tindall's final thoughts
Monty leads the way on Friday for Europe.
By Dave Tindall
Europe have taken a first day lead in the last four Ryder Cups. And after seeing Friday morning's fourball pairings, I fully expect them to get off to a strong start and make it five from five. As expected, both captains anticipated a heavyweight opening encounter and there were no raised eyebrows when Woosie announced that Colin Montgomerie and Padraig Harrington were going up against Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk. Many see this as a pivotal encounter. One which could set the tone for the rest of the Ryder Cup. But I don't agree. Even if Woods and Furyk strike an early blow, I think the Americans will find it difficult to press home the advantage in matches two, three and four. Paul Casey and Robert Karlsson are two in-form players who like to attack and are clear favourites to beat Stewart Cink and J.J. Henry even though it could be close. And who would ever oppose a pair of Spaniards in a Ryder Cup? Sergio Garcia and Jose Maria Olazabal live for this tournament and I strongly fancy them to blow away David Toms and unreliable rookie Brett Wetterich. Lehman is hoping that Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco will put another point on the board but again I see this as a very winnable game for Europe. Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood will have monumental support out on the course and as a double act they are definitely greater than the sum of their parts. What's more they've won on the Palmer course three times between them and Clarke holds the course record (60). Of course, there is bound to be a surprise somewhere and it will be fascinating to see the teams for the afternoon foursomes. But imagine this scenario. Woods and Furyk are hammered while Mickelson and DiMarco are also put to the sword. Where does Lehman go then? While the US 'Plan B' options look limited, Woosie has all sorts of permutations he can turn to. I don't doubt that there's a great spirit in the US camp. But that's a given every time for the Europeans and the vibes here at the K Club are that it's no different this time. Woosie's easy-going nature seems a perfect fit for this particular team and he has complete trust in his players. If the Americans are to defy the odds and win back the Ryder Cup, a fast start is virtually a must given that their weaker squad is likely to be exposed in the singles. But, looking at the morning fourballs, gaining any sort of advantage looks an extremely tall order and, if offered a 2-2 scoreline, Lehman would surely snap it up.
