Rahm set for McIlroy partnership
DARREN CLARKE had to rip up his playbook after Europe suffered a 4-0 thrashing in the opening Ryder Cup session at Hazeltine two years ago.
But while it is still unclear who will tee it up for Europe or the US tomorrow morning, the fact that it will be fourballs rather than foursomes gives Thomas Bjorn a chance to blood some of his five rookies on day one.
That could see Spanish debutant Jon Rahm getting the nod to tee it up with Rory McIlroy to hit the Americans with a birdie barrage in the opening match, setting the tone for the rest of the team.
They were out together for the second day running yesterday (with Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia for company) and having practised together regularly this year, their partnership seems likely.
Henrik Stenson and Paul Casey were alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Thorbjorn Olesen, while Ian Poulter and Francesco Molinari spent their morning with Tyrrell Hatton and Alex Noren.
US skipper Jim Furyk sent out Tony Finau, Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka together and all four would make strong fourball partnerships given their birdie count on the PGA Tour this year.
Finau has made more birdies than anyone on the US team this year, and he could be a surprise morning starter with the likes of Koepka, meaning that Furyk may split up Patrick Reed and the struggling Jordan Spieth.
Reed has played in the same group as Tiger Woods in the first two practice sessions with Spieth alongside childhood pal Justin Thomas.
Rose and Henrik Stenson will be keen to get out early and set the tone for Bjorn’s troops, but given the importance of blooding as many of the five rookies as possible, an aggressive birdie machine like Hatton may get his chance to debut in the fourballs on day one.
Poulter looks a perfect foil for Tommy Fleetwood in either format, leaving Hatton to go out with an experienced fourball specialist like fellow Englishman Paul Casey.
With Thomas and Spieth another likely pairing, the expected partnership between ‘Mad Scientist’ Bryson DeChambeau and Woods may be needed early given that Spieth, Reed and Mickelson are all struggling.
Rose and Stenson set the tone for Europe under Paul McGinley at Gleneagles in 2014, thrashing Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson 5&4 in the opening fourballs and Watson and Matt Kuchar in the same format on the second day.
They also won and lost fourballs with Spieth and Reed at Hazeltine and Rose is certainly not averse to playing with a ball-striking metronome of the Swede’s calibre.
“You’ve just got to look at his statistics,” Rose said.
“I think he’s No 1 on the PGA Tour, fairways hit. He’s No 1 on the PGA Tour, greens in regulation. Who wouldn’t want to play with that guy?”
While there has been much speculation about the renewal of the infamous partnership of Woods and Mickelson that backfired so badly at Oakland Hills in 2004, Furyk appeared to dash all hopes of a repeat.
“I guess nothing’s out of the realm,” Furyk said. “You know, I won’t ever say it wouldn’t happen, but it’s probably not too likely.”