EUROPEAN TOUR: Masters champion Phil Mickelson has committed to playing in the €4 million American Express world championship at Mount Juliet in Kilkenny on September 30th.

It remains extremely doubtful, however, that he will compete in the HSBC world matchplay at Wentworth two weeks later.

Of the world's current top 10 only Tiger Woods, who lost his number one spot to Vijay Singh on Monday, has yet to confirm his entry for the Irish event.

Having won on the course two years ago, however, Woods is expected to be there again, but he is a definite non-starter at Wentworth.

RYDER CUP: Former Ryder Cup-winning European captain Sam Torrance believes this year's team will benefit from defending the trophy on American soil next week.

"There's a little bit less pressure playing away from home than playing at home," said Torrance, who led the Europeans to victory over the United States by 15½ points to 12½ at The Belfry in 2002.

"In front of your home crowd, everyone's cheering you on and you feel like you have to play well.

"But when you're out there, you're on your own and you just get on with the job.

"You know the crowd's going to be on the Americans' side," Torrance told the BBC. "You just have to use it and not let it get you down.

"When the USA chant starts, just let it annoy you. Let it build you up, let it make you mad and play better golf."

Torrance, then vice-captain of the European Ryder Cup side, famously described the scene of the US team dancing on the green after a successful putt had dropped as "the most disgusting thing I've ever seen" at Brookline in 1999.

The 35th Ryder Cup is being played at Oakland Hills outside Detroit, Michigan from September 17th-19th.

Germany's Bernhard Langer is captaining the 12-man European team for the first time while Hal Sutton will make his debut in charge of the Americans.