EUROPE’S RORY MCILROY and Ian Poulter will face Olympic champion Xander Schauffele and US compatriot Patrick Cantlay in Friday’s foursomes session of the 43rd Ryder Cup.
Pairings revealed at the opening ceremony this evening unveiled the lineup for Friday’s first session at Whistling Straits.
Spaniards Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia will open for Europe in the first match against Americans Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth at 1.05pm Irish time.
The next match, teeing off 16 minutes later, sends Americans Dustin Johnson and Collin Morikawa against England’s Paul Casey and Norway’s Viktor Hovland.
Match three finds Englishmen Lee Westwood and Matt Fitzpatrick facing Americans Brooks Koepka and Daniel Berger, with the McIlroy-Poulter vs Schauffele-Cantlay encounter anchoring the session.
Friday’s foursomes matches will be followed by four afternoon four-balls matches and Saturday will also have foursomes followed by four-balls ahead of Sunday’s 12 concluding singles matches.
The United States will need 14.5 points to win the Ryder Cup while Europe need only 14 to retain the trophy.
The Europeans have won nine of the past 12 Ryder Cups and four of the past five.
Bernard Jackman, Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey look ahead to the inaugural United Rugby Championship, and a massive weekend for Ireland in their bid to qualify for the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
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