K Club ticket scramble starts now

Ryder Cup Review: Questions, questions, questions. Who'll be Europe's captain for the defence of the Ryder Cup at The K Club in 2006? How will the venue cope with the biggest - and, it seems, bigger with each staging - golf show on earth? And, most pertinently, how on earth do you get tickets for it?at Oakland HIlls

As Paul McGinley observed amidst the great celebrations at Oakland Hills on Sunday night, "you could have four million tickets and that still wouldn't be sufficient to satisfy the demand." Unfortunately, the simple fact is more people will be ticketless than will manage to get a ticket when they're eventually distributed.

As with the venue in Detroit, attendance each day at The K Club will be limited to around 48,000 for each day of practice and competition. However, that number will not be made available to the general public as Ryder Cup Services will have access to a significant number for corporate and tourist packages, with a huge influx of spectators expected from the United States, Britain and Europe. The matches will be a guaranteed sell-out.

The exact number of tickets to go on sale to the public has yet to be determined, but the expectation is they will be made available - as was the case in Oakland Hills - via a random lottery.

Anyone interested in the possibility of obtaining a ticket should register their interest (ahem, now would be good!!) to rydercup@europeantour.com with their name, mailing address, daytime phone number and email address.

While the ticket issue won't be finalised until later this year or possibly even into next year, the other main topic surrounding the event in Ireland will be the choice of captain. Initially, that decision was due to be made early in 2005 but it may be delayed until later in the year, shortly before the year-long qualifying process commences.

Who will captain Europe remains wide open to debate. Colin Montgomerie had been considered favourite but when I asked him at the official press conference on Sunday night if he was tempted to remain on as a player rather than seek the captaincy, Bernhard Langer jumped in to answer before the Scot could reply.

"He will play," said Langer. "He's too young to be captain, he needs to play. You agree, Monty? Come on, say the truth."

Montgomerie seemed a little taken aback by his captain's intervention, considering his reply before commenting: "That's not for me to say. If I happen to be in the frame of mind to play, I'd love to play again. There's plenty of time to be captain, possibly. It's been a difficult time to get to this stage this particular year, and I'm only glad that Bernhard had some faith in me and I'm only glad that I managed to perform half-decent and help the team cause. And if I can do that again, I'd be delighted to do that again."

However, after the press conference, Montgomerie indicated he would still be interested in the captaincy if it were offered to him.

"They want me to play but I've got to play my way onto the team again. I can't expect to get picked again, but I've always said I would like to go out while on top and this could be the time to do that and go on to another role."

While Montgomerie, Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam, Christy O'Connor, Des Smyth and Eamonn Darcy are among those players to have indicated a desire to be captain in Ireland in 2006, the situation could yet be complicated if the Ryder Cup committee were to ask Langer to stay on. At the start of the match in Oakland Hills, Langer had dismissed any suggestion he would do a second term but, on Sunday night, he appeared to be wavering.

Asked if he'd consider staying on, Langer replied: "I wouldn't be able to answer that right now. I need a bit of down time and they need to figure out who they want as captain first, and then ask that person. If that should be me, then I will consider it, talk with my wife and look at it. I said consider, it doesn't mean I would accept right away."

The reality is that the job in Ireland is one of the most pursued ones in the history of the Ryder Cup. As McGinley pointed out, "There are four or five guys waiting in the wings to be captain. There's an abundance of guys. Seven or eight or 10 years ago, we didn't have any guys waiting in the wings. Bernhard was a great captain, as Sam Torrance was. But there's a lot of guys now who want the job and who deserve it."

The United States are scheduled to announce their captain for The K Club in November or December - the favourite is Mark O'Meara, although Paul Azinger and Corey Pavin are also believed to be in the frame - but there is no immediate rush to appoint the European captain as the qualifying process doesn't start until next September.

As for how The K Club will cope with the Ryder Cup - a high-powered delegation, including Dr Michael Smurfit, was present for the duration of the match at Oakland Hills - there is unanimity among the players that the course will be a magnificent test for the teams where, you can assured, America will be extra determined to regain a trophy that has been as elusive as a slippery eel in recent matches. The Europeans have won four of the last five contests.

"I just hope we get the weather," said Harrington, "because I think as regards the course and the atmosphere that will be generated, it could be the best ever. I know you could fill it 50 times over if it were possible and the atmosphere will be second to none. The course is excellent, first class. It's great for a country like Ireland to stage it."

Some would say it is long overdue. But now that it is on the way, it promises to be the greatest golfing party of all time and, as far as the economy is concerned, is expected to generate anything up to €200 million. It will be some show.