Captain steers a steady ship

John O'Sullivan hears European captain Sam Torrance dismiss accusations that his side are beset by a brittle team spirit.

Sam Torrance undoubtedly believed that in the safe haven of the bath, the demands of being Europe's Ryder Cup captain would cease to be a concern, at least temporarily; quality time with the rubber ducky.

However, the intrusive nature of his duties, the fact he is all things including mother hen to 12 adults, is probably giving him stomach ulcers. He is therefore the perfect candidate for the practical joke.

Pierre Fulke certainly felt that to be the case. Torrance explained: "I'm in the bath and the phone goes; it's Pierre Fulke. He says, 'Sam I have got a huge problem, it's the biggest problem of the week, I have to come and see you.' Okay, so I wrap a towel around myself and I go to the door and his face is ashen. And I thought (to myself) what has happened. He (Fulke) said: 'Sam, I can't do my tie.' I could have killed him but I did his tie."

Torrance offers this as an example of the team spirit thereby rubbishing the assertion a brittle spirit besets the European team. "They're having a ball out there. They're laughing and they're joking and they're gambling. The camaraderie is fantastic."

Torrance dismissed the notion that the four rookies in the team, Paul McGinley, Fulke, Niclas Fasth and Phillip Price, would require figurative hand holding to conquer their fears.

"There is nothing you can do about nerves. If you're not nervous then there is something wrong with you. Nerves create adrenaline and I told them to use that, use it in your own advantageous way, to make you feel better, get pumped up; just get psyched up.

"They certainly don't need additional motivation. For the four newcomers it is a wonderful experience to be a rookie because everything is new. The camaraderie in the team room, the gifts, the dinners, the practice rounds. Everything is brand new and it just opens up your eyes to the Ryder Cup, which is a fantastic experience."

The events of September 11th, 2001, have taken the war adjectives out of player speak and Torrance was careful not to be drawn on incidents past. "I don't believe in gamesmanship. I think it is part of the sport that is certainly not necessary, and I don't see any of it. I mean gamesmanship to me is cheating. It's like a football player when the two of them kick-out for a throw-in and they both put their hands up; one of them is lying but they get away with it. In golf it is such a fair, honest sport. The gamesmanship can not come into it at all."

This is very much at odds with his comments following the Americans' mass invasion of the 17th green at Brookline, when Justin Leonard's putt effectively granted them victory. That was then but one suspects neither captain want defamatory words to serve as a motivational tool.

A Torrance press conference wouldn't be the same unless the Scot was asked for about the state of Colin Montgomerie's health. Yesterday, the media approached the issue from a different angle, asking the European captain to extol Monty's virtues.

"He's one of the stalwarts of my team. He's probably one of the best players ever. I am delighted to have him fit and well and he's playing fantastic."

What Torrance might have been inclined to add but wouldn't was 'stop asking me the same question'. Just four seconds later, all the questions about whether he's (Monty) going to be able to play just three matches.

"Are ye deaf or what," translated into, "Of course he can play five, he can probably play six, if I asked him."

Understandably Torrance wouldn't be drawn on the pairings. The speculation officially ends at lunch-time tomorrow for the media when both captains reveal their respective line-ups.