SEVE TROPHY FORMAT Thursday & Friday:Fourballs (lower score on each hole counts) Saturday:Greensomes (each partner drives and then one ball is chosen) And foursomes (partners hit alternate shots with same ball) Sunday:Singles

The four-day event, at The Wynyard in north-east England, sees both teams compete in fourballs, foursomes, greensomes and singles matches.

GB and Ireland will be led by Colin Montgomerie, while Jose Maria Olazabal will skipper Continental Europe.

Each member of the 10-man winning team will take home �90,000.

GB and Ireland lead the series 2-1, but Continental Europe captain Olazabal is confident of victory despite the absence of top stars Sergio Garcia and Bernhard Langer.

"Of course I would like them to have been available, but I also want people who want to play," said the two-time Masters champion.

"I have no doubt the players we have are good enough to regain the trophy and we will be competing hard to do so over all four days of the event."

Montgomerie, who has to make do without the likes of Luke Donald, Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood, is also happy with his team, especially his wildcard pick.

Seve Trophy pro-am pictures

"We won a hard-fought victory in Valencia two years ago and I'm determined that we hold on to the trophy we first captured at Druids Glen in 2002," he said.

"I feel fortunate that I can pick someone of Paul Casey's stature as a wildcard. His Ryder Cup experience will give the team the opportunity to win the Seve Trophy for the third time in a row."

All 20 players are involved in fourballs on the first two days, Saturday's action is four greensomes and four foursomes and the event concludes with 10 singles games on Sunday.

Match One (1035 BST)
T Bjorn & H Stenson v I Poulter & N Dougherty

Match Two (1050)
M Lafeber & E Canonica v C Montgomerie & G McDowell

Match Three(1105)
MA Jimenez & JM Olazabal v S Dodd & B Dredge

Match Four(1120)
N Fasth & P Hanson v D Howell & P Casey

Match Five(1135)
JF Remesy & T Levet v P McGinley & P Harrington