th and, while it would take all the players immediately above him to be knocked out in the first round, the fact remains that victory on Sunday and he would reach his target.

Five new tees have been installed on the Old Course at St Andrews to toughen it up for the British Open from July 14th-17th. The par-72 layout, slightly lengthened since the last British Open there in 2000, will play to 7,115 yards.

First RoundTee-off Times (all times Irish, seedings in brackets):

15.25: (9) Davis Love (US) v (56) Chris Riley (US). 1534: (24) Lee Westwood v (41) Steve Flesch. 15.43: (12) Darren Clarke (N Ireland) v (53) Graeme McDowell (N Ireland). 15.52: (21) Todd Hamilton (US) v (44) Robert Allenby (Aus). 16.01: (10) Stuart Appleby (Aus) v (55) Joakim Haeggman (Swe). 1610: (23) Jim Furyk (US) v (42) Ian Poulter (Eng). 16.19: (11) Adam Scott (Aus) v (54) Trevor Immelman (Rsa). 16.28: (22) Shigeki Maruyama (Jpn) v (43) David Howell (Eng). 16.37: (8) Stewart Cink (US) v (57) Fred Funk (US). 16.46: (25) KJ Choi v (40) Tom Lehman; 16.55: (5) Mike Weir (Can) v (60) Kirk Triplett (US). 17.04: (28) Tim Clark (Rsa) v (37) Craig Parry (Aus). 17.13: (7) Padraig Harrington (Ire) v (58) Jeff Maggert (US). 17.22: (26) Thomas Bjorn (Den) v (39) Rory Sabbatini (Rsa). 17.31: (6) Sergio Garcia (Spa) v (59) Alex Cejka (Ger). 17.40: (27) Scott Verplank (US) v (38) Jerry Kelly (US). 17.49: (16) Chris DiMarco (US) v (49) Tim Herron (US). 17.58: (17) Justin Leonard (US) v (48) John Daly (US). 18.07: (13) Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) v (52) Rod Pampling (Aus). 18.16: (20) Chad Campbell (US) v (45) Fredrik Jacobson (Swe). 18.25: (15) Kenny Perry (US) v (50) Thomas Levet (Fra). 18.34: (18) Luke Donald (Eng) v (47) Zach Johnson (US). 18.43: (14) David Toms (US) v (51) Richard Green (Aus). 18.52: (19) Stephen Ames (Can) v (46) Mark Hensby (Aus). 19.01: (1) Vijay Singh (Fij) v (64) Shingo Katayama (Jpn). 19.10: (32) Jonathan Kaye (US) v (33) Jay Haas (US). 19.19: (4) Retief Goosen (Rsa) v (61) Stephen Leaney (US). 19.28: (29) Peter Lonard (Aus) v (36) Fred Couples (US). 19.37: (2) Tiger Woods (US) v (63) Nick Price (Zim). 19.46: (31) Nick O'Hern (Aus) v (34) Charles Howell (US). 19.55: (3) Phil Mickelson (US) v (62) Loren Roberts (US). 20.04: (30) Angel Cabrera (Arg) v (35) Paul Casey (Eng).