The opening day of the Ryder Cup involves two sessions of play in Minnesota on Friday with four foursomes matches in the morning before four fourballs matches in the afternoon providing eight valuable points on a potentially exciting and dramatic opener to the competition.
Due to time restrictions between the sessions we won’t be able to preview either fourballs session this weekend but we can certainly go through the foursomes matches and we’ll do that here.
Match 1 – Tees off at 1.35pm BST
Patrick Reed & Jordan Spieth vs Justin Rose & Henrik Stenson
What an opening match this one promises to be. The star American pairing from Gleneagles takes on the banker European pairing but only one pair can get their side off to a fast start here.
Reed and Spieth look to be a perfect combination for foursomes. Both are pretty straight off the tee and both have wizard like short games and you get the feeling they won’t be making many bogeys. Rose and Stenson when at their best can take care of any pair but Rose’s putter has been cold nearly every time he has teed it up in America this year and Stenson’s knee remains a concern.
I think America will take this match but I have enough respect for the European pairing not to take them on so for me the opening tie will be a watching brief rather than a betting one.
Match 2 – Tees off at 1.50pm BST
Phil Mickelson & Rickie Fowler vs Rory McIlroy & Andy Sullivan
If ever there was a contrast in pairings then we have found it here. Who came up with the idea of putting Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler together I’ve no idea but it will either be brilliant or quite simply a mistake. I’m going for the latter but time will tell.
Although Europe’s pairing might be a surprise to some the two get along really well and should blend quite nicely with Rory’s driving strength and Sullivan’s better short game making them a much stronger partnership.
Phil was worst of the 29 men at East Lake last week in hitting the fairways and while the rough isn’t going to be penal this week you don’t want to be out of position too often when McIlroy is around. We know he’s in great form, Sullivan looks the perfect partner to me and I’m with them in match 2.
Match 3 – Tees off at 2.05pm BST
Jimmy Walker & Zach Johnson vs Sergio Garcia & Martin Kaymer
This is another surprising pairing from the Americans. Although this one makes more sense in that both Walker and Johnson often keep the ball in play you would be hard pushed to say either are in any form at the minute. That said they do have the credentials needed to be a strong foursomes pairing.
Sergio Garcia and Martin Kaymer was a natural pairing. Both are relentlessly straight off the tee and into the greens and then it is about whether either of them can make enough putts to be competitive. Importantly both are very good friends and Sergio’s record in this discipline in particular is very good.
I don’t go much for form in the Ryder Cup but when players have struggled as much as Walker (PGA Championship aside) and Zach have done this season that can’t be ignored. I think the experienced European pair will know they have to deliver and I think they’ll do just that.
Match 4 – Tees off at 2.20pm BST
Dustin Johnson & Matt Kuchar vs Lee Westwood & Thomas Pieters
This is an interesting conclusion to the morning not least because it looks like USA will need something from the match to come out anything close to parity from the session. In Dustin Johnson, the Americans have the form man of the four while Matt Kuchar should be an excellent partner for him and it will be interesting to see how they gel.
Going into the tournament I wondered how Darren Clarke would counter Dustin’s length and he has second guessed he would be put out last and he has countered it with his own big hitter alongside the experienced Westwood who has played the guidance role plenty of times in the past. I think the European pair might surprise a few here and I wouldn’t put anyone off backing them but this is one for me to sit out.
Tips
Back R.McIlroy & A.Sullivan to beat P.Mickelson & R.Fowler for a 4/10 stake at 2.00 with Ladbrokes
Back them here:
Back S.Garcia & M.Kaymer to beat J.Walker & Z.Johnson for a 4/10 stake at 2.10 with William Hill
Back them here:
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