Even if the event is far removed from what it was in his day, Arnold Palmer could still dispense some Ryder Cup wisdom when he arrives in Ireland to watch the action on the course named after him starting on 22 September.

In his six appearances in the matches between 1961 and 1973, the USA were victorious on each occasion and Palmer won a record 22 points out of his 32 games, as well as taking on the role of playing captain in 1963.

But his Ryder Cup experiences were not always sweetness and light, especially in Houston in 1967 when Ben Hogan was captain. If Hogan appeared to take a dislike to the four-times Masters champion, Palmer didn't exactly help his cause by buzzing the course in his private jet.

When he asked his captain a question about tactics, Hogan replied: "Who say's you're playing?" Palmer was left out of the fourballs on the second morning, but still won five points out of five.

MICHELLE TAKES THE WIE OUT OF HER CADDIE

All is apparently not too good in the Michelle Wie camp. After receiving a two-shot penalty during the recent Women's British Open, "nishing 13 strokes behind the winner, Sherri Steinhauer of America, and dropping from second place to seventh in the world rankings, the 16-year-old wunderkind decided to "re her caddie.

Not that she delivered the news to Greg Johnston personally. Johnston heard the good tidings from Wie's agent as he was about to board a "ight from Manchester.

On the back of seven top-"ve "nishes in eight LPGA events this year alongside Wie, Johnston, who caddied for Juli Inkster for four of her major championship wins, might be be forgiven for wondering just what he did wrong.

SHARK THINKS GOLDEN BEAR WOULD EAT TIGER

As the respective records of Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus are analysed and re-analysed, Greg Norman was asked some time ago how he thought golf's Big Two would compare if Nicklaus, like Woods, had been born in 1975.

With all the advances in club and ball technology, Norman reckoned, Jack would "eat Tiger for lunch".

Some may beg to differ.