Europe captain Sam Torrance has chosen to start next month's Ryder Cup at The Belfry with fourball matches.

Traditionally, foursomes matches - where players take alternative shots using one ball - are played on the first morning of the three-day competition against the USA.

But Torrance has used home advantage to switch to the fourball format - the best score from each pair to count on each hole - he believes will favour his team.

Torrance made the same decision a year ago before the 11 September attacks on the United States forced the Ryder Cup to be postponed by 12 months.

"With fourball starting and fourball last, I can put my strongest pairings out in the first series and my strongest in the last series," he explained.

Precendent

"In foursomes I'll probably test people. If I'm going to play everyone before the singles, I would rather put someone not entirely on top of his game out in the foursomes.

"We've also been better at foursomes over the years, so now we've got foursomes, and maybe there's a chance there to nick a wee lead."

Europe captain Seve Ballesteros opted to start the 1997 Ryder Cup at Valderrama in Spain with fourball matches, with Europe going on to triumph by 14.5 points to 13.5.

Torrance's side are out to win back the Cup after the USA's victory by 14.5 points to 13.5 at Brookline in 1999.

Ryder Cup schedule

27 September: Four fourball matches from 0800 BST; four foursomes matches from 1330
28 September 28: Four foursomes matches from 0800; four fourball matches from 1230
29 September: Twelve singles matches from 1115