Europeans depart with a new air of confidence

Paul McGinley has a saying about professional golf, constantly repeating that it is a "numbers game," in that the fewer shots you take to get the ball in the hole, the better you will score. Yesterday, as the European Ryder Cup flew out from London for this week's match in Oakland Hills, it was a numbers game with a different formula that had Europe - seeking to defend the trophy - departing with a new air of confidence.

Never, in fact, has a European team travelled to the United States in such rude health.

Okay, so the United States still have all of their players ranked higher than the visitors in the world rankings but, with Padraig Harrington's win in the German Masters, it means that each of the last regular tour events on the PGA European Tour has been won by a member of Bernhard Langer's team and, for the first time, all 12 players going into a Ryder Cup match are ranked in the top-70 in the world.

Some would argue that you'd need a degree in higher mathematics to fully understand the logic behind the world rankings.

Despite winning in Germany, Harrington, for instance, only remained at number eight in the world, although he has moved almost a full point ahead of his nearest pursuer Adam Scott.

Still, the fact of the matter is that Europe - who in the early part of the season didn't have any players in the world's top-10 - haven't had it so good in a long, long time.

Rather than it was in the halcyon days of the Langers and the Faldos at their prime, when the strength was very much at the top end of the order, the strength of this European team is its depth.

So it is that Harrington, as he has done all year, has arrived in Detroit as Europe's number one ranked player.

Harrington is eighth in the world with Sergio Garcia (12th), Darren Clarke (15th), Miguel Angel Jimenez (20th), Paul Casey (27th), Luke Donald (36th), Lee Westwood (41st), Thomas Levet (43rd), Ian Poulter (60th), Colin Montgomerie (62nd), Paul McGinley (67th) and David Howell (68th).

Meanwhile, American rookie Fred Funk gained an early thrill when he was among the first to check into the US team hotel.

The 48-year-old, one of five debutants in Hal Sutton's side was delighted pin ball machines and ping pong tables had been installed in the US team room.

"It's pretty neat," Funk told reporters before playing a practice round with 2003 US Open champion Jim Furyk at Oakland Hills yesterday.

"The way the floors are set up for us and also the team room, it's really exciting.

"We've got pin ball machines, ping pong and pool tables, even an arcade driving game. Plus a big screen television.

"And there's a lot of food. All the food and drink we could have in there. It's going to be great when we get together there every night," added Funk, who got his first taste of top-level team golf at last year's President Cup competition in South Africa.

Funk, renowned for being one of the most accurate players in the game, was one of three American players to take an early look at the par-70 Oakland Hills layout in bright sunshine yesterday morning.

As he and Furyk prepared to tee off at the par-four 10th, US Masters champion Phil Mickelson had just completed the first nine.

"It's pretty much like I remember it back at the (US) Open in 1996. It's wonderful out there."

Asked what he thought the biggest test would be for the players this week, he replied: "It's hard to say so far because it varies from hole to hole. I'm just trying to get accustomed to the course."

Mickelson believes the US will start as underdogs this week against holders Europe, who have won three of the last four matches.

"It's a very stressful time for us," he said. "We want to win this. If you look at the last four, we lost three and we needed a great upset on Sunday (in 1999) to get that one win," he added.

"But I have a real gut feeling this year that this is going to be different, that the US is going to come out really playing well on our home soil and play some of our best golf."

RYDER CUP SCHEDULE

(at Oakland Hills CC, Detroit)

Thursday: Opening ceremony, from 9.00 pm (Irish Time)

Friday: Opening fourball matches from 1.10 pm. Opening foursomes matches from 6.45 pm.

Saturday: Fourball matches from 1.10 pm. Foursomes matches from 6.45 pm.

Sunday: Singles matches from 5.00 pm. Closing ceremony from 11.30 pm.