And that doesn't matter how well the match appears to be going.

"I think it's becoming harder for someone to play all five matches," said the 44-year-old, who after failing to win back his place has accepted the role of television pundit for the coming clash.

"I remember when Lee (Westwood) and I played all the foursomes and fourballs together at Valderrama four years ago. By the Saturday afternoon we were shot.

"Individuals need to recognise how tired they are and if necessary put up their hands and say it might be a good idea for the captain to rest them before the singles."

Two years ago in Boston seven players - Westwood, Darren Clarke, Jesper Parnevik, Sergio Garcia, Colin Montgomerie, Paul Lawrie and Miguel Angel Jimenez - were employed in every series.

Only Montgomerie and Lawrie won in the singles as the United States staged their stunning comeback to recapture the trophy.

In 1997 Seve Ballesteros did not feel he could rest Faldo, Westwood, Montgomerie or Jose Maria Olazabal and the only one of the quartet to get anything out of the singles was Montgomerie with the match-winning half.

Torrance has revealed that part of his thinking in asking for the fourballs to be staged first - Ballesteros did the same thing - is to get his strongest players into action straightaway.

The temptation if they start well, of course, will be to keep the pairings together for the foursomes.

Torrance appears to be planning on introducing at least some of his four rookies - Paul McGinley, Phil Price and Swedes Niclas Fasth and Pierre Fulke - for the afternoon session.

But there are obvious risks involved because with just one ball in play any mistakes made are likely to be more costly than in fourballs, where there are two chances on every hole.