So some dispute whether this is the third biggest professional sporting event in the world and many despise the hype and the glamour. But today the play at the Ryder Cup finally got underway and it was a great day to be at the K Club. The atmosphere was electric and the crowds well behaved, friendly and knowledgeable. It is a massive operation and surprisingly enough it’s really well organised and I didn’t see any problems beyond queues for the bar. With all the bad weather the course is standing up to the elements and the crowds really well. Access for disabled fans is excellent with the provision of special seating areas and scooters for fans with mobility difficulties.

One thing that many may not realise is that there are thousands of volunteers present marshalling, providing assistance to spectators, and running the merchandising and other services. It’s not all about making a quick buck and for those who are giving up their time to make the place safe for others they get a chance to see some golf during their time off.

Lots of moving and exciting moments observed throughout the day and many a celeb in attendance and many genuine golf fans too. And then there was POTUS 41 aka George H Bush, who I avoided bumping with my scooter and with whom I exchanged greetings before I realised who it was. Excellent live blogging over at Ryder Cup Diary and RTE Radio 1’s commentary was excellent company today as we made our way around the course trying to keep up with what was happening. Although I did wonder where the women in Irish Golf were apart from running the Official Merchandising Outlets! Tomorrow I take to the sofa to watch at home and get to shout at the telly before returning to the sun and rain on Sunday for the final 12 matches.