SHEBOYGAN, Wis. – The talk is done, the practice finished and the game plans are set. The Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits is finally ready to begin.
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Will Europe maintain its recent dominance, having won four of the last five Cups? Or can the youthful U.S. squad change its country’s fortunes?
Play begins Friday with four Foursomes matches. The format, otherwise known as alternate shot, has been fruitful for Europe. It last lost a Foursomes session in 2012, when several members of the U.S. Team were still in college. Europe has won five of the last six Foursomes sessions, and tied the other, and outscored the United States, 18.5-5.5, in that span. Europe has won the Friday Foursomes in each of the last three Cups by a margin of 10.5-1.5.
Will we see that trend continue or can the U.S. turn the tide? U.S. Captain Steve Stricker and his European counterpart, Padraig Harrington, have announced their lineups. Let’s take a look at the matches that will begin this year’s Ryder Cup.
7:05 a.m. CT: Jordan Spieth/Justin Thomas (USA) vs. Jon Rahm/Sergio Garcia (Europe)
7:21 a.m. CT: Dustin Johnson/Collin Morikawa (USA) vs. Paul Casey/Viktor Hovland (Europe)
7:37 a.m. CT: Brooks Koepka/Daniel Berger (USA) vs. Lee Westwood/Matt Fitzpatrick (Europe)
7:53 a.m. CT: Patrick Cantlay/Xander Schauffele (USA) vs. Rory McIlroy/Ian Poulter (Europe)
"I feel great about our pairings. Some teams that have played together over the years, whether in Ryder Cups or some Presidents Cups, so we wouldn't put them out there if we didn't feel good about them, let me just put it that way," Stricker said.
"So we are extremely excited about how these guys are playing, and the order of which they are going out.
"It's in their hands now. They are playing great and they are excited to get going. I mean, I can't tell you how excited they are to get going and get that first tee ball in the air tomorrow."
Now let's take a closer look at Friday morning's matches:
MATCH 1
Jordan Spieth/Justin Thomas (USA) vs. Sergio Garcia/Jon Rahm (Europe), 8:05 a.m. Eastern
Spieth and Thomas have a strong bond that dates to childhood and they’ll need it against the modern-day edition of the Spanish Armada, which features two of the TOUR’s best ball-strikers. The Thomas-Spieth pairing was one of the few bright spots in Paris three years ago, as the two Americans teamed to go 3-1, including 1-1 in Foursomes. Thomas’ strong iron play – he ranked third in Strokes Gained: Approach last season –pairs well with Spieth’s short-game wizardry. Rahm is the World No. 1, but this will be his Ryder Cup debut in this format (he went 0-2 in Four-balls three years ago). He’s teaming with a player who’s a master at this format. The European team’s steady ball-striking will make them a formidable opponent. Both Spaniards ranked in the top three in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee in 2021. Rahm was eighth in Strokes Gained: Approach, as well, and we all know what Garcia can do with his iron play.
JUSTIN THOMAS: "Very excited to get going. The last couple days, you're ready and excited and amped up and everyone is getting everything tuned in. I've only played one but I know it goes by pretty quickly. Taking it in for all I can and ready to get going tomorrow."
JORDAN SPIETH: "I feel Stricks has instilled a lot of confidence in me and Justin, we weren't sure where he was going to put us until this afternoon and very excited to go out and try to set the pace for rest of the team."
JON RAHM: “It's a big honor (to lead off). It means the captain has faith in me and who I'm partnered with. We are looking to start it the right way. So nothing better than to be paired with my friend. It's a true honor. Spanish legacy is deep in The Ryder Cup and I'm hoping we can start a new tradition. They are both world-class players and we know what they are capable of and they know what we are capable of. It's going to be a good match and it's rightfully the right way to start a Ryder Cup, and we are all excited.”
SERGIO GARCIA: “I'm excited. Jon is not only a good friend but an amazing player and we all know what he can do and what he's done. It's going to be nervy on the first tee but that's what The Ryder Cup is all about. I've been there before, and I'm very, very excited and I hope that we can play great like I know we can and get a point for Europe. They have two very strong players that have done a lot of great things, and not only in Ryder Cup, but individually. So at the end of the day we have got to go out there and we have got to do what we know we can do, and just give it our best. It's as simple as that.”
Player records: Spieth (7-5-2 overall; 2-1-2 Foursomes); Thomas (4-1-0 overall; 1-1-0 Foursomes); Garcia (22-12-7; 10-4-3 Foursomes); Rahm (1-2-0 overall; 0-0-0 Foursomes)
Ryder Cup match previews: Friday morning Foursomes - pgatour.com
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