Ryder Cup captains mum on pairings amid rising speculation
21 September 2021 - 16:49
bySteve Keating
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Kohler — The Ryder Cup does not begin until Friday but the gamesmanship was well under way at Whistling Straits on Monday as European captain Padraig Harrington and his US opposite number Steve Stricker put on their poker faces, refusing to tip their hands.
Players will spend the next three days getting a feel for the rugged layout that hugs the Lake Michigan shore with practices providing an endless source of speculation over possible pairings until all is revealed by the two captains ahead of the opening session.
“That’s your job in the media is to make a story out of it,” said Harrington. “I’m not going to say what it means or what it doesn’t mean [players practising together].
“I do have ideas about what should be happening in practice, but it’s for you to figure it out, not me to tell you.”
Knowing much will be read into everything from players sharing a practice to sharing a laugh, Harrington and Stricker offered little in the way of hints but both admitted to well-developed strategies.
“We’ve got a really good, sound game plan already in place,” said Stricker. “But again, there’s always little things along the way that can creep up, anything.”
The spotlight is going to be on feuding US teammates Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka and how Stricker handles the big-hitters with bigger personalities.
Harnessing negative energy and turning it into a positive force has been tried before and failed miserably when the US captain Hal Sutton partnered bickering Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in the 2004 Ryder Cup and flopped, failing to win a point.
But despite the frosty relationship, Stricker would not completely rule out the possibility of sending the two out together as the US tries to win the biennial event for just the third time in 10 tries.
“They have assured me it’s not going to be an issue,” said Stricker. “I have no worries whatsoever. Will we pair them together? I don’t think so at this point but things could change. Could always happen.”
Before Stricker decides who might partner Koepka, he will have to determine if the world No 10 is fit to play after injuring his wrist earlierin September during the Tour Championships.
Stricker said Koepka had assured him he was good to go but will be keeping a close eye on practice.
“I’ve been talking to him ever since it happened,” said Stricker. “Check in with him every couple of days. He tells me everything is 100% and everything is ready and raring to go.”
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Ryder Cup captains mum on pairings amid rising speculation
Kohler — The Ryder Cup does not begin until Friday but the gamesmanship was well under way at Whistling Straits on Monday as European captain Padraig Harrington and his US opposite number Steve Stricker put on their poker faces, refusing to tip their hands.
Players will spend the next three days getting a feel for the rugged layout that hugs the Lake Michigan shore with practices providing an endless source of speculation over possible pairings until all is revealed by the two captains ahead of the opening session.
“That’s your job in the media is to make a story out of it,” said Harrington. “I’m not going to say what it means or what it doesn’t mean [players practising together].
“I do have ideas about what should be happening in practice, but it’s for you to figure it out, not me to tell you.”
Knowing much will be read into everything from players sharing a practice to sharing a laugh, Harrington and Stricker offered little in the way of hints but both admitted to well-developed strategies.
“We’ve got a really good, sound game plan already in place,” said Stricker. “But again, there’s always little things along the way that can creep up, anything.”
The spotlight is going to be on feuding US teammates Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka and how Stricker handles the big-hitters with bigger personalities.
Harnessing negative energy and turning it into a positive force has been tried before and failed miserably when the US captain Hal Sutton partnered bickering Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in the 2004 Ryder Cup and flopped, failing to win a point.
But despite the frosty relationship, Stricker would not completely rule out the possibility of sending the two out together as the US tries to win the biennial event for just the third time in 10 tries.
“They have assured me it’s not going to be an issue,” said Stricker. “I have no worries whatsoever. Will we pair them together? I don’t think so at this point but things could change. Could always happen.”
Before Stricker decides who might partner Koepka, he will have to determine if the world No 10 is fit to play after injuring his wrist earlierin September during the Tour Championships.
Stricker said Koepka had assured him he was good to go but will be keeping a close eye on practice.
“I’ve been talking to him ever since it happened,” said Stricker. “Check in with him every couple of days. He tells me everything is 100% and everything is ready and raring to go.”
Reuters
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