Format revision brings everyone into play today

Yesterday's seven-hour rain delay has prompted both teams to agree to scrap one of the customary five sessions in favour of squeezing the remaining fourballs and foursomes matches into two sessions.

It was feared the weather would force the match into a Monday finish for the first time in its 83-year history.

That could still happen if Celtic Manor is hit by another deluge of rain, but if the forecast of sunny intervals holds true today, and tomorrow's expected showers are light, officials from both teams believe they have found a formula to conclude the match on schedule.

Play will resume at 8am today with the opening fourballs matches carried over from yesterday, with the Americans holding a slight advantage after making hay in the better conditions last night.

On their conclusion, the second session – which has traditionally been four foursomes matches – will expand to six, meaning all 24 players will be on the course at one time.

The third session will then be the final two foursomes and the remaining quartet of fourballs, after which the singles, originally scheduled for 11.35am tomorrow, will commence. However, if the singles cannot be started and finished on the same day the match will move into Monday.

"This is a groundbreaking step," said European Tour chief executive George O'Grady who, together with opposite number at the PGA of America Joe Steranka, received the backing of the captains for such a radical reform.

"We feel for people who have invested their money and their time. If we play into Monday they will have to take time off work.

"It is our duty to retain the integrity of the competition by trying to finish the match on Sunday.

"We also wanted to maintain the 28 points and this was a way to keep the 28 points and keep the Ryder Cup on track.

"We don't have a good forecast for Sunday and if that happens, we will roll into Monday, keeping the singles sacrosanct.

"We have got options to go into Monday night but in fairness to the public we want to finish by Sunday."

The new format – while saving what organisers believe is four to five hours – means that after the belated conclusion of the opening fourballs, every player will now play in every session.

Such a compromise, while understandable due to the time lost, reduces the impact of the respective captains who in the past faced tough decisions over which four players to leave out for each session prior to the singles.

The relentless rain that disrupted play for a total of seven hours and 18 minutes forced both PGAs onto the back foot over the scheduling of the event so late in the year.

The PGA of America refuted suggestions that the FedEx Cup play-offs, which concluded in Atlanta last Sunday, had a direct impact on the Ryder Cup coming later in the year than usual.

The 2008 Ryder Cup at Valhalla, Kentucky, was staged mid-September and the match's return to the States in 2012 will also benefit from earlier scheduling.

But the 2014 match at Gleneagles in Scotland is scheduled for even later in the year, increasing the possibility of a similar scenario then.

But as always, money talks.

Steranka said: "The 2012 season is the last year of the PGA's television contract and the PGA has agreed to work with us to try and bring the Ryder Cup forward."

O'Grady added: "Ideally we want to have the best week when the players are available.

"This is difficult with the scheduling of the US tour events but we are holding discussions with the PGA Tour."

Amid all the drama, four hours of golf was managed.

Europe seized the early initiative in the pouring rain, taking a lead in three matches and trailing in only one when play was suspended at 9.44am.

But the United States came out stronger after the delay and, inspired by Stewart Cink, overhauled that deficit to take the lead in two games and trail in only one.

The other match is all square thanks to a superb 25-foot putt in the gathering gloom from Ian Poulter.

World No 1 Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker had turned their match around against Ross Fisher and Poulter, until the latter Englishman rose to the occasion as he always does at the Ryder Cup to send the 45,000 drenched European fans home with something to smile about.

"That will give us the momentum we need to carry forward into a very important day," said his captain Colin Montgomerie.

Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer hold a one-hole lead over Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, an advantage that at one stage was three.

The two-hole advantage established by US rookies Bubba Watson and Jeff Overton before the rain delay has been halved by Luke Donald and Padraig Harrington.

Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell are two down on the faultless Cink and Matt Kuchar.