Day three, Ryder Cup

Erasing some of their worst Ryder Cup memories, the Europeans wore the image of Seve Ballesteros on their sleeves and played their hearts out Sunday at Medinah to match the greatest comeback in history and head home with that precious gold trophy.

Europe got its payback for Brookline, when the Americans roared back from the same 10-6 deficit. This rally was even more remarkable, carried out before a raucous American crowd that began their chants of "USA!" some three hours before the first match got under way.

Jose Maria Olazabal squeezed his eyes and fought back tears when Kaymer holed a 6-foot par putt to beat Steve Stricker and give Europe the point it needed to keep the cup. This was the first Ryder Cup since Ballesteros, the soul of European golf in this event, died last May of a brain tumor. Olazabal wanted his team to wear navy blue, Seve's favorite color, and added a clever touch -- his iconic silhouette on the sleeves of their shirts.

"This one is for all of Europe," Olazabal said. "Seve will always be present with this team. He was a big factor for this event for the European side, and last night when we were having that meeting, I think the boys understood that believing was the most important thing. And I think they did."

Tiger Woods missed a 3-foot par putt on the 18th hole, and then conceded a par to Francesco Molinari of about that length to halve their match. That extra half-point made it a clear-cut win for Europe, 14.5-13.5.

Woods and Stricker, the anchors in the lineup, didn't win a single match at Medinah.

Ian Poulter was the first to embrace Olazabal, which was only fitting.

It was Poulter who gave Europe hope Saturday evening when he made five straight birdies to turn a loss into a win and swing momentum in Europe's favor. Poulter was up to his fist-pumping, eye-bulging tricks again on the final day, winning the last two holes in his match against U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson.

And he had plenty of help. Europe's top five players in the lineup all won, including Rory McIlroy, who was lucky to be playing. McIlroy thought his match was at 12:25 p.m. -- it was listed in Eastern time, not Central -- and needed a police escort to get to the course with 10 minutes to spare. Then, he came up with key birdies to hand Keegan Bradley his first loss of the week.

The biggest match might have belonged to Justin Rose. He was on the verge of losing to Phil Mickelson when Rose holed a 12-foot par putt to halve the 16th, made a 35-foot birdie putt from the back of the 17th green to win the hole, and then closed out Mickelson with a 12-foot birdie on the last hole.

Six of the 12 matches went to the 18th hole on Sunday. The Americans won only one of them.

The Americans also rallied from a four-point deficit to win in 1999 at Brookline. This was different, though. The Americans won big in those early matches. At Medinah, so many of them could have gone either way.

It was so close, so tense, that either side could have won the Ryder Cup down to the very end.

Stricker made an 8-foot par putt on the 18th, and Kaymer faced a par putt from 6 feet to win the match. If he missed, the Americans would get a half-point, and Woods was leading 1-up over Molinari and in the middle of the 18th fairway.

Kaymer, a former No. 1 and major champion who has struggled all year, poured it in the middle and the celebration was on.

He could barely speak at this point, not so much from pure emotion but having to scream over the crowd behind him. Players were hugging and crying, and the small European contingent that had been drowned out all week was serenading themselves with what has become the theme song of the Ryder Cup.

"Ole, ole, ole, ole," they sang merrily, even as the teams prepared for the closing ceremony.

Europe now has won seven of the last nine Ryder Cups, and even more remarkable about this comeback is that they did it on the road.

Davis Love III became the first U.S. captain to sit every player at least once before Sunday, wanting them to be fresh for the decisive day. Instead, the Americans faltered at the end -- especially Jim Furyk and Stricker, two of his captain's picks.

"The plan worked the first two days," he said. "It just didn't work today."

The only U.S. points came from Dustin Johnson, who went 3-0 in this Ryder Cup, Zach Johnson and unheraldedJason Dufner.

"We're all kind of stunned," Love said. "We know what it feels like now from the `99 Ryder Cup. It's a little bit shocking. We were playing so well, we figured it didn't matter how we sent them out there. We got a couple of matches flipped there in the middle that cost us."

Love thought all along the Ryder Cup would be decided in the ninth match by Dufner. It was most appropriate that Europe won the cup thanks to Kaymer.

Kaymer gave German golf some redemption from Kiawah Island in 1991, when countryman Bernhard Langermissed a par putt from about the same length that allowed the Americans to win.

"It's a feeling I never had before," Kaymer said. "On Friday, I sat down with Bernhard and talked a little bit about the Ryder Cup because my attitude was not the right one. But now I know how important the Ryder Cup is."

No regrets for Love

United States captain Davis Love felt he had done all he could to win back the Ryder Cup for his country at Medinah.

Despite leading 10-6 heading into the final day's singles, the Americans slumped to a 14 1/2 - 13 1/2 defeat to Europe after one of the most dramatic fightbacks in the competition's history.

Europe won the first five matches of the day and eight in total before Francesco Molinari halved the last to secure an outright victory.

Love said: "I wouldn't have done anything different. They played great.

"We had a couple of matches get flipped there at the end that made it a little easier on them.

"This is a great team, we had a great week. We played together as a team and we said we wanted to win every segment.

"But we got beaten badly in this one, and any time you lose a segment that badly it is going to cost you the Ryder Cup."

Europe's victory equalled the best comeback by a team on the final day of the Ryder Cup.

Love was a playing member of the previous side to recover from such a four-point deficit, at Brookline in 1999.

The 48-year-old said: "Well it's exactly the same, the same score. They came back and won.

"Give them a lot of credit, they played very, very well.

"They had a couple of hot streaks in the first two days that kept them in it.

"Ian Poulter's hot streak at the end on Saturday gave them some confidence and I know they built on that."
Martin Kaymer claimed the crucial 14th point for Europe by holding his nerve to halve the final hole against Steve Stricker and win his match by a hole.

That was the penultimate match on the course, meaning the final one between Molinari and Tiger Woods could not affect the destination of the cup.

Nevertheless, the final score would still have ended tied at 14-14 had Woods, when one up, not missed a putt at the 18th and then conceded a hole to Molinari.

But Woods said: "I didn't pay that much attention - I was trying to get my point.

"I went one up at 17 and asked Joey (caddie Joe LaCava) what was going on down 18, because my responsibility was to be able to get my point.

"And then they said Europe had a chance to win on this hole, or retain the cup.

"Then after all that went down, my putt was useless. It was inconsequential.

"So I hit it too quick and gave him his putt. It was already over."

World number two Woods, who did not win any of his four matches all week, has now been on the losing side at six Ryder Cups.

The 14-time major winner said: "It's the second time it's happened to me being on the fairway.

"It happened at the The Belfry (in 2002) on 17, playing Jesper (Parnevik) and our match was inconsequential, and the same thing here."
Stricker, who partnered Woods three times in the opening two days, ended the competition without registering a single point.

The 45-year-old wild card selection said: "I feel I am disappointed that I let the 11 other players down and the captain.

"Towards the end of the season I played well, I was really only one birdie short of making the team on my own, so I felt I like deserved to be on the team.

Europe pull off 'Miracle of Medinah'

Europe equalled the biggest singles comeback in Ryder Cup history to win The Ryder Cup 14 ½-13 ½ and stun the USA after the most thrilling of final days at Medinah.
Dressed in the colours of the late Seve Ballesteros, Europe tonight pulled off one of his trademark great escapes in what will go down as the "Miracle of Medinah".

What looked mission impossible when Europe trailed 10-4 at one point late last night suddenly became possible after they dramatically won the first five singles games with Luke Donald, Ian Poulter, Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Paul Lawrie all putting in collossal performances, and then picked up further points from Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia.

That put José María Olazábal's side, almost unbelievably, 13-12 up and as the holders they needed only a tie to retain the cup. Yet they ended up winning it 14 1/2-13 1/2.

Three games were still on the course. Peter Hanson lost the first of them on the final green, but Martin Kaymer and Francesco Molinari had it in their power to retain the famous gold trophy.

And Kaymer, left out all day on Saturday, was the one to deliver the point they required to match the biggest comeback in the event's history.

He was up against Steve Stricker. Level with two to go, the American bogeyed the short 17th after hitting his chip far too strongly.

Kaymer, bunkered off the final tee, found the green and had two putts for it once Stricker missed his long birdie attempt.

He gave himself and his team-mates palpitations when he sent his first one six feet past, but 21 years on from compatriot Bernhard Langer missing from the same distance to lose at Kiawah Island Kaymer made the one back and sparked jubilant scenes.

Moments before Molinari had fallen one down to Tiger Woods by bogeying the 17th himself, but suddenly it did not matter. The Cup was going back across the Atlantic.

A tearful Olazábal said: “When I saw we had a chance coming down the stretch I was very emotional. The boys have done an unbelievable job. I have a few thoughts for my friend Seve and this one is for him.

“That’s why I’ve always said that this event is so special. Last night I told them I really believed we could do it and they just believed in themselves. That’s why we’re here as winners.”

Stunned American Captain Davis Love said: "I would not have done anything differently. They played great.

"When you lose a segment (session) that badly it's going to cost you."

The four-point overnight deficit became three when Luke Donald beat Masters Tournament Champion Bubba Watson 2 and 1 in the top game. It was a massive relief after he led by four with four to play.

Scot Paul Lawrie beat Sunday's FedEx Cup winner Brandt Snedeker 5 and 3 - he was six under par with an eagle and four birdies - and Rory McIlroy then saw off previously unbeaten Keegan Bradley 2 and 1.

That was not the World Number One's only drama of the day, though.

As the singles began word reached everybody that McIlroy, out in the third game, was nowhere to be seen around the course.

Two minutes late and he would forfeit the opening hole, five minutes late and he faced disqualification, but to the relief of every European he was driven into the parking lot with ten minutes to go, got his shoes on and gave a superb display.

Olazábal admitted his heart had been "racing quicker than expected" until McIlroy teed off and added: "We did not have that in mind.

"All of a sudden we realised Rory was not here and started to look for him. Finally we got hold of him and he came in."

It was reported the Northern Irishmen had seen a 12.25pm tee-off time on television, but it was Eastern Time - one hour ahead of Chicago.

After his win McIlroy said: "I was just casually strolling out of my hotel room when I got a phone call saying you have 25 minutes.

"I have never been so worried driving to the course. Luckily there was a State Trooper outside who gave me the escort - if not I would not have made it on time."

McIlroy never trailed, but star man Ian Poulter, Justin Rose and Garcia all did.

Poulter, whose finish to the second session of fourballs really inspired the comeback, made it four wins out of four - and 12 wins in his last 14 cup games - beat US Open Champion Webb Simpson on the last after being two down early on.

They were level with two to go, but Simpson failed to get up and down from a bunker on the short 17th and could not grab the birdie he needed on the last.

Rose's second win over Phil Mickelson in his cup career came in amazing fashion. He trailed by one with two to play, but holed from 40 feet on the 17th and 14 feet at the last.

Mickelson, America's record cap-holder and winner of his first three games, could only stand and admire - and graciously applauded everything Rose did at the end.

Mickelson can still consider himself to have had a good week.

The only previous side to win from four down entering the singles was Ben Crenshaw's in Boston in 1999 but Europe have arguably trumped that with this most incredible away win.

Comeback kings! Europe complete remarkable turnaround to retain Ryder Cup

Europe have retained the Ryder Cup after an historic final day comeback at Medinah stunned their American hosts.

Jose Maria Olazabal's side had looked dead and buried for much of the weekend and headed into Sunday's singles matches 10-6 down.

But a remarkable fightback was kick-started by Luke Donald, who won the first of five matches in a row for Europe before Martin Kaymer held his nerve on the 18th green to secure the 14th point required with a win over Steve Stricker.

As the final match then headed to the 18th green Tiger Woods was one up against Francesco Molinari before he conceded the hole following a missed putt to ensure a 14½-13½ win.

Making history: Europe turned over a 10-6 deficit to retain the Ryder Cup

More to follow...

Luke who's talking: Donald won the first match of the day

Nerves of steel: Poulter continued his fine form to see off Webb Simpson

No 1: McIlroy overcame a strong challenge from Keegan Bradley

Coming up Rose's: Justin Rose won the last two holes to win a thriller against Mickelson

Braveheart: Lawrie (right) easily saw off Snedeker

Johnson and Johnson: American duo Dustin (above) and Zach (below) won the hosts' first points of the day

Making amends: Westwood bounced back from a shaky first two days to beat Kuchar

Down and out: Furyk reacts after his missed putt on the 18th hands victory to Garcia

We said we love come back in the morning

Donald beats Watson 2&1

MEDINAH, Illinois, Sept 30 (Reuters) - The 39th Ryder Cup was set for an intriguing finish as Englishman Luke Donald set a perfect tone for holders Europe with a 2&1 win over Bubba Watson in the top singles match on Sunday.

With Europe needing to win eight points on the final day to retain the trophy, world number three Donald birdied two of the first four holes, then held off a late Watson fightback before sealing victory at the par-three 17th.

Despite hitting his tee shot there into a greenside bunker, the Chicago-based Englishman splashed out of the sand to a foot for a tap-in par to give his team a perfect boost.

Donald's victory trimmed the U.S. lead to 10-7, though Europe still face a daunting task in their bid to retain the trophy as they need to match the biggest ever last-day comeback.

The Americans famously won the 1999 Ryder Cup at Brookline after trailing 10-6 going into the final day.

Europe, who top-loaded their singles order with their best players, led in three of the remaining matches, trailed in three and were all square in five on a sunny afternoon at Medinah Country Club.

Scot Paul Lawrie, who chipped in to birdie the fourth and eagled the par-fifth, was four up on Cup rookie Brandt Snedeker after 12 holes while Italy's Francesco Molinari was one up on Tiger Woods after five.

Woods, playing in the anchor match, had been beaten in his three previous encounters this week and faces the prospect of finishing pointless for the first time in seven Ryder Cups.

Dustin Johnson was two up on Belgian Cup rookie Nicolas Colsaerts after 12 holes while rock-steady Zach Johnson was two up on Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell after 10.

Also putting welcome red colour on the board for the U.S. were veteran Jim Furyk, one up on Spaniard Sergio Garcia after nine, and rookie Jason Dufner, four up on Swede Peter Hanson after eight.

The second, third and fourth matches out were tantalisingly poised.

U.S. Open winner Webb Simpson, who sank a 15-foot birdie putt at the par-four first to match Ian Poulter's chip-in there, was all square with the Englishman after 13 holes

Northern Irish world number one Rory McIlroy, who gave his team an early scare after making his teeoff by barely 10 minutes due to a mix-up over his starting time, was level with Keegan Bradley after 13.

Englishman Justin Rose, who had gone two up on Phil Mickelson after just two holes, was level with the American veteran after 12. (Editing by Larry Fine)

Brilliance of Poulter and McIlroy keeps Europe in hunt

Ian Poulter birdied each of the last five holes as "he" with Rory McIlroy won their match on the final hole to close the gap to four points.


A remarkable display from Ian Poulter saw Europe claim the last two points of the day and restrict America to a 10-6 Ryder Cup lead ahead of Sunday’s singles in Chicago.

Trailing 5-3 overnight, only Poulter and Justin Rose picked up point for José María Olazábal’s men in the morning foursomes and when Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson beat Justin Rose and Francesco Molinari and Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar edged out Nicolas Colsaerts and Paul Lawrie America led 10-4.

With the American comeback from 10-6 down at Brookline in 1999 the biggest deficit overturned on the final day, Europe’s grip on the trophy looked tenuous at best.

However, Sergio Garcia and Luke Donald held off a thrilling comeback from Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods to win on the final green, before Poulter took centre stage.

Playing with World Number One Rory McIlroy, the Englishman holed a string of nerve-jangling putts to birdie the last five holes of the Medinah layout and steal a one-up victory over Jason Dufner and Zach Johnson – his 15 footer at the last greeted by a huge roar.

The Englishman, winner of all his three games so far, now has a phenomenal record of 11 wins and only three defeats in his cup career.

Poulter said: "We needed to get something going. We had to make birdies and wow - five in a row. It was awesome.

"I had the World Number One backing me up and it allowed me to hit some shots."

They had been two down with six to play and McIlroy added: "At least I had a little bit to do with it, making birdie at 13, but when Ian gets that look in his eyes it's really impressive.

"It was incredible making that run like we did."

Europe still require a slice of history to keep the trophy this side of the Atlantic -since the competition began in 1927, the United States have never lost more than a two point advantage on the last day.

American Captain Davis Love said of losing the last two games of the day: "We're not disappointed - our guys all played real well.

"We lipped out a bunch of putts. We've not lost a segment (session) yet."

They took the morning foursomes 3-1 to make it 8-4 and the fourballs were shared 2-2.

Olazábal stated: "Those last two matches were massive. It gives us a chance - it's been done in the past.

"Things have not gone our way, especially on the greens, but I believe momentum will come our way. Why not tomorrow?"

The gap was six points when Masters Tournament champion Watson and US Open winner Simpson overran Rose and Molinari 5 and 4 and Dustin Johnson’s 20 foot putt on the 17th then proved crucial.

Lawrie won the 16th to square it after Europe had been two down early on, but Johnson raised the roof at the next and the 18th was halved in par.

"It's probably the loudest roar I've ever heard, especially in this situation," Johnson said.

"My partner had been carrying me all day pretty much, but that was one of the best putts I've ever made."

Poulter and McIlroy were two down with six to play, but McIlroy's 15 footer at the 13th set up a thrilling climax.

Poulter got up and down from bunkers at the next two, first for a half and then for a win to level the match, rolled in a 15 footer to take the 16th and, with Zach Johnson close, made no mistake from nine feet for a half in birdie twos at the short 17th.

Dufner hit the best approach of the four into the last, just three feet from the flag, and holing it - he had the chance to go first because of where his partner was - Poulter had to make his from more than three times as far.

That he did adds another chapter to an amazing cup story for one of Olazábal's two wild cards.

He won his last four games in the 2008 defeat, three out of four in the 2010 win and now his first three this week.

Ryder Cup, Singles pairings.

Welcome to The 2012 Ryder Cup newsletter after a roller coaster second day that saw a resurgent Europe give themselves hope of retaining their title at Medinah thanks to some scintillating play to close out the afternoon foursomes.

With just one day to go, and only 12 singles matches remaining, here is the line-up ahead of what promises to be a thrilling climax:

Match One: Bubba Watson v Luke Donald
Match Two: Webb Simpson v Ian Poulter
Match Three: Keegan Bradley v Rory McIlroy
Match Four: Phil Mickelson v Justin Rose
Match Five: Brandt Snedeker v Paul Lawrie
Match Six: Dustin Johnson v Nicolas Colsaerts
Match Seven: Zach Johnson v Graeme McDowell
Match Eight: Jim Furyk v Sergio Garcia
Match Nine: Jason Dufner v Peter Hanson
Match Ten: Matt Kuchar v Lee Westwood
Match 11: Steve Stricker v Martin Kaymer
Match 12: Tiger Woods v Francesco Molinari

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The World Number Two lives 25 miles from Medinah Country Club

The World Number Two lives 25 miles from Medinah Country Club, which hosts the 39th edition of the biennial contest, having move from England to Chicago to study at Northwestern University in 1997.

Fifteen years on, Donald has come to call Chicago home, but his allegiances remain firmly with his country and continent of birth, which he represents with an obvious pride.
“It's a unique situation for me,” he said. “Obviously my home is here, 25 miles just north of here. I'll be the only guy on both teams that is more familiar with this town than probably anyone.

“Hopefully I can garner a little bit of the support from the crowd because of that and turn that into a slight advantage for Team Europe, but it is a unique experience for me.
He added: “I've obviously reaped the benefits of going through the college system over here, which really helped me with my golf. I enjoy living here and I feel very comfortable here, but I don't think that changes how you feel about where you grew up.”
Donald, who made his debut on American soil as part of Bernhard Langer’s record breaking team in 2004, has so far only been part of a winning European side – a record he is hoping to maintain at Medinah.

Having won six out of his six matches in Foursomes – the format that will launch The 2012 Ryder Cup on Friday morning – Donald will be out to extend that particular 100 per cent record as well this week.

The 34 year old has formed formidable Foursome partnerships with Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood in his three previous Ryder Cups, and after practising with both players he is keen to resume either pairing.

Donald, who last year became the first player to top the European Tour and PGA Tour money lists in the same season, reserved praised for Westwood, the most experienced member of the European Team, and believes their contrasting games dovetail perfectly in the Foursomes format.
“We have different games obviously,” he said. “Lee is great off the tee. He hits it long and straight. I think with his long game, my short game - a lot of people have spoken about that in the media before. If you put the two together, we could have a few more than zero Majors between us. I think we obviously complement each other.
“Lee is a personality on a golf course, he's just very easy going. Nothing bothers him. He exudes a lot of confidence, especially this week, and that rubs off well on me.”

Ryder Cup, pairings for the opening Friday Foursomes Matches

After two years of build-up, the pairings for the opening Friday Foursomes Matches were revealed at the conclusion of The 2012 Ryder Cup Opening Ceremony.

Match One: Rory McIlroy / Graeme McDowell vs Jim Furyk / Brandt Snedeker
Match Two: Luke Donald / Sergio Garcia vs Phil Mickelson / Keegan Bradley
Match Three: Lee Westwood / Francesco Molinari vs Jason Dufner / Zach Johnson
Match Four: Ian Poulter / Justin Rose vs Steve Stricker / Tiger Woods

José María Olazábal was giving very little away on the first practice day

José María Olazábal was giving very little away on the first practice day of The 2012 Ryder Cup but Sergio Garcia and Graeme McDowell appear to be central to his early planning.
The Northern Irishman famously secured the winning point two years ago with the expectations of a team and a continent on his shoulders and his Captain is clearly looking for, and expecting, another huge performance.

European Captain José María Olazábal
“He's one of our main men, to be honest,” said Olazábal. “He loves this competition. I think this competition brings the best in him. He's a very gutsy player. He will fight until the very end. He will fight for every shot, for every inch. And we saw that in the past.
“At Celtic Manor, he was last in that singles match on Monday, and I have to say that he was a little down on himself on Sunday night. But as the match progressed that Monday, what he did was outstanding. So that's why I said he's one of my main men.”
Likewise, the Ryder Cup brings the best out of Garcia and he has proven himself a great team player over the years in forging formidable partnerships with the likes of Jesper Parnevik, Lee Westwood, Luke Donald and Olazábal himself. Indeed, Garcia has never lost a foursomes match – winning eight and halving one of his nine ties.
With McDowell and Rory McIlroy expected to renew their Northern Irish partnership, was Olazábal testing another partnership for Garcia by putting him in the same group as Paul Lawrie? The Captain refused to be drawn on such speculation other than to say: “I've tried to mix a little bit of, not the same characters, but guys that I believe can complement each other and who understand each other really well, and that's why I put Paul Lawrie with the Northern Irish guys and Sergio.
“Sergio is a guy that gets close to everyone; he can play with anyone, and that is why I put Sergio with those guys and Paul Lawrie.”
And if he was identifying McDowell and Garcia as key members of the team, he had special praise for McIlroy.
“It's important to have the best players on your team,” he said. “Obviously we have the World Number One and he's playing great. The way he's played the last few months, he's been outstanding.
“I would say that he is at this moment very close to how good Tiger was at that stretch of time between '99 and 2002, the way he's playing. He's full of confidence. He's got the whole game, and in that regard, it's great to have players like that on your team.”
Olazábal is sure to mix things up over the next few days as he works out his best pairings, but already the passion for the European cause is coming to the fore, a passion instilled by the first continentals with Seve Ballesteros and Antonio Garrido paving the way, and carried on by the likes of Bernhard Langer and other passionate Spaniards such as José Rivero, José María Cañizares and Manual Piñero.
“We have a continent, and the friendship and the camaraderie that we have on our Tour is big and I think that that's why we are so passionate about this event.
“It gets us together once every two years. We let our defences down for this week. We try to get as close as possible to each other, and that's why the Ryder Cup is so beautiful.”

Two's company: Potential European Pairings

For the team historically regarded as underdogs, it has in the past been the unique camaraderie of the Europeans that that has galvanised individuals into a team of world – or in this case – American beaters. And with it, Ryder Cup golf has thrown together some remarkable pairings over the years.
These formidable duos have come in all shapes and sizes since the introduction of Continental European players to the line-up in 1979, and in doing so, a team was formed that to this day remains the only one in mainstream sport to pit European sportsmen side by side under one flag.
And when you put it like that, it is no wonder that sparks tend to fly every couple of years, but what is it that makes a truly great Ryder Cup pairing?
Maybe it is a mixture of age and experience offering a guiding hand to the youthful exuberance of a rookie. As a case in point, Europe’s record points scorer Nick Faldo led a then inexperienced Lee Westwood to both a fourball and foursomes point at Valderrama in 1997.
Or perhaps it is two old heads putting to good use their years of experience, with no greater example than that than when Ryder Cup legends Colin Montgomerie and Bernhard Langer came together in 2002 at The Belfry to collect two and a half points out of a possible three.
But you cannot talk legendary pairings without making mention of the most successful Ryder Cup partnership of all time in the original swashbuckling Spaniards, the late Seve Ballesteros and this year’s Captain, José María Olazábal, who amassed an amazing 12 points from 15 matches together.
With all of this in mind, the big question that faces the man at the helm of Team Europe in 2012 is just who to pick, and below we have a few suggestions.

Foursomes
Foursomes is first up on Friday morning and there are no two golfers in the European line-up with better records in this format than Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia, the former having earned six points from six outings while the latter has only surrendered half a point in nine foursomes matches in his entire Ryder Cup career.
It would be no surprise, therefore, if these two names featured somewhere on Olazábal’s opening team sheet come Thursday afternoon, and considering that they have won four out of four together as a foursomes pair they will almost certainly be coupled together.
Alongside this twosome many would expect to see the all-English pair of Justin Rose, and Mr Ryder Cup, Ian Poulter, who together won two out of three points together at Valhalla in 2008. Both are comfortable playing golf in America, having also plied their trade on the US PGA Tour for a number of years, and with their friendship dating back to their early years on Tour it would be no surprise if they were pitted beside each other once more at Medinah.
As a veteran of the European Team and a man with proven pedigree as one of the most accurate hitters in the game, Lee Westwood would be expected to start, but his potential partner is perhaps less clear.
Francesco Molinari is playing in his second Ryder Cup and having looked in fine form all summer - largely thanks to his immaculate long game - he is an ideal candidate to be paired with Westwood. As is Peter Hanson, who is fresh off a win at the KLM Open to solidify a breakout year for the Swede during which he led his first Major Championship after 54 holes at the Masters Tournament. Johnnie Walker Championship winner and renaissance man Paul Lawrie, meanwhile, is also an ideal candidate to play alongside Westwood.
Last but not least there is World Number One, and US PGA Champion, Rory McIlroy, who most will expect to see paired against his countryman and Celtic Manor hero Graeme McDowell. They contributed one and a half points together from a possible three in 2010, and will be strong contenders for an opening berth come Friday morning in Illinois.
Fourballs

Moving onto the afternoon fourballs, with the expectation that everyone will play on day one in Chicago, big hitting Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts – the only European rookie in 2012 – will be sure to play as he looks to take on the daunting length of Medinah’s No. 3 Course. Pairing him with the experience of Westwood could make sense, as the Englishman’s cool temperament could help to harness Colsaerts’ gung-ho style and inevitable nerves.
Garcia will possibly feature again here having carved out an impressive fourball record in his European career, winning six and a half points from ten matches, while Martin Kaymer, in his only appearance at Celtic Manor, is two for two in this format and coming back into form in just the nick of time. These two would certainly make for a very exciting pair.
Lawrie with Hanson is another potential pairing that would make a lot of sense. Both men have strong records in this type of golf and are in excellent form, while the final duo could once again be the Northern Irish pair of McIlroy and McDowell – of whom much will be expected of again.

Blue View
Based in some fact, plus a certain degree of conjecture, that should give a feel for the kind of pairings that might be on the mind of Captain Olazábal as we edge ever closer to Friday’s opening session, but what do the fans of @RyderCupTeamEUR on Twitter expect to be the line-up come the first set of foursomes?
@alex_crawford: G-Mac & Rory, Sergio & Lee, Colsaerts w/ Poults & Justin w/ Luke
@Doc_jero: GMac-Rory, Donald-Garcia, Westwood-Molinari, Poulter-Rose
@Donsy_27: McIlroy/McDowell Rose/Poulter Donald/Garcia Westwood/Molinari
@Johnmc72: Poulter & Rose, Rory & GMac, Lee & Lawrie, Donald & Garcia
@andykenny77: P.Hanson & L.Donald, L.Westwood & S.Garcia, Poults & J.Rose, Rory & G.Mac
So there you have it, a hypothetical glace at what we might expect as the excitement builds ahead of the first session of play next Friday morning at Medinah Country Club.

US retain Junior Ryder Cup

The United States today won the Junior Ryder Cup for the third time in succession with a five-point victory at Olympia Fields in Chicago.

The home side led by 7-5 going into the 12 singles matches and were soon closing in on the trophy after winning four of the first five matches and halving the other.

And although Germany's Dominic Foos, Spain's Covadonga Sanjuan and Austria's Matthias Schwab won the next three matches out, America's Alison Lee was completing a 6&5 victory over Sweden's Linnea Strom in match nine to seal the win.

Ireland's Gavin Moynihan did have the satisfaction of a 4&3 win over Jim Liu in the final match, but the home side were comfortable winners by 14.5 points to 9.5.

That was considerably closer than the last contest on US soil in 2008, when the home side won by an amazing 22-2 in Kentucky.

The biennial competition has helped launch the careers of the likes of Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia and Nicolas Colsaerts, who are all on the European team seeking to defend the Ryder Cup at Medinah, starting on Friday.

The United States now owns a 4-3-1 overall record in the Junior Ryder Cup, and has not lost since 2004 at Westfield Country Club in Westfield Center, Ohio. The matches were halved 6-6 in 2006 at The Celtic Manor in Newport, Wales.

US Captain Roger Warren was overwhelmed by the entire experience of serving as the United States Captain and came away impressed with the performance of both teams.

"We are really fortunate to have won, because these teams are so evenly matched and each have such a wealth of talent," said Warren, who was the 34th president of The PGA of America. "We came because we wanted to compete and win. But in the end it was all about friendships and goodwill between the teams that made this a truly special experience."

European Captain Stuart Wilson also enjoyed his experience as Captain and is looking forward to being Captain again in 2014 when the Junior Ryder Cup visits Blairgowrie Golf Club in Perthshire, Scotland.

"The players really enjoyed themselves this week and we battled all the way down to the final match," said Wilson. "It will be an honour to Captain the team again in 2014 when we go to Scotland and we will hope for a better result."

Both teams will play a "Friendship" Match" Wednesday at Medinah Country Club, Illinois, during the 2012 Ryder Cup week.

The "Friendship" Match will feature a combined mixed four-ball, with six groupings of four players that includes one girl and one boy from both Europe and the United States. The teams will play a composite course of 10 total holes, blending both front-nine and back-nine holes. Play will begin on the first hole.

Monty tells Rory to 'keep away from Tiger' at Ryder Cup Read more:

Despite his exclusion from Jose Maria Olazabal's cadre of little helpers, Colin Montgomerie is using every avenue available to provide advice and input.

He already weighed in on American crowds. And, in a column published in the Sunday Telegraph, Monty took aim at Rory's expressed wish to take on Tiger during the Sunday singles matches.

So, what's the 2010 captain have to say on the subject? In a word: Don't.

Rory wanted to play Tiger in the singles on his debut at Celtic Manor two years ago. As captain I wouldn’t haven’t expected anything less from this tremendous young competitor, but I was thinking: “Hang on, hang on, keep away from Tiger.” He’s to be avoided, particularly in a head-to-head in America.

Rory would have something to lose. Tiger would be freewheeling and we saw what he can do when in the mood against poor Francesco Molinari in Wales.

My God, he blasted him away, being nine-under through 11 holes. Let someone else take that, not our best player.

The truth is we’ve got so many other big names to rely on. Lee Westwood, Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell these are all proven Ryder Cup winners. And there is quality right through the team, with Justin Rose and recent winners in Paul Lawrie and Peter Hanson only bolstering the confidence.

So there's the heart of the strategy: Send a different "big name" lamb to slaughter. As a fan, let's hope Ollie takes a different tack. A Tiger-Rory match with the Cup on the line would blow the roof off Medinah. And Medinah's outdoors.

Anyway, stay tuned for more Monty wisdom: He'll be working for the Golf Channel during Cup week. Expect a lot of first person.

Interesting hints on Day 1 of practic

MEDINAH, Ill. -- Shades of 2008 could be seen everywhere at Medinah on Tuesday as both teams ventured out for their opening practice rounds.  
The Europeans did exactly what you would expect: sending the English players out together as well as the Northern Irishmen and the Continentals. The pairing of Paul Lawrie and Sergio Garcia was the only surprise, but it made sense. Lawrie’s low-key personality is the perfect offset to Sergio’s heart-on-his-sleeve passion. 
But the real news lay with Team America, where Captain Davis Love III seems to have learned from the successes and failures of his predecessors. 
The first group gave clues as to how the teams would be paired. Phil Mickelson went out with his good friend Keegan Bradley, a player who has relied on Phil as a mentor since arriving on the PGA Tour. They were joined by Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson. So, not only were two rookies paired with one guy playing his second Ryder Cup and another playing in his eighth, this was the Type-A foursome, a group that could rally and inspire each other through their aggressive personality traits.  
The same could be said of group two, which included Jason Dufner, Zach Johnson, Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar. These are the quiet, even-tempered guys, the ones who will need to rally behind each other if one of them gets down. Two players in that group, Johnson and Johnson, have Ryder Cup experience and can prepare the two rookies for what lies ahead. 
Finally, Steve Stricker went out with Jim Furyk, Tiger Woods and Brandt Snedeker. And while Captain Love attempted to downplay the grouping, it was obvious that these guys have similar competitive personalities -- focused, insular, and confident. They are also the group with the most experience, with three long-time veterans giving advice to the rookie, who also happens to be the current FedExCup champion. 
“Everybody wants to be Tiger’s partner; everybody wants to be Dustin’s partner,” Love said. “They hit it a long way and they make a lot of birdies. It’s easier to play with Dustin or a guy like Jim Furyk than it is to pair with Tiger, because you get the extra attention and the extra pressure. 
“If there are five people from the media inside the ropes watching me, there are 50 watching Tiger,” he explained. “You have to have a special guy to be able to handle that. We’ve got a few on our team that can handle it. We don’t have a problem on this team pairing anybody.”  
To quote Boo Weekley from 2008, there appeared to be a lot of compatibating going on out there.  If those pairings stay consistent on Wednesday, you can rest assured that Love has, indeed, gone with Paul Azinger’s pod system based on personality types.
Another trick Love co-opted from Azinger was the practice-round giveaways. With an estimated crowd pushing 30,000 – so large that no less an expert than Butch Harmon called the Day 1 practice round gallery “unbelievable” – players carried around Ryder Cup lapel pins that they tossed to fans between holes.  
Also, the assistant captains engaged the galleries, laughing and conversing and acting as cheerleaders. Fred Couples even pulled kids out of the crowds and had them walk by his side throughout the round. 
This was brilliant. Not only did it rally and energize the fans, but the vice captains provided a buffer, chatting with the crowds so the players didn’t have to.    
Course setup is another area where Love learned from past experience. The rough is almost non-existent, which makes Medinah a bomber’s paradise. The Europeans have players who hit it long – Rory McIlroy, Nick Colsaerts and Sergio Garcia pound it out there with the best – but deeper down the roster, the Americans have a distance edge. 
They will also have an edge if the course yields a lot of birdies. Fans cheer no matter what, but they roar when players hit it close and hole a lot of putts. On that front, the edge, again, goes to Team USA. 
“I’ve never been a fan of driving it in the rough and chipping out and playing a wedge game,” Love said. “Not that we are not good at that … but match play, Ryder Cup, is a whole different animal. We want it to be fun for the players and fun for the fans. And we want to keep (NBC producer) Tommy Roy happy and see some birdies.”  
From Love’s perspective, there is no sense reinventing the wheel. All great leaders build on the successes and learn from the failures of their predecessors.  The Ryder Cup is no exception. So far, Captain Love appears to be making all the right moves.  

Dates, Tee Times, TV Coverage Info and Preview

The majors are over. The playoffs are over. Luckily for golf fans out there, this is an even-numbered year.

That means you still have the Ryder Cup.

The famous match-play tournament that pits the Americans against the Europeans happens every two years, and while it seems like it was just yesterday that Colin Montgomerie's squad took home the win in Wales, we are just days away from yet another thrilling weekend (hopefully). 

This year's action takes place at Medinah Country Club in Illinois. Let's take a look at everything you need to know about the next chapter of the storied battle. 

Schedule/Tee Times

The complete schedule, including opening ceremonies, gate hours, closing ceremonies and more, can found be found at rydercup.com. 

Note: All Times are ET

Date	Time	Event
Friday, Sept. 28	8:20 a.m.	First Tee Time (Foursomes)
Friday, Sept. 28	1:05 or 2:05 p.m.	First Tee Time (Fourballs)
Saturday, Sept. 29	8:20 a.m.	First Tee Time (Foursomes)
Saturday, Sept. 29	1:05 p.m.	First Tee Time (Fourballs)
Sunday, Sept. 30	12:03 - 2:04 p.m.	Singles Tee Times

TV Coverage

The complete TV schedule can be found at pgatour.com. 

Note: All Times are ET

Date	Network	Time
Friday, Sept. 28	ESPN	8 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 28	ESPN3 (Live Stream)	8 a.m.
Saturday, Sept. 29	NBC	9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 30	NBC	12 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Rosters

The complete United States and European rosters can be found at rydercup.com.

Team USA	Team Europe
Captain: Davis Love III	Captain: Jose Maria Olazabal
Keegan Bradley	Nicolas Colsaerts
Jason Dufner	Luke Donald
Jim Furyk	Sergia Garcia
Dustin Johnson	Peter Hanson
Zach Johnson	Martin Kaymer
Matt Kuchar	Paul Lawrie
Phil Mickelson	Graeme McDowell
Brandt Snedeker	Rory McIlroy
Webb Simpson	Francesco Molinari
Steve Stricker	Ian Poulter
Bubba Watson	Justin Rose
Tiger Woods	Lee Westwood

Team USA Player to Watch: Phil Mickelson

There are certainly players on this stacked squad playing better golf than Phil Mickelson. Tiger Woods quietly rolled to three straight Top 10 finishes during the FedEx Cup playoffs. Brandt Snedeker won the Tour Championship. Keegan Bradley has a major in 2012. So does Bubba Watson. So does Webb Simpson.

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

It seems like everyone on this team has had a better year than Phil, despite his win at Pebble Beach and seven Top 10 finishes. 

But Mickelson, along with Woods and Jim Furyk, brings important Ryder Cup and match-play experience, which can be the crucial, deciding factor in these types of nail-biting tournaments. 

Lefty has been more up-and-down than almost anyone on tour this season, making him arguably Team USA's most important player this weekend, as he could easily hit either side of the spectrum. 

Team Europe Player to Watch: Rory McIlroy

I'll be a little more blunt with this pick: McIlroy is freaking good. 

I could probably just end it right there, but it's fun to list just how out-of-his-mind the 23-year-old is playing right now.

Who will take home the victory this year?

Team USATeam EuropeSubmit Vote vote to see results

Since the start of August, here's how he's done: Fifth at the Bridgestone Invitational (-8), first at the PGA Championship (-13), 24th at The Barclays (-1), first at the Deutsche Bank Championship (-20), first at the BMW Championship (-20) and 10th at the Tour Championship (-1).

Six tournaments, three wins, five Top 10 finishes, 63 strokes under par and plenty of records set.

That's not a bad two-month stretch.

There's no question right now McIlroy is the best golfer in the world. It's hard to imagine anyone on the American squad outplaying him this weekend.