GRUDGE MATCH
It’s McIlroy v Mickelson in clash of Ryder titans
RORY McIlRoy and Phil Mickelson will go head-to-head as the 40th Ryder Cup gets under way this morning with the match-up everyone wanted to see.
American captain Tom Watson sounded like a man who had got what he wanted when he hailed the final fourballs match as the ‘main event’.
‘We’ve certainly got a match in that one, haven’t we?’ enthused the 65-year-old. ‘I will be on the first tee watching the other three matches tee off and then that’s the one I will be watching.’
The Americans are desperate to knock world No 1 McIlroy off his perch and are clearly buoyant that their star pairing will have the chance in the anchor match, which will also feature Sergio Garcia and Keegan Bradley.
on Wednesday, Mickelson tried to needle the Northern Irishman with a pointed comment about the legal action he is taking against his old management company, where Graeme McDowell is
a shareholder. ‘At least we don’t litigate against one another,’ he said. Perhaps the only man who looked less than delighted was Europe captain Paul McGinley. ‘I don’t see that match-up as a big deal, to be honest,’ he commented. America will start and finish the fourballs with established pairings — Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson will play the opening match for the visitors against Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose — while Europe will field four new ones. McGinley admitted he hadn’t seen the pairing of McIlroy and Garcia coming but had been persuaded by the players themselves. ‘We started a dialogue back at Wentworth in May and it was clear they formed a bond and friendship during their battles over the summer,’ he said. ‘A big reason why I have put them together is their communication with me.’ Explaining his overall strategy, McGinley said he wanted players in the first and last matches who were at or near the top of the world rankings. It might be the third match before the home crowd really finds its voice as local hero Stephen Gallacher gets a dream Ryder Cup debut alongside Ian Poulter. ‘Stevie’s got a great record at Gleneagles and it’s supposed to be windy in the morning, which will be right up his street,’ reasoned McGinley. ‘He’s got the perfect big-match player alongside him as well. What I will be telling Stevie is that he has nothing to prove. ‘He just needs to be himself and relish it.’ Their opponents are two rookies in Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed and Watson admitted: ‘I’ve said to them I’m throwing you into the ocean without a life preserver.’ But he added: ‘I’m just so impressed with their attitude. Jordan is so strong-willed, while if Patrick gets it going he thinks he can beat the world. I like that in a player.’ Watson caused some raised eyebrows by leaving out Matt Kuchar and Jim Furyk, who are two of the three highestranked Americans in the world ratings. ‘You can bet they will both be playing in the afternoon, as will the other two players who are not playing in the morning,’ he said. Similarly, McGinley all but promised that the partnerships of McDowell and Victor Dubuisson and Lee Westwood and Jamie Donaldson will be utilised in the afternoon foursomes.