The wait is almost over, with the Ryder Cup scheduled to begin on Friday at 7.10am local time. There, the opening two pairings will tee it up in the morning foursomes – the first of five sessions over the three days of action.
A total of 28 points are available at the match, with Europe needing 14 to retain the trophy it won two years ago at Marco Simone, and the US needing 14.5 to reclaim the title it last won at Whistling Straits four years ago.
Only a small number of the total points, four, are up for grabs in the first session, but it is nonetheless a vitally important morning, with the outcome often setting the tone, including in 2023, when Europe raced into a 4-0 lead and never looked back.
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Charged with getting their teams off to a strong start at Bethpage Black are Europe’s Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, who will face US pair Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas.
Ludvig Aberg and Matt Fitzpatrick will play Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley in match two.
Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood face Collin Morikawa and Harris English in match three, with Robert MacIntyre and Viktor Hovland against Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay in match four.
With those eight players from each side getting an early taste of the Ryder Cup, the remaining four on each will need to wait for their chance.
For the US, it means Keegan Bradley has largely opted for experience, with three of the four rookies – Ben Griffin, JJ Spaun and Cameron Young – having to wait for their turn, along with Sam Burns, whose one previous Ryder Cup was the Marco Simone edition.
Given the pressing need to make a good start, it is perhaps not a great surprise to see Bradley decide against throwing in more than one rookie, while the one he has chosen, Henley, is the oldest of the four at 36 and teamed up with Scheffler to good effect at last year’s Presidents Cup.
Of the three to miss out, Young’s absence will raise one or two eyebrows, considering he is a local favorite and got a huge reception when introduced at the Opening Ceremony.
The New York crowd will need to wait to cheer on home favorite Young
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He also found some excellent form in the lead-up to the Ryder Cup, including victory at the Wyndham Championship in a run of four top-10s in five.
The one automatic qualifier among the US players missing the first session is JJ Spaun. He’s another who has been in excellent form and claimed his maiden Major title at the US Open in June. He also has the highest world ranking of the four, standing in sixth.
The final rookie to miss out, Griffin, certainly talked a good game before the pairings were revealed, saying: “Just because I’m a rookie doesn’t mean I’m nervous and don’t know what I’m doing out there. I feel very calm, composed, and honestly really excited.”
If that was a last-minute message to Bradley for a berth in the first session, it fell on deaf ears.
The World No.11 has proved he can walk the walk this year, too, though, including his first two PGA Tour wins and runner-up behind Scheffler at his most recent event, the Procore Championship.
Ben Griffin is one of three rookies absent from the US pairings
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Burns returned one point from his three matches at Marco Simone, but his one foursomes match, alongside Scheffler against Rahm and Hatton, ended in a 4&3 defeat. At the Presidents Cup, Burns lost the first but won the second of his foursomes matches.
Could that record be just a little sketchy for Bradley to risk him at this stage?
One thing Team Europe doesn’t lack is experience, with all but one of the line-up, Rasmus Hojgaard, having played in at least one Ryder Cup. Not surprisingly, he is one of the four to sit out the first session, even though he qualified for the team automatically.
Another automatic qualifier is veteran of Team Europe, Justin Rose.
This is the 45-year-old’s seventh Ryder Cup. In the sixth two years ago, he didn’t play in either foursomes session, but still played a pivotal role, taking on a mentor role to rookie Robert MacIntyre in a halved four-ball match on Friday before the pair won their Saturday four-ball match.
Justin Rose misses the first foursomes session
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We can take the final two European two, Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka, together as they teamed up in the two foursomes sessions in 2023.
After winning the first 2&1 over Rickie Fowler and Morikawa in that Friday morning whitewash, on Saturday, they lost 4&2 to two players who aren’t involved this year, Brian Harman and Max Homa. Did that defeat play into Donald’s thinking?
Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka played in the two foursomes session in 2023
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In Lowry’s case, especially, it’s a surprise that he doesn’t have a part to play in the first session with huge experience and a strong iron game, but he’ll be champing at the bit to get involved in the afternoon.
With Straka, his preparation for the Ryder Cup was disrupted after his baby was born prematurely, which is perhaps one reason why Donald has opted to let him ease his way into the match.
