Friday foursomes (2pts):
Henrik Stenson & Paul Casey to beat Justin Leonard & Hunter Mahan -111 @ Paddy Power [tie void]
If this is, as Azinger called it, a "bomber's course" then why would he put two players of such similar small stature together ... he even remarked upon it in the opening ceremony. Mahan ranks 83rd in driving distance on the PGA Tour this year and Leonard 165th, whereas Stenson and Casey are the European Team's "bombers". These two have shown that they have far more to their game than just length off the tee and this is the perfect matchup for them. The American pairing may be good friends, but Mahan is a Ryder Cup rookie and Leonard has yet to win one of his eight Ryder Cup matches to date
Lee Westwood & Sergio Garcia to beat Kenny Perry & Jim Furyk -149 @ Pinnacle [tie void]
Westwood is undefeated in his last 10 Ryder Cup matches and Garcia is a perfect 8-for-8 in foursomes; this is European 'dream pairing', which normally means they'll lose with such high expectations! However, there is a world of difference between the form that Garcia has shown since the PGA Championship (2nd/2nd/5th/20th) and Perry (wd/48th/66th/mc) and Perry has surely put too much pressure on himeself by saying that this competition would define his career. In terms of Furyk, he has had the distraction of leaving the team to be with his wife in hospital yesterday and he simply does not have a good record playing against either of these players: Westwood is 4-0 and Garcia 5-1 against him ... and he doesn't have Tiger as a partner this week
No play on the other two matches. Mickelson/Kim look a perfect pairing for fourballs not foursomes, so this is a gamble by 'Zinger that they will play entertaining, aggressive golf and get the crowd involved in this event early on. It could easily backfire, though Harrington has a losing record in this format and Karlsson was omitted from this format on his debut in 2006. In the other match, Campbell looks the weakest link, but like Mickelson/Kim, I see the Rose/Poulter pairing as better fourball partners.
Henrik Stenson & Paul Casey to beat Justin Leonard & Hunter Mahan -111 @ Paddy Power [tie void]
If this is, as Azinger called it, a "bomber's course" then why would he put two players of such similar small stature together ... he even remarked upon it in the opening ceremony. Mahan ranks 83rd in driving distance on the PGA Tour this year and Leonard 165th, whereas Stenson and Casey are the European Team's "bombers". These two have shown that they have far more to their game than just length off the tee and this is the perfect matchup for them. The American pairing may be good friends, but Mahan is a Ryder Cup rookie and Leonard has yet to win one of his eight Ryder Cup matches to date
Lee Westwood & Sergio Garcia to beat Kenny Perry & Jim Furyk -149 @ Pinnacle [tie void]
Westwood is undefeated in his last 10 Ryder Cup matches and Garcia is a perfect 8-for-8 in foursomes; this is European 'dream pairing', which normally means they'll lose with such high expectations! However, there is a world of difference between the form that Garcia has shown since the PGA Championship (2nd/2nd/5th/20th) and Perry (wd/48th/66th/mc) and Perry has surely put too much pressure on himeself by saying that this competition would define his career. In terms of Furyk, he has had the distraction of leaving the team to be with his wife in hospital yesterday and he simply does not have a good record playing against either of these players: Westwood is 4-0 and Garcia 5-1 against him ... and he doesn't have Tiger as a partner this week
No play on the other two matches. Mickelson/Kim look a perfect pairing for fourballs not foursomes, so this is a gamble by 'Zinger that they will play entertaining, aggressive golf and get the crowd involved in this event early on. It could easily backfire, though Harrington has a losing record in this format and Karlsson was omitted from this format on his debut in 2006. In the other match, Campbell looks the weakest link, but like Mickelson/Kim, I see the Rose/Poulter pairing as better fourball partners.
