Ryder Cup 2014 Tee Times: Friday Fourball Pairings Announced
With the 2014 Ryder Cup ready to commence Friday, American captain Tom Watson and European captain Paul McGinley revealed their Day 1 fourball pairings Thursday.
Via T.J. Auclair of RyderCup.com, there are four extremely interesting matchups on tap for Friday morning:
| 2:35 a.m. | 7:35 a.m. | Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson | Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson |
| 2:50 a.m. | 7:50 a.m. | Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker | Thomas Bjorn and Martin Kaymer |
| 3:05 a.m. | 8:05 a.m. | Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed | Stephen Gallacher and Ian Poulter |
| 3:20 a.m. | 8:20 a.m. | Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson | Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy |
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Although all four of those matches should get the action at Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire, Scotland, off to an exciting start, there is no question that all eyes will be on the fourth encounter in particular.
Per James Corrigan of The Daily Telegraph, Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson against world No. 1 Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia is a highly anticipated affair:
While neither Bradley nor Mickelson has enjoyed great success in 2014—especially when compared to McIlroy and Garcia—they have a special synergy as a pairing.
Bradley and Mickelson went 3-0 together at the 2012 Ryder Cup, beating both McIlroy and Garcia in separate matches in the process.
According to Sky Sports, Lefty feels very good about the chemistry he and Bradley share:
"I've got a good partner that obviously I'm going to play again with in Keegan. I don't think I'm letting go of any secrets here. If you've noticed, we've played together these first few rounds and we seem to have a good partnership, and he brings out some of my best golf and I'm very optimistic that I can improve on my record.
"
Another interesting tilt will feature a pair of American Ryder Cup rookies in Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed facing Stephen Gallacher and Ryder Cup superstar Ian Poulter.
Winning that match will be a tall order for Team USA, and Watson seems aware that Spieth and Reed are being put in a tough spot, per Doug Ferguson of The Associated Press:
Following the fourball portion of Friday's play, there will be four foursomes matches, although those pairings and matchups have yet to be determined.
Europe enters the Ryder Cup as a heavy favorite having won two in a row, but the Americans have a chance to gain some momentum if they can come flying out of the gates during Friday's fourball session.
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