Expectations of a first Continental European victory in nine years were high as the 2009 Vivendi Trophy began beneath grey skies here on Thursday. Great Britain and Ireland have won the last four editions of the biennial team event, formerly known as the Seve Trophy, but have been weakened this year by a series of withdrawals.
Thomas Bjorn's Continental Europe side, on the other hand, boasts world number five Henrik Stenson of Sweden and a host of in-form players. "I feel strongly about this team," said Bjorn, a veteran of all five previous tournaments. "I feel like we have some great experience there and guys who've played really, really well over the last few weeks."
Stenson begins his Vivendi Trophy campaign alongside compatriot Robert Karlsson, who is making his return after a four-month absence due to an eye problem, in a four-ball against English debutants Anthony Wall and Chris Wood. Northern Irish pair Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy were first out for Paul McGinley's Great Britain and Ireland team, with Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen and big-hitting Spaniard Alvaro Quiros providing the opposition.
World number 24 McIlroy is the highest-ranked player in McGinley's line-up and the 20-year-old admits that his team-mates will need to be at their best to retain the trophy. "Obviously the Great Britain and Ireland team is probably a little weaker than it could be and we are probably going into this week as underdogs, but it's not a bad thing," he said.
"We'll do our best to give the Europeans a game." McIlroy is one of the front-runners in the race for a place in Colin Montgomerie's European Ryder Cup team and he said the Vivendi Trophy experience had whetted his appetite for golf's ultimate team competition.
"The whole team atmosphere is great," he said. "You get with a group of guys, you go out for dinner, you have a great laugh, and that's what it should be about. I think everyone should enjoy the week." Montgomerie, who will lead Europe against the United States at the Celtic Manor Resort in South Wales next October, said that many of the Vivendi Trophy competitors feature in his plans.
"There's a number of players in this 20 that will be playing at Celtic Manor, there's no question," he said. "You could have over half the team playing here, quite easily." In a similar format to the Ryder Cup, the tournament is comprised of five fourballs on Thursday and Friday, four greensomes on Saturday morning, four foursomes on Saturday afternoon and ten singles matches on Sunday.