Ryder Cup 2012: Unlikely Heroes Who Will Emerge for Both Sides

As the Ryder Cup gets underway, we all know the big names that are supposed to be carrying both the United States and Europe at the 2012 event.

But per the usual state of unexpected heroes in sports, this year's roster has the potential to carry some unlikely heroes from both sides of the roster. From rookies to the guys looking to make a big impact in their next shot at Cup glory, there's plenty of room for guys to emerge.

The rosters are both riddled with stars and very few golfers you've never heard of. That makes for an interesting slew of golfers who are very good, yet might get overlooked because of their teammates, opponents or a mixture of the two.

Here's a look at a couple of guys from each roster that aren't necessarily expected to carry the load for their teams but could come up in a big way, especially after the announcement of the foursomes matches earlier on Thursday during the opening ceremony.

United States

Brandt Snedeker

The FedEx Cup winner is a rookie on the Ryder Cup team but is quite possibly the hottest golfer in the world. He doesn't carry the weight of a Rory McIlroy or Tiger Woods, but he certainly has the chops to beat anyone in the field.

Paired with Jim Furyk for the opening foursomes against Europe's McIlroy and Graeme McDowell, he'll have the chance to get the U.S. off to a fast start while keeping two of Europe's best from making an impact.

I'd bet on the hot putter of the Tour Championship winner to be crucial to his performance at the Ryder Cup. If he can outduel those two on the green, he'll put his name in Ryder Cup lore and get the U.S. off to a great start.

Steve Stricker

All eyes will be on Tiger Woods this weekend, and deservedly so. But Stricker has a good relationship with Woods, and together they make up the State's most exciting foursome pair.

Woods will be the one to get the U.S. into position. But Stricker, who was a captain's pick specifically to make Woods feel more comfortable, needs to come up big to do the job for the U.S. He'll have a chance to do just that, because Woods can't carry this duo for 18 against a very underrated Ian Poulter and Justin Rose duo.

Europe

Lee Westwood

The Englishman is on pace to break the scoring record set by Nick Faldo in the next two-to-three Ryder Cups, yet never seems to get the recognition or love that a guy like McIlroy does.

But he and Francesco Molinari are facing two youngsters in Jason Dufner and Zach Johnson on Friday. With a commanding victory, he can keep Europe ahead of the playing field and push his point totals upwards yet again. Westwood is one of the most consistent golfers in the world, and while he isn't quite at the top of the class, he's in position to have a moment on Sunday for Europe.

Luke Donald

The former No. 1 golfer was the hero of the 2010 Ryder Cup as a captain's wild card pick, and he certainly delivered during that tournament. But why, then, is Donald an unlikely hero?

Well, with McIlroy, McDowell and his foursome partner, Sergio Garcia, grabbing most of the headlines, Donald can quietly strike fear in anyone he plays this weekend. Quite frankly, he might be the most dangerous matchup for any of the U.S. golfers, and Davis Love III is going to have to choose wisely for who he matches up with Donald on Sunday.