When You Look at the Pairings...

Well, the professional referees are subsequently lower back on the sphere for the NFL... And the expert golfers are finally on the direction for the Ryder Cup.

We're in a in reality proper spot right now. In the beyond, if groups had 6 or 7 properly players, they felt they were lucky. The precise gamers needed to play all 5 suits to present their aspect the first-class risk to win. Now we find ourselves looking at teams that are easily 12 deep -- the only exception being if a player gets injured or a virulent disease after making the team -- and the handiest actual trouble is who will ought to take a seat.

And as I've stated earlier than, I assume the house crew constantly has the benefit -- no longer just due to the fact they could installation the route (this is much less of a bonus in recent times, at the least for america team) and because they have the house crowd.

Yet, I have to admit the primary session pairings (foursomes or alternate shot, whichever you select to name it) supply me pause:

1. Furyk-Snedeker vs McIlroy-McDowell
2. Mickelson-Bradley vs Donald-Garcia
3. ZJohnson-Dufner vs Westwood-Molinari
4. Woods-Stricker vs Poulter-Rose

I'm not questioning the strength of the US team. It's just that when you look at the names... well, the star power certainly seems to be on the Euro side. This is simply a matter of experience, of course; the big names on the Euro side are younger than the US stars. And the US has 4 rookies -- 3 playing the morning session -- while the Euros have one and he's sitting this session. The rookies playing this morning have a major, a FedExCup title, and 5 PGA Tour wins just during this calendar year.

But still... It's going to take some time before Snedeker or Bradley moves the identical fear into competitors as McIlroy or McDowell!

Welcome to golfing's new generation. I can't wait to see if we've got a few new "massive dogs" come Sunday night.

And remember that the Ryder Cup is being carried by ESPN today.