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Ryder Cup: Day one preview and tips from Ben Coley in Paris

By Ben Coley

11:20 · FRI September 28, 2018

Ben Coley previews the first session of the Ryder Cup and gives a narrow edge to the USA - with Europe expected to fight back in the foursomes.

Recommended bets: Ryder Cup day one

2pts Europe to win Friday afternoon foursomes at 6/4

For details of advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record

It may pay to take a creative and relatively long-term approach to Friday's opening fourball matches at the Ryder Cup.

I'm not surprised, though I am disappointed, that Jim Furyk leaves Webb Simpson on the bench but otherwise the US line-up looks exceptionally strong, and my first reaction was to fear for Europe in the morning session.

Certainly, they're underdogs to come away with an advantage but Golf Channel's Will Gray makes an excellent point - that the decision, made by the hosts, to start with fourballs may be something of a rope-a-dope.

In this modern era where there is so much depth to both sides, the expectation is that the four players who do not feature in the morning will all play in the afternoon and that's where the advantage looks to lie with Europe.

Around this golf course, both Bubba Watson and Phil Mickelson look extremely vulnerable and more so in foursomes, where they cannot rely on a more controlled partner to make up for their raggedness.

Perhaps Furyk will surprise us all and acknowledge this issue by keeping both back until Saturday, but I don't think that's what will happen and as a result the best bet on day one is Europe to win the foursomes at 6/4.

Thomas Bjorn will almost certainly use all 12 of his players which means Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson, Alex Noren and Sergio Garcia entering the fray, all either confirmed as excellent foursomes players or, in Noren's case, capable of becoming one.

Poulter and Garcia in particular will be itching to get going having thrived in the format before and whatever happens in the morning, if both captains use all of their respective sides on day one it's advantage Europe in the afternoon.

Friday's fourball matches

Rose & Rahm v Koepka & Finau

A fascinating start to the Ryder Cup and an important match for Europe in particular, as they look to avoid a repeat of the nightmare first session which saw them trail 4-0 at Hazeltine.

Rose and Rahm make a fearsome combination and deserve to be favourites, with the concerns I have over Rose's ability to find the necessary reserves more relevant as the event goes on.

Rahm is a rookie but has competitive and positive experience of the layout and while he's not been at his absolute best lately, expect fireworks on the first of many Ryder Cup appearances.

It's a surprise to see a rookie wild card out first for such a strong US side, but Finau's nerves will be calmed by teeing off alongside a partner who went 3-0-0 two years ago and has won three majors since.

Neither Koepka nor Finau looks tailor-made for Le Golf National but the same could be said of their opponents and it's only the narrowest of edges I give to Europe in arguably the hardest match to call.

Verdict: Europe 1up

Click here for profiles of Thomas Bjorn's Team Europe

McIlroy & Olesen v Fowler & Johnson

There have been strong hints at these two partnerships throughout the build-up, even if many expected Johnson to be paired with Koepka.

Fowler looks an ideal foil for Johnson and as he's fresher than most heading to Paris, could be one of the stars for Furyk's side having signed off the last Ryder Cup on a positive note.

Johnson's off course issues aside, he finished with a flourish at the TOUR Championship and, as with Fowler, is more accustomed than some of his compatriots to competing and indeed contending overseas.

Bjorn will hope that McIlroy has been found another ideal new partner after teaming up so well with Thomas Pieters two years ago, but let's not forget that came about only after both had lost their first match.

McIlroy was with Andy Sullivan early on and much here will depend whether Olesen rises to the occasion as Pieters did, or struggles alongside three genuine giants of the game.

While his putting and McIlroy's long-game could make for a fantastic combination in foursomes, I'm a little concerned there will be too much pressure on the Northern Irishman's ball here.

Verdict: USA 3&1

Casey & Hatton v Spieth & Thomas

Not a surprise pairing for Europe, Hatton long having been considered a potential answer to the Casey conundrum, but it is one which will have many blue-tinted onlookers nervous as they head to the first tee.

Hatton's tendency to get rather flustered is a real concern here and I wonder whether he'd find his temper easier to contain in foursomes, counter-intuitive though that may seem, as it's harder to deny its impact on his playing partner.

Casey hasn't lost a fourball match at the Ryder Cup yet but it was a foursomes match they won together at the EurAsia Cup and I'd have felt more comfortable with them under that format.

Spieth and Thomas need little introduction but while they'll rate banker material for some on reputation alone, don't forget Thomas was nursing a wrist injury at the TOUR Championship, an event Spieth failed to qualify for.

I wouldn't be overly concerned that they may be a little too keen to strike up this partnership but it's another factor to consider and while the American side of course look stronger on paper, and the European pairing here could go horribly wrong, there are risks attached to the two major champions, too.

Verdict: USA 2&1

Click here for profiles of Jim Furyk's Team USA

Fleetwood & Molinari v Reed & Woods

The last time Molinari and Woods played Ryder Cup golf was against each other in the final singles match at Medinah, where Woods' generous concession meant Molinari earned the half-point Europe needed to win rather than retain the cup on that extraordinary afternoon.

Six years on and it's Molinari who has won a major, but Woods' TOUR Championship win just about completed his comeback at the end of a tremendous season and he'll hope to have kept enough back for one last push here in Paris.

Woods' Ryder Cup record is famously modest but he's invested in the team now, having been vice captain at Hazeltine, and will be desperate to win for the first time since 1999 having also missed 2008 at Valhalla through injury.

As expected, he's sent out with Captain America and providing Reed is able to produce alongside the modern game's greatest player, they should be exceptionally difficult to beat at a course both will enjoy.

If anything does beat them, it could be the relentless fairway and green-finding, par-making genius of both Molinari and Fleetwood and I suspect Bjorn will be quite pleased with how this part of the draw has panned out.

The worry would be Fleetwood is a rookie and Molinari hasn't yet won a Ryder Cup match, but he has been on two winning teams while the Englishman just looks made for this event.

With that in mind, perhaps Europe can sneak a half.

Verdict: Match halved

Ryder Cup 2018: Tournament schedule, format & timings

Venue: Le Golf National
To win: 14½ points from the 28 available are needed to win the Ryder Cup. As holders, USA will retain the trophy if it finishes 14-14.
TV: Sky Sports

Friday morning, 0710 BST start

4x Fourball matches (better ball)

* Both players in each pairing play their own ball. A hole is won by the team whose member has the lowest score.

Friday afternoon, 1250 BST start

4x Foursomes matches (alternate shot)

* Both players in each pairing take it in turns to play one ball. A hole is won by the team who completes it in the fewest shots

Saturday morning, 0710 BST start

4x Fourball matches

Saturday afternoon, 1250 BST start

4x Foursomes matches

Sunday, 1105 BST start

12 x Singles matches

Ryder Cup: Team line-ups

EUROPE

Captain: Thomas Bjørn

Players:

Paul Casey
Tommy Fleetwood
Sergio Garcia
Tyrrell Hatton
Rory McIlroy
Francesco Molinari
Alex Noren
Thorbjørn Olesen
Ian Poulter
Jon Rahm
Justin Rose
Henrik Stenson

Vice-captains

Luke Donald
Padraig Harrington
Robert Karlsson
Graeme McDowell
Lee Westwood

UNITED STATES

Captain: Jim Furyk