Keegan Bradley and Luke Donald are taking advantage of these days before the start of the Ryder Cup to make the final adjustments on the ground. Everything is practically decided regarding the pairings, at least for Friday. The captains trust in the numbers, as well as the affinity between different players. Even so, there needs to be flexibility to make changes based on what is observed live these days. If there is a player who is not quite comfortable, frustrated, or if Bethpage doesn’t suit them, flexibility and common sense are necessary to make changes.
Tuesday’s practice groups, the first time Europe steps on the course this week, reveal an obvious choice and a surprise in the case of Jon Rahm, the only Spanish representative in New York, besides José María Olazábal of course. The golfer from Barrika shares a game with Tyrrell Hatton, which is the obvious choice, as no one doubts that they will play at least two points together, specifically the foursomes; as well as with Ludvig Aberg and Matthew Fitzpatrick. Here is the surprise. Could we see a fourball with Rahm and Aberg? Or even with Fitzpatrick? Or perhaps what Donald is considering is a foursome with Aberg and Fitzpatrick given Hovland’s inconsistency in his recent appearances?
These are questions that remain unanswered outside the European team’s headquarters, as plans are kept under strict secrecy. It’s about piecing things together and deducing. It is worth noting that Aberg and Fitzpatrick play the same ball, the Titleist Pro V1x. A clue for the foursomes.
The other two European team matches are as follows:
– Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy
There is no surprise here. It would be unusual for Rory and Fleetwood not to play the foursome together on Friday. On the other hand, it makes sense to think of a McIlroy-Lowry for the fourballs, as well as a Fleetwood-Rose in the same format. Of course, none of this is set in stone. Tomorrow the pairings will change and more speculation will arise, as the Rose-MacIntyre pair for Friday’s foursome looks very promising, even though they are not playing together today.
– Viktor Hovland, Rasmus Hojgaard, Robert MacIntyre and Sepp Straka
In this case, speculating, it doesn’t seem far-fetched to imagine a fourball with Hovland and Hojgaard, as well as Straka and MacIntyre. If Hovland shows good form, it also makes perfect sense for him to play Friday’s foursome with MacIntyre and for Aberg to be left out, although if one were to bet, it would be normal to see the two Nordics together. Perhaps on Thursday, when all the groups have been seen playing, repeating or not, it will be easier to draw conclusions.
Meanwhile, the three American team groups today are as follows:
– Harris English, Russell Henley, Collin Morikawa and Scottie Scheffler
It seems increasingly inevitable that Henley and Scheffler will play together on Friday in the foursome. In the last Presidents, they were a pair in both foursomes and won one and lost another. English and Morikawa also don’t seem out of place as a foursome pair. They were together at the Procore in California.
– DeChambeau, Ben Griffin, Justin Thomas and Cameron Young
The same group as Monday repeats. Continuity. Two pairs come out here. Justin Thomas and Griffin fit well for the foursome and Young and DeChambeau for the fourball. It should not be ruled out, as we pointed out yesterday, an electric foursome for the first day with DeChambeau and Thomas.
– Sam Burns, Cantlay, Schauffele and Spaun
The obvious choice is that Cantlay and Schauffele will play together in some session, probably in the foursome on Friday. It is also worth remembering that in the last Presidents, Burns played with Cantlay in two fourballs and they won both, and a foursome with Schauffele and they also succeeded. Similarly, it’s not far-fetched to think of a fourball with Schauffele and Spaun or even Burns and Spaun.
These are today’s practice pairings. Tomorrow, more analysis with what Donald and Bradley put on the table.
Europe will play 18 holes from 15:30 in the afternoon, Spanish mainland time, and the United States will play nine starting at 16:30.
