Even with a clean-sweep against China on Saturday, Ireland had their worst Alfred Dunhill Cup performance since the current group system was launched in 1992. Over the three days, Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley and Padraig Harrington were a cumulative 15-over-par - four strokes higher than the previous worst showing in 1994.

In fact it was only the third occasion in seven years that the team were over par in group matches. Their record is: 1995 - 13 (Ronan Rafferty, Clarke and Philip Walton won the group); 1997 - -12 (Clarke, McGinley and Harrington were third); 1996 - -10 (Clarke, McGinley and Harrington were second); 1992 - level (Christy O'Connor Jnr, Rafferty and Walton were second); 1993 - +10 (Rafferty, McGinley and David Feherty won group); 1994 - +11 (Clarke, McGinley and Walton were second).

Granted, conditions became decidedly testing after the calm of Thursday, but other European teams fared considerably better. For instance, the splendid Swedes (-5) were a full 20 strokes better than Ireland, even though they, too, failed to make the semi-finals.

But no serious damage has been done. Ireland are virtually certain of an invitation next year unless the form of the country's leading players plummets disastrously in the meantime.

Under the current format, the main invitations are issued on the cumulative world rankings of a country's leading three players, and the official view at the weekend was that Ireland had nothing to fear. But recent performances have been nonetheless been disappointing, largely because of the increased level of expectation resulting from those fine victories in 1988 and 1990.

The current trio were acutely aware of this, as they came to terms with their group performances. Individual awards of £8,500 didn't compensate for wounded pride.

"We'll get the hang of it yet," said the skipper, McGinley, with a wry grin. Clarke could take a more positive view having won all his three matches. "I'm swinging nicely but my putting is still only average," he said, while contemplating a World Match play challenge later this week.

Harrington, meanwhile, was decidedly self-critical. "I made the mistake of watching the scoreboards, which are all over the course," he said. "It meant I was never properly focused on what I was doing."

He added: "Putting really cost me. My first nine today was the only decent stretch of putting I had."

Saturday: Ireland 3 China 0 (D Clarke 71 bt Zhang Lian-Wei 73; P McGinley 74 bt Cheng Jun 78; P Harrington 71 bt Wu Xiang-Bing 74).