CHASKA, Minn. — The first day of the 41st Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National provided plenty of drama as the U.S. jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead. The Europeans closed the gap to 5-3 in the afternoon, setting up a dramatic weekend.
Saturday morning's pairings are indicative of the players who showed form Friday. European captain Darren Clarke clearly wants to get some of his rookies playing with more experienced players, while U.S. captain Davis Love III is sticking with pairings that worked for him on Day 1.
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Here is a breakdown of Saturday morning's foursome pairings:
Rory McIlroy and Thomas Pieters (Europe) vs. Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler (USA), 8:35 a.m. ET
McIlroy and Pieters blitzed Dustin Johnson and a struggling Matt Kuchar on Friday afternoon. Both European players are long, accurate hitters who seem to feed off of each other's momentum. Neither are known as great putters, so alternate shot could be a tricky format for them. But McIlroy wants revenge against Fowler and Mickelson after collapsing against them Friday morning.
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The U.S. should feel comfortable about this matchup. Though Fowler and Mickelson struggled to find the fairway in their foursomes match, they found a way to get the job done. They worked well together, constantly reading each other's putts and conversing before shots, so we expect them to give the Europeans a tough match.
A month ago, people didn't even think Pieters would make this team. Now, the 24-year-old Belgian will be playing in his third straight match. He is a star in the making.
Henrik Stenson and Matt Fitzpatrick (Europe) vs. Brandt Snedeker and Brooks Koepka (USA), 8:50 a.m. ET
Stenson was on fire Friday afternoon after suffering a tough loss in the morning. He was paired with Justin Rose during both sessions, but Clarke obviously feels like his rookie needs a strong veteran presence. It could work in his favor, because Fitzpatrick is a steely putter with a solid short game.
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Koepka and Snedeker will reunite after a convincing win over Danny Willett and Martin Kaymer during fourball. They will try to get Koepka hitting off the tee as much as possible to utilize his length and have Snedeker set up close birdie putts.
Justin Rose and Chris Wood (Europe) vs. Jimmy Walker and Zach Johnson (USA), 9:05 a.m. ET
Like Fitzpatrick, Wood was kept on the bench Friday. Unlike Fitzpatrick, Wood is a bomber off the tee who could struggle on Hazeltine's lightning-fast greens. Rose isn't known for his putting, either, which makes this a curious, if not intriguing, duo.
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Walker and Johnson made a statement Friday morning when they shut down Kaymer and Sergio Garcia. Walker struggled at times, but Johnson played some of his best golf all year. The two are perfect foursomes partners because Walker likes to hit high fades, and Johnson usually makes everything on the greens.
Sergio Garcia and Rafa Cabrera Bello (Europe) vs. Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth (USA), 9:20 a.m. ET
Aside from the first matchup, this one stands out as a real head-turner. The two Spaniards looked great together Friday afternoon. Cabrera Bello is a Ryder Cup rookie, but one would never have guessed that while watching him calmly walk down the fairway. Garcia and Cabrera Bello didn't converse much about their shots Friday, but they will have to in alternate shot.
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The Americans' power duo ran out of gas in the afternoon. After smoking Stenson and Rose in the morning, they ran into a buzzsaw in the afternoon and never looked threatening. Reed and Spieth are two of the best putters in the game. Now they just need to hit more fairways.