Looper dropped: One last-minute addition to Team Europe, so to speak, was Craig Connelly. "He's from Scotland and a Celtic supporter, that's enough information I think," said Paul Casey, his newest employer. Casey, a Ryder Cup rookie, made the shock decision to part ways with his long-time caddie Ken Conboy on Sunday evening, after the German Masters and on the eve of the team's departure to Oakland Hills.

In a move that had eerie similarities to the split between Padraig Harrington and Dave McNeilly earlier in the season, Casey informed Conboy - one of the most respected caddies on tour - their partnership was over and that he wouldn't be going to the Ryder Cup.

"It's one of those things where the change had to be made," explained Casey. "I think we both knew that the relationship, the team, was pretty much over . . . I need to win as many points as I can at the Ryder Cup and if there was anything going to prevent me from doing that, it needed to change. It doesn't mean Ken's a bad caddie, he's a fantastic caddie and he will carry bags for tournament winners in the future.

"Unfortunately, the spark that needed to be there and the confidence we had in each other was gone. I'm sad that Ken is not here, but I'm also very excited that I have got Craig on the bag this week. I think it will make me a better player and be more productive and be a better asset for the team now that I've got Craig on the bag," said Casey.

Up until Sunday, Connelly had caddied for Helen Alfredsson.

Classy clubhouse

The colonial-style clubhouse at Oakland Hills is mightily impressive. It should be. To prepare for the Ryder Cup, over $15 million was spent in renovations to the clubhouse, which had served as a wooden farmhouse when the course was built in 1918. The club membership voted in 1999 to restore rather than bulldoze the second-largest wooden structure in Michigan and the result was a stunning update of a landmark building.

Timeless gesture

It appears European captain Bernhard Langer's largesse extends beyond making his mother's recipe for Black Forest gateaux available to the chef who prepared a meal for the team as they travelled on the Virgin Airbus to Detroit on Monday.

The German surprised the European team and backroom staff on Monday night by presenting each of them with a Rolex Submariner watch (this column took a sneaky peak on ebay and you can pick one up for about $5,000) with the Ryder Cup logo engraved on the back.

Darren Clarke described his captain's gesture as "very nice", and, when asked if he intended to reciprocate in the present stakes, the Irishman smiled before offering, "Well, hopefully a few points this week. I'm sure he'd appreciate that."

Wise old head

When it gets a little tense in the American team-room this week, Jackie Burke, one their vice-captains, will be called upon to provide a little light relief. The 81-year-old, who won the US Masters and US PGA Championships in 1956, played on five Ryder Cup teams in the 1950s, accumulating a 7-1-0 record along the way.

He acted as playing captain in 1957 and fulfilled a non-playing role in 1973. This is how Burke views his role this week. "I just got to keep Hal (Sutton, the American captain) out of the china shops. I don't want him breaking any china here in Detroit. It's like harnessing General Patton.

"He and I talk all the time. He doesn't really need any help. He got me a lot of free clothes, a tuxedo and a lot of jackets."

Sutton claimed choosing Burke was not a sentimental gesture. "One reason why Jackie Burke is on this as an assistant captain is that he impresses upon me to tell it like it is. The biggest reason why I think he's going to be a big advantage is that the few times that I may be afraid to say it like it is, he won't be."

On the Ross roster

Oakland Hills becomes the fifth Donald Ross-designed course to stage the Ryder Cup. Worcester Country Club in Massachusetts was the first in 1927, Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio, followed in 1931, while Pinehurst No 2 became the third in 1951.

Oak Hill's selection in 1995 made it the fourth Ross-designed course, an occasion which the Europeans - and in particular Philip Walton - will have fond memories of, as they triumphed in that particular tête-à-tête.

Course trivia

• There are 119 bunkers

• The greens are a mixture of bent grass and poa annua cut to one-eighth of an inch

• The tees are cut to three-eighths of an inch

• The primary rough is bluegrass which is cut to four inches.