"Monty's not playing too good."

- Seve Ballesteros speaking to Bernhard Langer on the 11th tee box as Tiger Woods and Mark O'Meara coast to a 3 and 2 win in the opening day's fourball.

"He didn't play his best."

- Langer's assessment of his partner.

"I was lucky. I took a risk . . . and they got their revenge."

- Ballesteros on keeping the partnership of Montgomerie and Langer intact for the fourball match against Woods and O'Meara. The Europeans won 5 and 3.

"Do I smoke?"

- A puzzled Ballesteros when asked if the pressure of captaincy had made him smoke more cigarettes.

"He's their captain, he knows what he is doing."

- Fred Couples on Ballesteros's decision not to play Ian Woosnam, Thomas Bjorn and Darren Clarke during the opening series of matches.

`It's nice getting all those love letters."

- Per-Ulrik Johansson on the feedback from golf fans in Sweden.

"I wear contact lenses, so I had a tough time reading the putt."

- Jesper Parnevik speaking of his decision to halt play at the 12th hole due to the fading light on Friday night in his foursomes match, with Ignacio Garrido, against Tom Lehman and Phil Mickelson.

"Nick's record is outstanding . . . but I wouldn't call him the greatest player ever."

- Lehman on Nick Faldo breaking the Ryder Cup points record.

"I think Nick showed his experience by saying to Ballesteros, `put me with Lee Westwood'. If a guy is playing that well, hell, I'd want to be on his team too."

- Mickelson's reasoning of the Westwood-Faldo partnership.

"I had Ian Woosnam and Darren Clarke in my buggy and they were really afraid, going through all the people and dribbling around everybody. But I haven't gone over anybody, so I must be a a good driver."

- Ballesteros on his use of an electric cart to see as many matches as possible.

"If he gets in your way, you can always ask him to move."

- Lehman commenting on Ballesteros's ubiquitous presence.

"I've never been worried about Tiger Woods being in the American team . . . he is human."

- Ballesteros on Woods.

"It's like locking a tiger in a cage . . . when he comes out, he comes out fierce."

- Woosnam on why Clarke, Bjorn and himself all won their opening matches.

"I was fired up to show Seve that we have 12 cards, not just eight."

- Bjorn after becoming the first Danish player to win a Ryder Cup point.

"When I'm playing the majors, I don't remember waking up at four o'clock in the morning."

- Ballesteros on the contrasting pressures of being a player and a captain.

"Maybe it's contagious."

- Lehman assessing why so many American players missed so many putts.

"It's like skiing for three straight days."

- Parnevik on the physical demands of playing in the Ryder Cup.

"Three of the four major championship winners were out there playing for us, and somehow the Europeans found a way to beat them."

- Mickelson's view of the failure of Woods, Leonard and Davis Love to secure a single point on Saturday.

"I took two sleeping pills and still didn't get any sleep. I was lying down with one eye open and the other eye shut, just thinking of bringing a five points lead into the last day. To lose from that position would have been a disaster."

- Ballesteros on Europe's advantage heading into Sunday.

"We're going to have to play like crazy, but it is not insurmountable."

- Tom Kite's verdict of the task facing his men in the singles.

"I haven't been very successful in the singles matches, I don't know why. I'm just going to go out there and try to enjoy myself."

- Woosnam, prior to losing by an 8 and 7 margin to Couples in the top singles.

"I've just turned 40 and the first thing to go is your memory."

- Langer when asked how many putters he'd used during his Ryder Cup career.

"Seve left."

- Bjorn on how he managed to turn a four-hole deficit after four into a one-hole lead after 17 holes in his singles with Leonard.

"He came back."

- Bjorn on Leonard's halving of their game at the 18th. "These guys are really good . . . they have the heart of a lion, the eye of a tiger, and they took it to the hoop."

- Kite on the US team's fightback in the singles.

"It's called golf, you can't always win."

- Woods commenting on his loss to Costantino Rocca.

"I have no regrets."

- Kite on his decision making.

"It was a bonding experience."

- Woods when asked what he would take away from his Ryder Cup debut.

"Seve, you did a great job."

- Langer thanking his captain.

"A year ago I couldn't even walk . . . now this. I will never forget it."

- Jose-Maria Olazabal before breaking down in tears.