Ryder Cup: Stenson & Rose the anchormen in Day one foursomes special
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Lights, camera, action; the Ryder Cup is up and running this Friday with foursomes combat taking centre-stage on the first morning in Minnesota, but where should punters’ faith be placed?
Looking at the line-up for the morning foursomes the heralded strength of team USA is fully evident.
American skipper Davis Love III has gone big guns with five major winners among his eight picks to lead off at Hazeltine, including his most experienced Ryder Cup hands in the shape of Phil Mickelson and Zach Johnson.
Morning Foursomes look like this:
Stenson/Rose v Spieth/Reed
McIlroy/Sullivan v Mickelson/Fowler
Garcia/Kaymer v Walker/Z.Johnson
Westwood/Pieters v D.Johnson/Kuchar
Given Darren Clarke’s European contingent is half rookie, the Blues captain had no choice but to sprinkle a couple of debutants into his line-up, though in Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood, the Northern Irishman has chosen excellent chaperones.
As will be the case throughout the three days of matchplay drama from Hazeltine, we will be producing a suitably large array of markets and, tapping into the Enhanced Foursome Doubles for day one, looks the perfect place to tee off from.
Here is our favoured selection:
Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose were Europe’s outstanding pair two years ago, winning all three of their matches in tandem at Gleneagles, becoming the first continental duo since Sandy Lyle and Bernard Langer in 1987 to emerge victorious from at least three matches together.
Meanwhile stellar couple Martin Kaymer and Sergio Garcia are forecast to get the better of Jimmy Walker and Zach Johnson, who represent the USA’s only untried pairing in the foursomes line-up.
After Westwood, Garcia is Europe’s most experienced Ryder Cup campaigner and his win percentage is only bettered by Justin Rose of the 12-man visiting party.
Kaymer’s heroics at Medinah four years ago give the German an aura in the competition and seeing as Johnson took just half a point away for his country last time in Scotland, blue should be the colour on the scoreboard after 18 holes here.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
