Just before announcing the pairings, Keegan Bradley, the American captain of the Ryder Cup, grabbed a United States flag and briskly walked the entire 1st hole at Bethpage, encouraging and waving to the crowds still in the stands, finishing the last sips of the final practice round. This is how Bradley understands the Ryder Cup. He is convinced that a good part of the victory depends on the crowd, and for this reason, he has placed Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas in the first foursome match.
No one is going to question the quality of Thomas and DeChambeau. It would be foolish. On paper, they are an intimidating pair, with two Majors each under their belts. But what this decision hides is more of a statement than a thorough, statistical, and even chemical analysis of the situation. Bradley has placed in the front line of the starting grid the boisterous ones, those he knows will interact more with the crowd, those who will seek their reaction, raise their arms, stir up the spirits… He wants commotion, noise, and uproar. A breeding ground that can serve those coming from behind. If the decision had been purely golfing, Scottie Scheffler should have been in the front line.
Basically, Bradley has dropped a bomb, even literally. DeChambeau is going to hit first in the American pair, and you already know what’s going to happen in that stand. “He has the green light to go for the green on the 1st hole. Yes, sir. Let him go up there. We want him to do what he does. Today he stood up and hit a hammer blow that landed just in front of the green. Bryson thrives in this type of environment. I see him walking to the tee, savoring the moment and the opportunity to stand up and hit that shot. Bryson has been a leader in our locker room. He has been an incredible teammate. What better than two guys to lead us tomorrow than Justin and Bryson?” he assured shortly after announcing the pairings.
The United States captain has said that this decision was made some time ago and that both players have been delighted. It could work out well, but the numbers and history don’t quite back him up. Thomas didn’t play in the first session in Rome and lost his Saturday foursome. He also lost the opening foursome playing with Jordan Spieth at Whistling Straits, curiously against Jon Rahm and Sergio García. It’s true that he won the Saturday one also playing with Spieth. He also lost the first foursome he played in Paris. In other words, Thomas has lost all the first foursomes he has played in the Ryder. Meanwhile, DeChambeau has also lost the two foursomes he has played in this competition. It could work out well for Bradley, although the numbers initially are not with him.
Against the bomb, Luke Donald has placed his best bomb disposal experts. Jon Rahm has played four foursomes in the Ryder Cup and has won all four. Moreover, he played and won the first foursome of the Ryder at Whistling Straits alongside Sergio and in Rome with Hatton. As if that weren’t enough, the two foursomes that the ‘Rahmhatton’ pair have played together, they have won. They can lose, but initially, Donald plays it safe. “I have one hundred percent faith in all 12 of the team. What we wanted… I like Jon as a leader going out first with Tyrrell. They have been a very strong pair. Jon, 4–0 in foursomes in his career and 2–0 with Tyrrell. It’s a strong start for us, and we’re going to need it.”
On the other hand, Donald explained the decision to separate Hovland and Aberg. “It wasn’t a difficult decision. We had many different options available. It was discussed and decided quite early, after making the selections and having our 12. Edoardo and I have been talking about this for three or four weeks. We have talked to them, and they were very comfortable.” Regarding pairing Aberg and Fitzpatrick, on paper the ‘oddest’ duo of the four, Donald explained: “They have a good mix of games. In foursomes, I like that. I like a bit of difference in styles to adapt to the course, and these two fit this course very well.” Again, numbers.
Finally, neither Bradley nor Donald has ruled out that there may be a golfer who doesn’t play a single point on Friday. Both have admitted that it wouldn’t be ideal, but they leave the door open depending on how the scoreboard goes in the morning session.
