British Open 2011 Golf Preview: The Week's Most Intriguing Pairings

Golf is a cerebral game, played as much between the ears as on the turf and sand.  And, when it comes to the Open Championship, it can be about omnipresent weather too.  As we begin the preamble to this year's British Open, there is a reminder in the blustery air about the competitors. In 1970, it was musician Stephen Stills put it best with his ballad like lyrics: "If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with."  

That adage might serve each player as they stand on the first tee at Royal St. George's.  It's truly about the 14 clubs in the bag, OK, 15 if you're Ian Woosnam—and the bloody landscape in front of the world's finest. The other players in the group will have little effect on the outcome of the player's round.  Or will they?

This year's field has a decidedly top-heavy European flavor.  And, when Ivor Robson, the Official Open starter clears his throat and announces each player's name, each player is truly on their own battling the wind, the gorse, the cavernous bunkers and the earth.  As the clock at Big Ben ticks increasingly closer to the hour of tee time on Thursday, what about the pairings?  Who is playing with whom, and when and what cluster of expectations swirl just like the wind off the North Sea.  

A closer look reveals some marvelous Thursday and Friday threesomes:

Ernie Els, Rory Mcllroy and Rickie Fowler: The BEATLES

This tee time could best be described as the Beatles.  They do not need surnames to be recognized.  Paul, George, Rory, Ernie....and Rickie.  It does not matter what happens in this threesome, there will be cheers the first two days.  This tee time has the experienced Ernie Els, and the young Beatle-like rock stars in Rickie Fowler (no kidding check you tube) and Lucy, er, Rory (Mcllroy).  The R&A could have put Mcllroy with Prom Meesawat and Flora De Vries and it would have still been a good pairing.  From this group, we have three U.S. Open wins, two at Congressional by different players and the Oklahoma State human glow in the dark stick.  Don't forget the teacher in this group has one Claret Jug (2002, Muirfield) This is the main course—and if a patron get's lost in the gorse, have them look for orange. 

Luke Donald, Ryo Ishikawa and Sergio Garcia: OLD CHUMS

A great pairing for two players, old Ryder Cup chums (Donald and Garcia) both searching for their first major.  Friends on the Ryder Cup team, first in 2004 at Oakland Hills where Donald said, "We played very well together today. I think me and Sergio get along very well. That was a big key for us. We were very relaxed."  And they meet this week in another familiar place, on the first tee at the Open Championship.  The third member of the threesome is Ryo Ishikawa, the 19-year-old Japanese golfer with 10-professional wins despite his age.  A popular player, Ishikawa announced that he will be donating all of his 2011 tour earnings to aid the Japan earthquake relief efforts.  

Graeme McDowell, Jason Day and Bubba Watson: CRACKER, DU JOUR & GUMP

Harry Potter might come out at the show on Friday, but this Thursday grouping has box office smash written all over it. There are featured pairings and then there is this group of merry international travelers.  Australian Jason Day, always a bridesmaid (runner-up in both Masters and the U.S. Open), the Northern Ireland wizard in Graeme "Cracker" McDowell at Sandwich and Bubba Watson who swears he is going to let his clubs talk, everyone except the pink shafted driver.  On the menu at Sandwich, crackers, Bubba Gump shrimp—all day.  Cost?  Priceless.  Better than a $15 Harry Potter movie and some popcorn.

Lee Westwood, Steve Stricker, Charl Schwartzel:  MILK TOAST

This pairing is milk toast at sandwich personified.  Three very cerebral players, and if Westwood was not such a likeable hometown favorite, this could also be nicknamed quiet please.  There will not be a lot of banter between these likeable lads from different lands (England, South Africa and Wisconsin). You get the picture.

A few other pairings that might provide some focus are:

Pairing X:

Former champion Ben Curtis playing with Paul Casey and Aaron Baddley.   A great pairing for everyone except Curtis.

Pairing Y:

The Animal House pairing of Oklahoma State's Peter Uihlein and grand party master Miguel Angel Jimenez.  Geoff Ogilvy rounds out that three-some, let's hope they share.

Pairing Z:

Lefty, Oosty and Kaymer.  It's never easy to follow St. Andrews, ask Royal St. George's. None of these players head to Sandwich with a sand wedges chance of holding the Claret Jug.  Well, only one can hit a sand wedge.

But, then look at Pairing X, nobody thought Curtis would hold the Claret Jug either.

There can't be mention of pairings without a Sleeper Pairing.  The pairing from whence comes the Cinderella story.  This year's sleeper pairing is:

ROCK, RALEIGH AND RO

Robert Rock, Webb Simpson and Alejandro Canizares

There are no two players with their games fine tuned like Robert Rock and Webb Simpson.  Rock's odyssey to the U.S. Open was well chronicled, his travels this week—simple.  Simpson has a small southern town-charm (Raleigh, NC) with a game that is week in week out one of the best on the PGA TOUR.  And, Alejandro Canizares can go low especially on a decidedly bouncy track like Royal St. George's.

And, the best two-some....

Ivor Robson and his microphone.  On the tee....