IN the end, it wasn't too much of a surprise that for all the quality play on a superbly-conditioned course, the Seve Trophy was tickling fancies more for what was going on outside the ropes. There was Marc Warren's tangle with a chandelier which sadly for the newshounds at The Heritage turned out to be a golf-related incident, we had some of the players chatting freely about Nick Faldo's Ryder Cup meeting which the captain had forgotten to mention was supposed to be a private affair, and then we had the FaldoPaul McGinley controversy.

With the Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano contributing a hole-in-one to the proceedings when his four iron found the target at the 189-yard seventh, and with both teams throwing numerous birdies and eagles at each other, Continental Europe convincingly took the morning greensomes by 3 1/2 to 1/2.

With Thomas Bjorn out of action due to a stomach bug, Seve Ballesteros made just one change for the afternoon foursomes by bringing in Miguel Angel Jimenez in place of Mikko Ilonen, however, his opposite number, Faldo, had more head-scratching to do.

As Warren nursed his injuries, an out-of-form Paul Casey was benched, and Colin Montgomerie, who had lost his first two games alongside Warren, was restored to partner Graeme Storm. The changes worked as Britain and Ireland gradually closed the gap going into today's closing singles.

But simmering beneath this event, which is all rather genteel when compared to the breathless drama of the Ryder Cup, has been that spat . . . or has it been an alleged spat? . . .between Faldo and McGinley.

Once the combined obstacles of the absent galleries, and a total of 11 absent leading players which included Padraig Harrington, had been just about cleared, it seemed that matchplay combat could begin, and that Faldo could run the rule in peace over several contenders for next year's Ryder Cup matches such as Justin Rose, Nick Dougherty and Raphael Jacquelin.

But we hadn't bargained on McGinley suddenly resigning his post as Faldo's Ryder Cup vice-captain . . . a decision which perversely generated some unexpected headlines for an event which has so far underwhelmed the Irish public.

While golf rows are rarely of the Keane-McCarthy variety, this was a good one.

It had its origin in the decision by Faldo, who leads Europe into the 2008 matches against America, to offer McGinley the role of vice-captain, a job which can be viewed in at least two ways. On one hand, the vice-captain is firmly in the Ryder Cup loop and there is the always the possibility of enhanced prospects for the top job in the future. On the other hand, there could be an inference that the vicecaptain's days as a serious competitor are over.

McGinley thought about it for quite a while, insisted that above all he still wanted to play at Valhalla, and then accepted the offer. Recognition by one of the games' great players, and perhaps on the ladder to greater things, not too many people questioned him. Fast forward to the Seve Trophy, an event sorely in need of some oxygen following the withdrawal of so many top players. With a fatigued Harrington confined to barracks, the feeling was that Faldo would nominate an Irish player as one of his wild card picks, and with his impressive Ryder Cup record, never mind adding a few thousand spectators here, McGinley was the obvious choice. But instead of playing the green card, Faldo stubbornly went by the book and selected Marc Warren and Simon Dyson, the next two players in the Seve Trophy standings. Now the story became really interesting.

There was a rumour doing the rounds that after initially failing to contact Dyson, Faldo had in fact offered the place to McGinley, or at least, that McGinley had believed he had been given a pick. However, when Faldo did finally succeed in talking to Dyson, he apparently informed McGinley that the offer was no longer on the table.

With Faldo tetchily refusing to discuss Ryder Cup matters . . . although he had to be reminded that the rumoured McGinley cock-up was actually a Seve Trophy matter . . .and with McGinley also keeping his counsel, neither of the protagonists were uttering anything other than platitudes concerning the resignation.

If the hard truth may never out, there is no doubt that McGinley is a none too happy camper, and that Faldo has stumbled embarrassingly through his first management hurdle. Certainly, when former Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance was asked for his view, he had no hesitation in taking sides.

Calling Faldo's decision to offer McGinley and Jose Maria Olazabal the vice-captain roles over a year in advance of the matches "absolutely horrific" and a "real mistake", Torrance concluded: "The vice-captains should come in with six weeks to go, talk to the players, look after them if needs be. But to ask two current players . . .that's just an insult. Now McGinley has pulled out, which I think is great."

"I'm on a learning curve here, " admitted Faldo which was the understatement of the week. At least in just under a year's time when he is agonising over his two Ryder Cup wild-card choices, one decision will have already been made for him. If Paul McGinley fails to qualify for the Europe team by right, it's a good bet he'll be watching the matches at home on TV.