Day one timeline

GOLF/7.30am:There are very few seats left in the grandstand around the first tee; lots of umbrellas, raingear and excitement.

7.37:Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer arrive on the first tee receiving a thunderous ovation. The applause for Phil Mickelson and his partner Dustin Johnson is only slightly more muted.

7.45: Johnson hits the first tee shot of the 2010 Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor but pulls it into the rough. Mickelson, Kaymer and Westwood all hit the fairway. The rain starts to get heavier.

7.55: There is an army of squeegee wielding staff out with each game. The top match halve the first hole in regulation figures.

8.03: Graeme McDowell splits the fairway, a beautiful opening drive in match two. It's starting to rain very hard and there are clear signs of casual water on fairways and greens.

8.12: Squeegee time on the first green.

8.18:Tiger Woods isn't wearing wet gear, a prescient move given the problems that would arise with the American suits. He misses the fairway, as does Steve Stricker and Ian Poulter while Ross Fisher's tee shot jams in the top of a spectator's umbrella; an amazing trick shot.

8.29: McDowell two putts for a par and a win in the second game. It has taken 26 minutes for them to play the hole.

8.34: Pádraig Harrington is last to play from the first tee in the bottom match and pulls his drive left. Luke Donald is on the fairway, so too Jeff Overton while Bubba Watson is wayward.

8.45: All the first green is missing is some ducks. It's taking an eternity to play each hole. As the Woods match surveys putts, Harrington not realising they're still on the green hits his second through the back, narrowly missing a squeegee operator and Stricker.

8.47:Westwood makes a birdie on the par-5 second; Europe are one up.

8.49:Fisher grabs a great par to put the Europeans one up as Stricker/Woods can do no better than bogey.

8.56:Even with preferred lies the players are struggling to find somewhere to put the ball on an increasingly sodden course. Overton has taken an eternity to putt up the bank at the back of the first but it's worth the wait as it drops in the hole. Seriously aggressive high five with Watson.

9.18: Woods birdies second but Poulter holes a long putt on three to put Europe one up again.

9.25:McDowell plays a stunning bunker shot on the fourth to nudge Europe ahead by a hole after Cink had made a birdie two at the second. Brollies threatening to blow away; the squeegee army are losing the battle to the rain.

9.31: Watson knocks his third shot to two and a half feet and holes for birdie. Harrington/Donald are two down after two holes.

9.42: European Tour Chief referee John Paramour, after consulting the captains, decides to suspend play. The crowds scurry for shelter in the tented village. Europe up in three matches and down in one.

12.0:Tournament officials announce that there will be a review of the weather conditions and a further statement in an hour.

1.0:Once again a decision on resuming play has been deferred for 60 minutes.

2.0:This time the tournament officials state that a decision on whether there will be any more golf will be communicated at 4.0pm. They maintain that they are confident play can resume.

3.20: The rain finally stops.

3.28:The European team are outside the clubhouse signing autographs and giving away logoed tees.

5.0: Play resumes at Celtic Manor following a delay of seven hours and 18 minutes.

7.01:Play finishes for the day with Luke Donald having to mark his ball on the ninth hole, six feet from the pin, a putt he'll return to in the morning and need to hole for a birdie and a half.