IRELAND: Players practice and pose at the K Club.

Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk will launch proceedings at the 36th Ryder Cup in a mouth-watering clash with Europe's Colin Montgomerie and Padraig Harrington in Friday's (September 22) opening fourball matches. The two pairings are, arguably, the strongest on either side at the K Club in Straffan, Ireland and will provide an electric start to one of the biggest occasions in sport. Although only one point will go to the winning combination, the psychological significance will be worth a great deal more and possibly set the tone for the three days of competition. World number one Woods and 2003 U.S. Open champion Furyk dovetailed superbly at last year's Presidents Cup, while Montgomerie and Harrington gave Europe a massive boost by beating Woods and Phil Mickelson in the opening match of the 2004 Ryder Cup. Left-hander Mickelson, the U.S. Masters champion, has been paired with Chris DiMarco in Friday morning's final match against European wildcards Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood in another heavyweight showdown. Mickelson and DiMarco also flourished at the Presidents Cup last September, while Clarke and Westwood have triumphed four times together in six Ryder Cup matches. In the other fourball encounters, Briton Paul Casey and Swedish rookie Robert Karlsson take on Stewart Cink and rookie J.J. Henry, while Spaniards Sergio Garcia and Jose Maria Olazabal play against David Toms and Brett Wetterich, another first timer. Holders Europe, billed as favourites for the first time in the 79-year history of the Ryder Cup, have won four of the past five matches. USA Captain Tom Lehman told a news conference on Thursday: "I knew they would put a very strong team up and I know that 'Montie" (Colin Montgomerie) generally likes to go first, you know. So I expected Montie to be in that first group with Padraig (Harrington) and of course that first point is important so I think you want to lead with your best." He also praised Ryder Cup newcomers like Brett Wetterich. "In this format I feel like the guys we picked probably bring more in terms of player power and making birdies -- and Brett Wetterich is a guy that makes a lot of birdies and he is a very complementary player to someone like David Toms, who is very steady and makes a lot of birdies. So to me, the course and the conditions had a bit of an influence to who you put on the golf course," said Lehman. Europe Captain Ian Woosnam commented: "I expected Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk to be off first and I had an inkling that obviously Phil Mickelson and Chris de Marco would be off last, so I think with Padraig (Harrington) and Colin (Montgomerie) off first and Daren (Clarke) and Lee (Westwood) off last, that's going to be two fantastic fourballs." Asked about the threat from Tiger Woods, Woosnam replied: "You know, my motto is that I'm never scared of anybody -- not even Tiger Woods." Pairings for Friday's opening fourball matches in the 36th Ryder Cup at the K Club in County Kildare (European pairings first): Match 1 0800 local (0700 GMT) Colin Montgomerie and Padraig Harrington v Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk Match 2 0815 (0715) Paul Casey and Robert Karlsson v Stewart Cink and J.J. Henry Match 3 0830 (0730) Jose Maria Olazabal and Sergio Garcia v David Toms and Brett Wetterich Match 4 0845 (0745) Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood v Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco Remainder of playing schedule: Friday - Opening foursome matches (at 15-minute intervals), from 1330 (1230) Saturday - Fourball matches (at 15-minute intervals), from 0800 (0700) - Foursome matches (at 15-minute intervals), from 1330 (1230) Sunday - Singles matches (at 12-minute intervals), from 1115 (1015)

ITN Source | September 22, 2006

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