Ryder Cup Friday Fourball Matches: How do the teams compare?

The first four matches have been announced for the Ryder Cup. Here’s a closer look at how each team matches up

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7.10am MATCH 1: Justin Rose/ Jon Rahm vs Brooks Koepka/ Tony Finau

Europe: Justin Rose is the most experienced player in this match up, having appeared in four Ryder Cups and winning 12 points in his career. He’ll be partnering rookie, and World 8 Jon Rahm – who finished 5th at Le Golf National earlier this year. 

Rose: We’re going to figure out a way to get the job done and win the match. Today was a big day. We played together and we played well, and I felt like we got more and more comfortable with this golf course and settling in nicely, and really looking forward to tomorrow.

USA: Koepka had a really succesful debut at the Ryder Cup, taking 3 points from 4 matches in 2016. He’s also one of the three players to have experienced this course before, but he’s won three majors since his MC back in 2014. 

Koepka: I think it’s a very good opportunity to kind get a great start. You know, you want to do it against your two best players, and that’s kind of how we’d love to do it, and we’re excited for the challenge, and we’ll be up for it.

7.25am Match 2: Rory McIlroy/Thorbjorn Olesen vs Dustin Johnson/ Rickie Fowler

Europe: Rory paired up with rookie Thomas Pieters with great success in 2016 to take down the formidable DJ/Koepka duo, and he once again will be playing that role with Thorbjorn Olesen. Both have top 10s at this course, and course knowledge could prove crucial.

McIlroy: Thorbjørn and I have known each other for a lot of years. We first played together in Egypt in 2010, which is a long time ago. But I think our game styles are pretty similar. We both hit the ball a long way and we sort of see the game similarly, and it’s about chemistry, and as being one of the more experienced players, I wanted to not necessarily take a rookie under my wing, but if it was called upon me to play with someone with a little less experience, I was all for that.

I think it’s going to be a good experience for Thorbjørn to go out there tomorrow morning and experience the first tee. I just can’t wait to go out with him and try to win a point for Europe.

USA: Both players have teed up in three Ryder Cup’s a piece and yet it’s a first-time pairing for the USA. They are ranked 1st and 17th for birdie average on the PGA Tour, and they’ve got the experience and world ranking advantage over McIlroy and Olesen. 

DJ: I think we’re definitely excited about playing with each other. I think our games match up very well. We’re both — you know, I feel like we both do everything very well. He’s a great player, and I’m definitely excited to be his partner.

7.40am Match 3: Paul Casey/Tyrrell Hatton vs Jordan Spieth/Justin Thomas

Europe: Casey and Hatton have experience playing together as a team already, having been paired together in foursomes at the EurAsia Cup and claiming a point over Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Byeong Hun An. Paul has a good Ryder Cup record but they are the definite underdogs in this group, although once again course advantage may be key here. 

Casey: I can’t wait. Tyrrell is phenomenal. We paired up earlier this year. We’ve had success so far this week. We beat Sergio and Alex today. I mean, this is going to be an amazing week. It’s really been fantastic to this point. I’m excited for this man to make his debut tomorrow and see what it’s all about, and then he’ll be a Ryder Cupper. We’re playing great golf, and I have confidence in our team.

USA: A first-time outing for Spieth/Thomas, with Spieth being split from a successful partnership with Patrick Reed, but Thomas impressed at the President’s Cup and this match-up will be formidable. These guys are well documented friends, have a combined 4 majors, are birdie machines and hold the World ranking advantage.

Spieth: We play a lot together. Very familiar with each other’s games. Have been for, shoot, over ten years now. So it’s going to be really exciting to be able to look at him on the first tee and kind of remember where we’ve come from, and we’re both here.

7.55am Match 4: Francesco Molinari/Tommy Fleetwood vs Patrick Reed/ Tiger Woods

Europe: Molinari is a three time runner-up here and is the highest ranked player in this group, and although he hasn’t had much success in his previous Ryder Cup outings, he’s now a major champion with three wins this year and is partnering World No.12 Fleetwood – who claimed the French Open title here in 2017.  

Fleetwood: If you said my first Ryder Cup match, I couldn’t pick a better person to play with. We get on great. I love this guy, and he’s pretty good at golf, too. You know, it’s a massive match, of course it is, but they are all going to be big, and of course everybody is looking at Tiger’s return. But, you know, for us, when we get to that golf course and when we get on the first tee, it’s down to what we do, and you know, we’ve practiced our whole lives for this and we are just going to play our game and hopefully that will be good enough at the end of it.

USA: This team is incredibly formidable, but on world rankings alone they are the underdogs in this match. Masters Champion Reed, who has a phenomenal record in Ryder Cup, has been separated from Spieth and instead will be partnering a fired up Tiger Woods, fresh from his Tour Championship victory. What is certain is this match will be LOUD. 

Woods: It’s going to be fun for both of us. We’ve been looking forward to teaming up and doing something like this together. We finally have our opportunity to go against two great competitors. One is The Open Champion, and Tommy’s played obviously extremely well and very consistently all year.