Two by two, they'll go out this morning, hoping to escape the deluge. But as a vicious wind blew up around the K Club last night, pessimists were forecasting a difficult start, writes Miriam Lord at the K Club.
"That's Ireland for you. Four seasons in the one day," laugh the Tourism Ireland people, trying to put a brave face on it for their American visitors. But truly, today's first morning of the Ryder Cup at the K Club in Kildare lies in the lap of the gods.
No amount of billionaire patrons can square this worry.
It will come right in the end. The dedicated golf enthusiasts of Ireland will outroar the wind. They've played worse on a wet day in Lahinch. This is their weekend, and judging by the besotted cheers of the capacity crowd at yesterday's official opening, they will never concede defeat to the elements.
Today, the showbiz gives way to the business. Tiger and Pádraig and Monty and Sergio, along with 20 more of the highest-paid sportsmen in the world, will play their hearts out for nothing more than a small trophy and a place in golfing history.
They will be followed by some of the most passionate galleries this tournament has ever witnessed.
For those who might not be so committed to the game - the majority of the population - there is the lure of corporate networking, charting the fashion highs and lows of the wives and girlfriends, and just the bragging rights of being able to say that you were there.
If it manages to get off the ground. Last night, due to large gusts of wind, tents had to be evacuated for safety reasons. A woman was injured on the grounds of the K Club last evening when a tree branch fell and hit her arm. Her injuries were not thought to be serious.
It was never going to be easy.