opening fourballs - the analysis
Paul Casey - a man in form.
Montgomerie/Harrington v Woods/Furyk Form guide: Montgomerie was semi-finalist in HSBC World Match Play last weekend for best finish since messing up US Open in June with closing double bogey. Harrington lost play-off three weeks ago and was joint fourth in Madrid last week. Woods has won his last five stroke play events, but lost in first round of World Match Play last week to Shaun Micheel. Jim Furyk went out at same stage to Robert Karlsson, but won Canadian Open the previous Sunday after five top-four finishes in previous six starts. Partnership: Montgomerie and Harrington: one win out of one (fourballs) at Belfry in 2002 and two wins out of three in 2004 Woods and Furyk: two wins out of two in fourballs and one half in foursomes at 2005 Presidents Cup Casey/Karlsson v Cink/Henry Form guide: Casey won £1million World Match Play title last Sunday to achieve highest-ever place in world and move top of the European Order of Merit. Karlsson beat Furyk on the way to the semi-finals and has won twice on European Tour this season. Cink lost play-off to Woods six days after being given wildcard last month. Henry won in July and was 10th and sixth in last two starts. Partnership: Casey and Karlsson: new pairing Cink and Henry: new pairing Garcia/Olazabal v Wetterich/Toms Form guide: Garcia has not won for 12 months, but has had nine top 10s this year, including fifth and third at last two majors. Olazabal was beaten by Woods in a play-off for the Buick Invitational and third in the US Masters, and finished eighth in Madrid last week. Toms made brilliant start to 2006, but has had nothing better than eighth place since March. Wetterich won the Byron Nelson in May and was second at Memorial in the first week of June, but has not had a single top-20 finish since. Partnership: Garcia and Olazabal: new pairing Wetterich and Toms: new pairing Clarke/Westwood v Mickelson/DiMarco Form guide: Clarke 31st in Madrid last week in first event since Open and first since death of wife on August 13. Westwood had seven successive missed cuts in spring, but has since second and fourth place. Both wildcards. Mickelson won Masters in April, but blew US Open in June and has not had top 10 since. DiMarco suffered early-season skiing injury and struggled on return, but was second to Woods in Open in July. Partnership: Clarke and Westwood: two wins, two losses in 1999 and two wins out of two (both foursomes) in 2004. Also four wins out of five in Seve Trophy. Mickelson and DiMarco: 3 1/2 points out of four together at 2005 Presidents Cup.
