The Eagle Has Landed

Ladies and Gentlemen, the boys in Red White and Blue have arrived at Celtic Manor.

The Americans looked sharp for their official photo, and looked confident on the course for their first look at the 2010 Ryder Cup layout.

Pavin sent the team out to play in three foursomes today:

Group 1
Zach Johnson
Steve Stricker
Tiger Woods
Hunter Mahan

Group 2
Stewart Cink
Jim Furyk
Jeff Overton
Matt Kuchar

Group 3
Phil Mickelson
Dustin Johnson
Bubba Watson
Rickie Fowler

Not to read too much into these foursomes, but I am going to read too much into these foursomes...

Pavin's decision to send these guys out in these groups of four has to be a hint of who will be playing with who.  Now remember, only 4 twosomes play in the first event: alternate shot.

After Tiger and Stricker obliterated the Internationals at Harding Park last year, you have to figure they will be back together again this year.  The fact that they played together today is only further confirmation.  Thats 1 out of 4.

The US are the underdogs this year, so it will be important for us to come out swinging.  Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler will be the most enthusiastic on the squad, and they're buddies off the course.  They will bring the fire and will be paired together for in the number two spot.  2 out of 4.

Phil and Dustin, now there's an interesting pair.  They would make some incredible shots, that's for sure.  But there they are both disaster prone, and therefore a liability in alternate shot.  I leave them on the bench for the later innings.

Jim Furyk and Jeff Overton; the story of hot and cold.  Furyk is hot, coming off the second biggest win of his career. And Overton is ice cold, coming off back to back to back to back poor performances.  Alternative interpretation: Ice flows through Jim Furyk's veins, with the exception of last week, he barely cracks a smile when he wins a tournament (and last week was an exception, how could you not smile when you win $11.3 million.)  Red hot molten fire flows through Overton's veins.  He is a firey competitor.  The two may provide the perfect balencing act, and I would roll the dice and start them early.  3 out of 4.

And that leaves Zach Johnson, Hunter Mahan, Matt Kuchar and Stewart Cink.

I am going to go out on a limb here and go outside the foursomes to pick Mahan and Kuchar for my last two starters.  I dont know why but I've just got a feeling this could be a magic pair.  Maybe I just like Mahan becuase he has an awesome PING commercial, and Kuchar because he smiles a lot, but I think that they have the personality and game to anchor the U.S. on day one. 

So to sum up, I would start Tiger and Stricker first; Watson and Fowler second; Furyk and Overton third; and Mahan and Kuchar fourth.

For the Euros, I will just venture these guesses for day one:

Kaymer, Donald
McIlroy, McDowell
Molinari, Molinari (how could you resist?)
Westwoon, Harrington

GO U.S.A.!!!!