A scrap of paper with initials scribbled on it sparked a media frenzy at the Ryder Cup earlier today.  Pairings are the main talking at this stage and a photograph of Nick Faldo clutching what appeared to be his top secret opening combinations at Valhalla triggered wild speculation.

Confronted with the evidence during his daily news conference, Faldo said it was his team's lunch orders before changing his story.

"I just had the lunch list," a dismissive Faldo told reporters. "It had sandwich requests for the guys, just making sure who wants the tuna, what wants the beef, who wants the ham.

"So that's all it was, sandwich list."

Finding that hard to swallow, reporters challenged Faldo's explanation and said the list did look like pairings. At that point, the European captain admitted jotting down potential combinations but that they had changed after a few holes.

"It's initials," said Faldo. "I put my team down in initials. Then which way I go is my choice. I haven't put numbers next to them yet, have I?

"We don't know what order they will go out so some are safe. And that was on the seventh tee," he continued. "If the photographer was on the 13th or 14th, it all changed so it's all different now."

Faldo later said they were indeed pairings - but for the final day of practice on Thursday.

"Those are tomorrow's pairings, Thursday's pairings, practice round," said Faldo. "It's tomorrow's pairings, okay, I've been caught.

"I learned a lesson. You know the pairings and we are going to play foursomes on the front nine."

Adding a bit more intrigue to a day of subterfuge, US captain Paul Azinger accused Faldo of sending out spies to gather intelligence on his troops during their practice rounds.

"My spies are so secret, I don't even know who my spies are," joked Faldo. "Actually I've got dozens watching them."

The match starts with foursomes on Friday morning and both captains have to hand in their line-ups at lunchtime tomorrow.