Ballesteros revels in role

As a rival to Eurovision's sideshow, it wasn't. Horses pranced, but not as elegantly as the Riverdancers, and the assembled audience almost dozed off in the sunshine when cajoled by the symphony orchestra with pieces by Spanish maestros. Andalusian stallions danced and the strains of Torre del Oro wafted through the air in a preamble to the real business, the flag-raising ceremony, whereupon, one by one, the players of Europe and the United States were introduced to the crowd; the lucky observers crammed into the 2,300 seater stand at the rear of the practice driving range, the less fortunate standing so far back they were in danger of free falling into the clustered trees where Tiger Woods has been belting his free golf balls for fun.

Of course, before all that, royalty were escorted to their places of honour and the team's partners - Europe's wives and girlfriends dressed in their elegant Escada Sport red jackets and the Americans in navy - took their places on chairs to claim the best view of all.

Technically, Lorenza Milo, suave and handsome, was the master of ceremonies, but the real compere transpired to be Seve Ballesteros, revelling in his role as the most important man in Spain. When he was introduced, Ballesteros received a standing ovation and the longest round of applause of the evening. King Juan Carlos could only look on in envy.

Yet, it wasn't all gentle fun. Certainly not for Darren Clarke, who'd been informed a couple of hours earlier - via the television monitor in the players' dining room - that he was not in the fourball pairings for this morning's opening series of matches.

Although Clarke walked to his chosen spot as the second leading qualifier (behind Colin Montgomerie), he was the only member of the European team not to feature on the giant video screen during the flag-raising ceremony.

One by one, the players' heard their national anthems played as their respective flags were raised. After the American anthem, the turn of the Europeans. First, Thomas Bjorn, the first Dane to play in the Ryder Cup. Then, Bernhard Langer and Deutschland Uber Alles. After that, God Save The Queen with the faces of Nick Faldo, Lee Westwood, Montgomerie and Ian Woosnam alternatively glorifying the screen. In turn, after that, it was the turn of the Italian anthem (and Costantino Rocca's fatherly face) and the only tricolour of the day, the Swedish anthem (with Jesper Parnevik and Per-Ulrik Johansson), and, finally, the Spanish anthem with Jose-Maria Olazabal's image.

But no Clarke.

In the circumstances, he probably would have expected to feature with Faldo and company when the British national anthem was being played and the Union Jack raised - instead, he was left as the odd man out.

In previous years, the Northern Ireland flag, with the red hand of Ulster, was raised, as in the case of David Feherty at Kiawah Island in 1991. As for Clarke, his previous team representative honours came in his amateur days with Ireland when the GUI flag with the ensigns of the four provinces were raised.

It's probably a small point that Clarke's face didn't appear on the giant screen while the faces of 23 other players did - but it nevertheless hurt the large number of Irish supporters, and particularly those from the North, who are present in Valderrama.

Still, the golf is the really important business - and it can't come soon enough for the players or the spectators. When it was announced that Tiger Woods and Mark O'Meara would face Colin Montgomerie and Bernhard Langer in the fourth fourball match today, the roar from the crowd finally got hearts heaving. That's what it should be like for the next three days, and the players will definitely need those ear plugs on the first tee!