Nicklaus and Watson were in top form at Walton Heath

The event was scheduled for The Belfry, but its construction had not been completed in time and Walton Heath was arranged as a late replacement.

Not that the change of venue could be considered to have had much impact on the result.

The 1981 American Ryder Cup team is considered to be one of the best line-ups ever seen in the tournament - between them, the players had won 36 Major championships.

Seve Ballesteros was a controversial omission, as it was argued he had played too much golf on the American Tour.

His absence did not prove critical however, as the American players were at the peak of their powers.

After winning all his previous matches in 1979, Larry Nelson continued his streak with four more victories, a haul Jack Nicklaus equalled, assisted in no small measure by his playing partner Tom Watson.

Germany's Bernhard Langer and Spaniards Jose Maria Canizares and Manuel Pinero made their Ryder Cup debuts, but the Americans were in a different class - again.

Foursomes: Morning
B Langer & M Pi�ero lost to L Trevino & L Nelson (1 hole)
A Lyle & M James beat B Rogers & B Lietzke (2&1)
B Gallacher & D Smyth beat H Irwin & R Floyd (3&2)
P Oosterhuis & N Faldo lost to T Watson & J Nicklaus (4&3)

Fourballs: Afternoon
S Torrance & H Clark halved with T Kite & J Miller
A Lyle & M James beat B Crenshaw & J Pate (3&2)
D Smyth & J M Ca�ares beat B Rogers & B Lietzke (6&5)
B Gallacher & E Darcy lost to H Irwin & R Floyd (2&1)

Fourballs: Morning
N Faldo & S Torrance lost to L Trevino & J Pate (7&5)
A Lyle & M James lost to L Nelson & T Kite (1 hole)
B Langer & M Pi�ero beat R Floyd & H Irwin (2&1)
J M Ca�ares & D Smyth lost to J Nicklaus & T Watson (3&2)

Foursomes: Afternoon
P Oosterhuis & S Torrance lost to L Trevino & J Pate (2&1)
B Langer & M Pi�ero lost to J Nicklaus & T Watson (3&2)
A Lyle & M James lost to B Rogers & R Floyd (3&2)
D Smyth & B Gallacher lost to T Kite & L Nelson (3&2)

Singles:
S Torrance lost to L Trevino (5&3)
A Lyle lost to T Kite (3&2)
B Gallacher halved with B Rogers
M James lost to L Nelson (2 holes)
D Smyth lost to B Crenshaw (6&4)
B Langer halved with B Lietzke
M Pi�ero beat J Pate (4&2)
J M Ca�ares lost to H Irwin (1 hole)
N Faldo beat J Miller (2&1)
H Clark beat T Watson (4&3)
P Oosterhuis lost to R Floyd (1 hole)
E Darcy lost to J Nicklaus (5&3)