They start to play with live ammo at around 2.45am tomorrow morning. Each captain has submitted their pairings and here is how they have worked out along with my analysis.
Pavin has already shocked us by sitting Furyk, Z Johnson and Mahan while selecting rookies Watson and Overton to play in the 4th match
Remember this is Fourball or best ball as many of you may call it with Foursomes or alternate shot to follow in the afternoon, so a lot of strategy comes into play. For example in the Woods / Stricker pairing you will see Stricker play first to get one ball in play, to take the pressure off Tiger and let him cut loose..
Also this is a very American style course, parkland with a lot of water and target golf, not a links course. Gordon Simpson played it on Saturday and told me it is in mint condition and that the last 4 holes are a fabulous finish including a drivable par 4, a long par three and a reachable par 5 to finish... This 2010 course was built just for this Ryder Cup.
The weather forecast is posted at the end of this post but all four seasons are in it, typical fall weather in the UK..
Friday Morning fourball matches
Match 1: Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson v Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer
Match 2: Stewart Cink and Matt Kuchar v Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell
Match 3: Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods v Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher
Match 4: Bubba Watson and Jeff Overton v Luke Donald and Padraig Harrington
USA not selected........ Furyk, Mahan, Z Johnson, Fowler
EUROS not selected .. Molinari's, Hansen, Jimenez
MATCH 1 2.45AM EST ( fourball )
Westwood
Years played: 1997 (winners), 99, 02 (winners), 04 (winners), 06 (winners), 08
Overall record: Played 29, Won 14, Lost 10, Halved 5: Points 16½
Singles: Played 6, Won 2, Lost 4, Halved 0
Foursomes: Played 11, Won 6, Lost 2, Halved 3
Fourballs: Played 12, Won 6, Lost 4, Halved 2
Kaymer
Ryder Cup rookie
Mickelson
Years Played: 1995-97-99-2002-04-06-08
Total Matches: 30
Career Ryder Cup Record (W-L-H): 10-14-6
Singles (W-L-H): 3-4-0
Foursomes (W-L-H): 2-4-4
Fourballs (W-L-H): 5-6-2
Total Points Won: 13
Total Points Won Point %: .43
D Johnson
Ryder Cup rookie
ANALYSIS
Questions are being asked about Westwood, his fitness and lack of play. Monty says he is playing superbly, like he was never away and has made him play 36 holes in one day just to ensure his fitness. Although Kaymer is a rookie, he is rock solid and id of course the PGA champion.
Mickelson is the Ryder Cup veteran on this team with 30 matches and I think the emotional leader of this team and he is paired with rookie D Johnson who is in form and has had a brilliant year, he seems to have an unflappable type of personality although he did meltdown when leading the US Open at Pebble Beach..
This will be a tight match, remember the guys all play their own ball.
Pick Europe 1 up
MATCH 2 3AM EST
McIlroy
Ryder Cup rookie
McDowell
Years played: 2008
Overall record: Played 4, Won 2, Lost 1, Halved 1: Points 2½
Singles: Played 1, Won 1, Lost 0, Halved 0
Foursomes: Played 1, Won 0, Lost 0, Halved 1
Fourballs: Played 2, Won 1, Lost 1, Halved 0
Cink
Years Played: 2002-04-06-08
Total Matches: 15
Career Ryder Cup Record (W-L-H): 4-7-4
Singles (W-L-H): 1-3-0
Foursomes (W-L-H): 2-4-1
Fourballs (W-L-H): 1-0-3
Total Points Won: 6
Total Points Won Point %: .40
Kuchar
Ryder Cup rookie
ANALYSIS
The sensational rookie Rory McIlroy and his Northern Ireland friend Graeme McDowell have been paired together all week. McDowell won on this course all ready this year, and Rory is the lightning rod of this team.They were the leading partnership at the 2009 Vivendi Trophy, winning three points out of four.
Cink and Kuchar are Georgia Tech alumni for what that is worth. Cink is always steady but hasn't figured in much recently and Matt Kuchar just fell right off the charts last week after what has been a fabulous year. I wonder how much he has in the tank mentally..
This Irish pair will be tough for anything the States has.
Pick Europe 3&2
MATCH 3 3.15AM EST
Poulter
Years played: 2004 (winners), 08
Overall record: Played 7, Won 5, Lost 2, Halved 0: Points 5
Singles: Played 2, Won 2, Lost 0, Halved 0
Foursomes: Played 2, Won 1, Lost 1, Halved 0
Fourballs: Played 3, Won 2, Lost 1, Halved 0
Fisher
Ryder Cup rookie
Woods
Years Played: 1997-99-2002-04-06
Total Matches: 24
Career Ryder Cup Record (W-L-H): 9-13-2
Singles (W-L-H): 3-1-1
Foursomes (W-L-H): 3-6-1
Fourballs (W-L-H): 3-6-0
Total Points Won: 10
Total Points Won Point %: .42
Stricker
Years Played: 2008
Total Matches: 3
Career Ryder Cup Record (W-L-H): 0-2-1
Singles (W-L-H): 0-1-0
Foursomes (W-L-H): 0-0-0
Fourballs (W-L-H): 0-1-0
Total Points Won: .5
Total Points Won Point %: .17
ANALYSIS
Many of you will say Ross "Who' and you are in for a surprise if you do. Gordon Simpson Dir of Communications Euro Tour has been raving about him for several years. He is a major matchplay winner and at one point last year led all four majors. Poulter was a horse for captain Faldo at Valhalla, won the WGC World Matchplay this year and is an emotional leader. They played together in the 2008 and 2009 Omega Mission Hills World Cup, finishing sixth in 2008 and fourth in 2009.
Well here we go. Tiger and Stricker were 4-0 together at the Presidents Cup. Pavin clearly thought they might get a weaker pairing by playing these guys 3rd, normally they would be the premier pairing, but that has already backfired.
Tiger should benefit for the steady play of Stricker but truth be known, Stricker's play of late has been spotty and we all know about Tiger's.
Pick Match halved
MATCH 4 3.30AM EST
Donald
Years played: 2004 (winners), 06 (winners)
Overall record: Played 7, Won 5, Lost 1, Halved 1: Points 5½
Singles: Played 2, Won 1, Lost 1, Halved 0
Foursomes: Played 4, Won 4, Lost 0, Halved 0
Fourballs: Played 1, Won 0, Lost 0, Halved 1
Harrington
Years played: 1999, 02 (winners), 04 (winners), 06 (winners), 08
Overall record: Played 21, Won 7, Lost 11, Halved 3: Points 8½
Singles: Played 5, Won 3, Lost 2, Halved 0
Foursomes: Played 9, Won 2, Lost 4, Halved 3
Fourballs: Played 7, Won 2, Lost 5, Halved 0
Watson
Ryder Cup rookie
Overton
Ryder Cup rookie
ANALYSIS
Monty says Paddy has been his best player in practice this week and has been jumping around with all the enthusiasm of a rookie. Harrington closed with a 64 at the Vivendi last week and you all know about his rock solid partner Luke Donald who is putting as well as anyone in the world right now and who was 3rd to McDowell on this course earlier this year.
This pairing of Watson and Overton is such a surprise, considering Furyk, Z Johnson and Hunter Mahan are sitting on the bench. Watson and Overton are the first American rookies to be paired together in the opening series of matches since Bill Rogers and Bruce Lietzke in 1981.
It would be a huge upset if the USA won this match, but look out. They can just wing it because everyone except the US team expects them to lose and that is always dangerous, but really, come on !!
Pick Europe 4 &3..
WEATHER FORECAST
It is 14C right now and drizzling at Celtic Manor.
Friday a mixture of sun, cloud and rain high 15C low 8C
Saturday partly cloudy, high 15C low 8C
Sunday a mixture of sun, cloud and rain 15C 8C
Your comments ???
Bryan Angus
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