Ryder Cup – Day 1 as it happened

Well that's it for the day; an eventful one to say the least. After play was suspended only two hours into the opening day, the course resembled a river and it looked as if there was going to be no golf played until tomorrow at the earliest.

The sun came out, however and having looked second best in the morning, the American team came out fighting and lead going into tomorrow's session.

Disappointing enough day for the Irish contingent, while Stewart Cink was the outstanding performer by some stretch. Plenty of golf yet to play and it could go into Monday yet.

Overton's putt was conceded and in diminishing light, Luke Donald has decided to leave his putt until the morning. He'll have it to try and prevent himself and Harrington from falling two behind.

Stricker just misses the putt and match 3 is back to all square before its resumption in the morning.

Really big putt by Ian Poulter or 'Poults' as everybody - including himself - have taken to calling him. Stricker might yet half the hole but Europe really needed to stem the tide in that one.

Luke Donald has other ideas, however and spins his ball back to about 8 feet to give himself a chance of a half.

What a shot by Jeff Overton at the ninth. Must be six inches from the hole. The Americans in with a great shout of retaining their two hole lead before they finish up.

The Americans have really come on strong since the resumption - must be the new waterproofs!

Match 1 comes to a halt on the 12th with the European duo of Kaymer and Westwood ahead by a hole.

A super approach from Tiger at the ninth leads to a birdie and a second winning hole in succession. Woods and Stricker now lead Poulter and Fisher.

McIlroy's putt was the last action in the match between McIlroy/McDowell and Cink/Kuchar. They've called it a day and the two Irish lads will start tomorrow two down.

McIlroy has pulled a putt from about six feet and thanks to Cink's magic, the Americans are two up.

Apologies for not explaining what the amended format means. Basically, with six pairs involved in both sessions, every single player on both teams will be involved.

There's not much McIlroy can do with the form Stewart Cink is in. The American went within millimetres of an eagle and will tap in for birdie.

McIlroy is another man who's been off the pace today, but he's just delivered a gorgeous flop shot to within five or six feet at the 11th.

Donald with a birdie at 8 to take Europe to within 1. Donald has been good today and he's needed to be - It hasn't be working out for Harrington so far.

The amended format of the competition has been announced.

Session 2 - 6 foursomes

Session 3 - 2 foursomes and 4 fourballs

Session 4 - 12 singles

Kaymer puts the pressure on the Americans with a lovely birdie putt on the 11th. Mickelson is equal to it, though. Europe still one ahead.

Stewart Cink with another magnificent putt on the tenth to win the hole for the Americans. Corey Pavin may have forgotten his name yesterday, but McIlroy and McDowell won't forget him in a hurry. 4 birdies for Cink today.

Stricker with a magnificent putt on 8, saving Tiger the need to have a go from far closer in. Fisher and Poulter both go all out to half the hole but no luck. All square in the third pairing of the day.

Harrington with a putt to win the hole on 7, but it catches the lip and spins away. Signs of improvement from Harrington after what has been a pretty poor day so far.

Tiger with a superb approach to the eighth, but Poulter's isn't bad either. Woods and Stricker have been threatening to level against Poulter and Fisher for a few holes now.

Mickelson with a birdie two on the tenth and the Americans are within one hole.

Oh there they are! G-Mac lands a birdie at the ninth hole and Europe are all square at the turn.

Our friends at Sky haven't shown us any sign of the McIlroy/McDowell game in a good fifteen minutes. I wonder what they're up to...

P Harrington misses a very difficult opportunity on the sixth and Luke Donald's effort is less than a millimetre away from dropping in, but the final pairing remain two holes behind their American counterparts.

Tiger giving Steve Stricker plenty of advice on his putt, but it hasn't worked. He didn't strike it with any confidence and Fisher and Poulter have been let off the hook.

Mickelson tucks his putt away from six feet on the ninth. He and Johnson remain two holes behind going into the back nine.

Kaymer birdies the ninth, making sure that Europe will be at least two up at the turn in the opening match.

After Poulter hits his approach straight through the green on the par three seventh, Steve Stricker lands his shot within six feet, beautiful shot.

Stricker narrowly misses a putt on the sixth to win the hole. Poulter and Fisher remain one up.

The sun has come out as Dustin Johnson gives Mickelson something nice to aim at on the 9th, but Mickelson ends up just off the fairway. You can see the splashing from the very wet grass.

McIrloy/McDowell have gone from one up to one down in three holes. It's now all square across the matches.

Fisher attempts a long putt. It hovers over the hole... but doesn't stay in. Stricker putts from slightly nearer and has an identical miss. They halve the hole.

A MASSIVE putt from Cink. Something must have been in the American's coffee as things have really turned around for this pairing.

Kaymer does exactly what's needed... Johnson doesn't.

Mickelson first to go on the 8th. Terrible shot over the green. Bounce, bounce... sand. Kaymer and Westwood still on the fairway, but Johnson with a tricky shot from in the rough.

Woods making a lot of practice shots. It doesn't help as he fails to get on the green. Stricker does better.

Harrington proves why he's got a reputation as a great out of the bunker with an assured shot onto the green. Of course, it'd be better if he wasn't in the sand so much in the first place.

In the Fisher/Poulter/Woods/Stricker contest, all four are evenly positioned around the green. Poulter to go first. He needs to watch the damp slope down into the water. It doesn't faze him and he goes straignt where he wants to be, near to the pin.

Mickelson misses a short putt. Meanwhile, Bubba Watson doesn't seem to have noticed that he's meant to be in the least fancied American pairing with a strong and confident shot onto the green.

Looks like McDowell's found the water. There is a lot of water out there, after all. Meanwhile a terrific shot from Lee Westwood from just off the green.

Beautiful putt from Tiger. The sort of shot he used to do all the time.

There's a fair bit of skidding with the moisture on the greens, as Woods just discovered.

Poulter makes a terrific approach on the fourth.

Despite a missed put from 6' by Westwood, Europe take the hole to go three up in the battle between Kaymer/Westwood and Mickelson/Johnson.

1710:

McIlroy chipping from off the green to halve the whole. It was never going to drop. The Americans pull one back to bring it all square after 5 holes.

Cink sinks an impress putt.

The rain has stopped, and the four balls have resumed after a seven hour delay. They're hoping to play for the next couple of hours. We'll keep you updated.

It's been announced folks, the Ryder Cup will resume at 5 o'clock this evening.

1530:

The course is looking a lot better leading up to the latest announcement regarding when exactly play will be resumed. Not perfect by any means, but way better than it was a couple of hours ago.

Announcement put back until 4 now. You can almost take it as given at this stage that there will be no more golf today. Martin Kaymer tells us that the European lads are passing the time by playing Tiger Woods on the Playstation. 'Luke Donald is playing with himself,' he says. Disturbing.

The deadline for the completion of the tournament, we've been told, is 6.43pm on Monday evening. If there's no play today, which is looking likely, then there's a distinct possibilty that it won't be finished on time.

We're assured that the announcement is indeed coming up, but have also heard that fans are not allowed leave and then come back again which must be really annoying for local punters. Sky Sports are broadcasting pictures of the course and it's beginning to resemble a river - there doesn't seem to be much of a chance of any more action today.

1325:

It's looking likely that the tournament will be extended until Monday at this stage. There is a four hour window on Sunday to sort out a delay, but barely any time tomorrow and play has been stopped for nearly four hours already.

1315:

Announcement has been put back once again folks - it will be 2pm before we find anything out about when play will resume.

I'm going to use the delay to rush off and get a spot of lunch folks, will be back in a jiffy!

Announcement has now been put back until 1pm folks but something tells me it doesn't look good. In the meantime, the curious folks at Sky have revealed that the waterproofs worn by the US players earlier on weren't very waterproof and the players were saturated as a result. They have used the delay to sort the problem out, but in a sport where equipment is such a primary concern, it's a pretty strange occurence.

Just hearing that there will be an announcement made at 12 noon to let us all know what's going to be happening this afternoon. Put your feet up folks and we'll be back with any more updates we hear of.

European vice-captain Darren Clarke: "It's a tough call with all these people here and everyone watching but I think it's the right call. "It's going to be a little while before we're back out here." Forecast musn't be good.

1006:

The good folk at Sky Sports, whose in-depth coverage has been plunged into turmoil by the delay, have informed us that play could be resumed within an hour or so.

Well it was coming - the weather has not let up and play has been officially suspended due to a waterlogged course. We'll keep you posted with news of when, or indeed if, play will resume today at Celtic Manor.

A beautiful shot by Graeme McDowell to within inches of the pin gives him the chance to put himself and Rory McIlroy back in the lead against Cink and Kuchar...and he takes it. The man known as G-Mac has been super so far today.

Probably the least hyped American pairing of the lot, Watson and Overton, have just gone two up against Harrington and Donald in the last group of the day.

Poulter holes a cracking putt on the third and he and Fisher are 1 up against Woods and Stricker once again.

Granted, the wind and rain are causing havoc, but there has been an amount of shots grossly misjudged by both sides already. Close-up pictures being shown of the water being shovelled off the green by the groundstaff, there's puddles all over the shop!

It's not been a good morning for Steve Stricker, who's in the water of the tee on the par three third. Tiger Woods isn't much better and faces a horrendous looking putt from the back of the green.

McIlroy couldn't salvage anything at the third so it's all square in the second match of the morning.

Both Mickelson and Johnson miss very makeable putts on the fourth and now find themselvs two down to Westwood and Kaymer.

Another massive putt from an American, this time Stewart Cink on the third, looks to have sealed another hole for the US.

Jeff Overton lands an absolute monster of a putt on the first, while Luke Donald goes within millimetres of doing the exact same. Donald's putt passes by, however and the US go one up.

Padraig Harrington hasn't enjoyed the best of starts. First of all, he sends his drive way to the left and then hits his approach shot towards the green while another group are still putting. Get yourself together man!

A par at the first for Ross Fisher gives Europe the lead over Woods and Stricker, while Lee Westwood tucks away a putt at the second to put himself and Kaymer in front against Mickelson and Johnson. Great start for Europe, who lead in three of the four matches.

The last group, including our own Padraig Harrington, getting ready to tee off at the first. It really is bucketing down in Wales at this stage.

The weather is shocking by the way and there are puddles all over the place, including the greens. Hopefully they won't have to cut play short.

With everyone else struggling, a par at the first for Graeme McDowell is enough to win the first hole for Europe.

Everyone in the third match sent their drive well left of the fairway, although Ian Poulter is probably in the worst position of the lot. It hasn't been steady going by any means off the first tee so far.

Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods are all smiles as they wait at the opening tee, while one of their opponents, Ian Poulter has already been on Twitter this morning. "Having breakfast in the team room with Westwood, great sleep last night ready for the best of day of golf ever. Feel the energy," he said. So much for that Twitter ban eh, Monty?

Pars for Johnson and Kaymer in the opening group. All square after the first hole.

McDowell hits the only decent tee shot of the four. Kuchar and McIlroy both in the medium rough, Cink in the bunker to the left. McDowell sitting pretty on the fairway.

The crowd at the first tee shout Rory, Rory McIlroy as he arrives at the first tee with good buddy Graeme McDowell, who might as well be playing for the US with that ridiculous mid-Atlantic/Northern Ireland accent he has.

McDowell revealed lately that McIlroy texted him after his US Open win saying: 'It must be nice to win your national open'. They're going up against a solid looking American pairing of Stewart Cink and Matt Kuchar.

Mixed approach shots from both sides. From a perfect position on the fairway, Mickelson overhit his second and went way past the green. Johnson recovered brilliantly to put his ball to within 15 feet. Kaymer went into the rough left of the pin and faces a tricky up and down, but the experienced Westwood got him out of jail with a fine approach. Difficult downhill putt ahead of him though.

Three of the first four drives straight down the middle. Not a shred of nerves evident from either of the European duo, or Phil Mickelson. The same can't be said for Dustin Johnson, however, who went way right over the spectators, but he shouldn't be in too much trouble.

We're ready to on on the first tee, fantastic reception for the European players in particular. Dustin Johnson to hit the first ball of the competition.

The Irish interest this morning of course, focuses on the McIlroy and McDowell pairing in the second match and in Padraig Harrington's partnership with Luke Donald later on, but the first one should be interesting. Only Lee Westwood will know how he hasn't won a major given his form in the last couple of years, while Martin Kaymer is the current holder of the US PGA title.

On the other side, Mickelson is one of the best in the business, while Dustin Johnson should really have won at least one major this year but seemed to bottle it on the final day. Will he have the temperament for this sort of environment?

Good morning folks and welcome to JOE's live coverage of Ryder Cup 2010. Just under ten minutes to go until tee off in the first encounter. Keep in touch with us for live updates on all the action throughout the day.