Nothing will make the average punter sit up and take notice like the combination of Tiger Woods and porn in a headline.

And there were plenty of headlines. From New York to New Mexico, The Dubliner magazine succeeded where Bord Failte and the Irish government had utterly failed.

It made the Ryder Cup sexy and interesting. Notwithstanding the questionable ethics of the supposed "satire", the magazine definitely provoked an enormous reaction. Apart from attracting the ire of Woods and most probably his lawyers, the little spoof that could made it across the ocean and on to the cable news channels, institutions who usually only acknowledge Ireland's existence every 17 March.

From being a medium-size story in the sports pages and big news in the relative ghetto of the Golf Channel, the Ryder Cup turned into a topic of conversation on the highlyrated morning television shows. Talk about all publicity being good publicity.

When programmes that ordinarily wouldn't mention the Ryder Cup unless there was a bomb threat involved are namedropping the K Club, Bord Failte should be happier than anybody. Especially since most American media outlets ran the story complete with that clip from Woods' press conference where he praised the beautiful Irish people and absolved them from blame. This might be the best piece of televisual promotion since Muhammad Ali voiced a television commercial for Bord Failte back in 1972.

In this way, it was the perfect result as a hitherto hidden event exploded into the consciousness of middle America. How many of those titillated by the yarn will remember the Ryder Cup is on when they reach for their remotes this morning remains to be seen.