First Pairings Announced
The highly anticipated Ryder Cup is almost here, and the first pairings for this year's tournament have been announced. Team Europe will take on their bitter rivals, the United States, at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, Italy.
Stars Take the First Tee
Leading out Team Europe in the opening foursomes is Jon Rahm, joined by Tyrrell Hatton. Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy will feature in the matches, partnering with Tommy Fleetwood. For the US, Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns will begin their campaign.
Match Ups
Here are the first foursome pairings chosen by captains Luke Donald and Zach Johnson:
- Match One: Scottie Scheffler & Sam Burns vs Jon Rahm & Tyrrell Hatton
- Match Two: Max Homa & Bryan Harman vs Viktor Hovland & Ludvig Aberg
- Match Three: Rickie Fowler & Collin Morikawa vs Shane Lowry & Sepp Straka
- Match Four: Xander Schauffele & Patrick Cantlay vs Rory McIlroy & Tommy Fleetwood
The action gets underway at 6:35am on September 29, promising an exhilarating start to the 44th Ryder Cup.
Notable Omissions
With such a talented pool of players, some notable names have unfortunately missed out on the starting lineup. Matt Fitzpatrick, Nicolai Hojgaard, Robert MacIntyre, and Justin Rose will not be participating for Team Europe. On the US side, players such as Wyndham Clark, Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, and Justin Thomas are left on the sidelines.
Captain's Decisions
European captain Luke Donald explained his decisions for selecting Ludvig Aberg, a relative newcomer to the major tournaments. Donald cited Aberg's impressive ranking as the number one driver as a major factor in his choice. When it came to pairing Rahm and Hatton, Donald revealed his desire for two players with similar "personalities" and "fire" on the course.
What's Next
The pairings for Friday afternoon's fourball matches will be announced after the morning session. Saturday's matchups will be revealed shortly after play finishes on the opening day. Finally, the match-ups for Sunday's singles will be announced at the end of day two.
The Marco Simone course is ready to host this thrilling event, and golf fans around the world can't wait to see the fierce competition unfold.
