Golf Post

The pairings for the final day of the 43rd Ryder Cup have been set. Team Europe needs to overcome a big deficit to defend the Cup in Whistling Straits, Wisconsin (USA). Team USA leads 11 to 5 and needs only 3.5 more points out of the final singles matches to win the Ryder Cup. Each player will face one from the other team on Sunday afternoon, starting at 5 p.m. BST.

The pairings for Sunday’s Singles

JOHN DEVER: Welcome to the 43rd Ryder Cup here at Whistling Straits. We are with world No. 1 Jon Rahm.

Jon, welcome to your second career Ryder Cup. Frequently through these interviews, we hear about the reverence the European side has for Seve and Jos� Maria and such, but beyond your countrymen, are there any players that you watched in The Ryder Cup beyond the two that you locked into and were captured by their spirit and their fervor for The Ryder Cup?

JON RAHM: I think one that is often, or often can be overlooked, is Monty. Monty had a really good run in The Ryder Cup, especially in singles, right. Somebody who had a great career, who maybe was not the most vocal player out there like maybe Seve was but got things done. He was a tough guy to beat. I think Monty was one of those that can be overlooked.

Q. Only your second Ryder Cup but you’re already expected to be one of the leaders, certainly, on the course, aren’t you. Are you ready to make that step up?

JON RAHM: What kind of a player would I say if I say no? Right. So yes, yes, I’m ready for that. It’s a challenge I look forward to. Obviously it’s a lot of players in our team that have a lot of experience and know how to get it done. I’m ready to add my name into that group.

Q. Did you have a feeling there was going to be extra responsibility, obviously given your position in the rankings?

JON RAHM: Yes and no. We have plenty of players in the team that are vocal enough that have done this enough that naturally will gravitate towards for guidance. I’m not going to actively go and just make myself, hey, I’m a leader now, because I don’t have that massive of an ego.

In that case, hopefully like I’ve done so far this year, I’ll let the clubs and the ball do the talking and I’ll leave the speeches and the leadership to the guys that have been doing this for a long time.

Q. Can you describe what you believe Poults means to this team and what he’s done over the years in this competition for you guys.

JON RAHM: I think Poults is one of those players that you might get once in a generation, right, that embody the spirit of The Ryder Cup. You have somebody who World Ranking-wise, from 40, 50, you wouldn’t say World Ranking or stats-wise is anything massively special.

But when he steps through the doors and you get to The Ryder Cup, it is Ian Poulter and he’s got a pretty good record and he’s a tough guy to beat. It’s match play and it’s something special. That’s the beauty of this team and that’s the beauty of this event and that’s the beautiful part of something and somebody like Ian Poulter that really becomes somebody this week.

Q. Can you put yourself on the other side as an opponent and when he gets on those rolls that he’s gotten on with the eyes and the fist pumps?

JON RAHM: Yeah, when he gets possessed.

Q. Exactly. How rattling or maybe under the skin can that be for an opponent do you think?

JON RAHM: I wouldn’t want to play Ian, especially in that mode like we saw at Medinah. Because you have somebody who is a very good putter, who will make the putt at the right time. Even though as I said, might not look like anything special, he’s not going to make any mistakes and he’s going to hold onto that match and just be there and be relentless and that is the worst type of opponent. He’s a tough man to beat.

You know, he’s a great guy — it’s one of the guys in other sports that you may hate him if he’s not on your team but you love him if he’s on yours.

Q. I know there’s still The Ryder Cup, but when you look at the season you just completed, there was a lot going on. How do you sum that up or how do you reflect about that?

JON RAHM: You know, it’s not the first time I answered this question. It just dawned on me that it’s only been 5 1/2 months since my son was born, and there’s been so many things that happened since then. It almost feels like it’s been a couple years worth of experiences in those five months.

Besides the setbacks I’ve already talked about extensively, the good moments, the great experiences, the happiness vastly outweighs the setbacks, and that’s all I can say about this year. I became a dad. We’re in a really good place family-wise. I’m very happy at home. It’s been amazing. Got my first major and played really good golf all year round.

I have nothing to complain. It’s been amazing. No matter what happened COVID-wise or what events I missed or what could have been, it still has been an amazing year that I really am thankful for. I think that’s the most important thing. I think it’s very easy in life to focus on what could have been and what you didn’t have. But it’s good to just realize all the good things that happened and forget about those moments.

Is it all about winning?

Q. Does that give you some perspective coming into an event like this that a lot of people view as, you know, the biggest thing, ultra important, super important, obviously you want to win?

JON RAHM: We do want to win but it’s a team effort, right. It’s not like I can do it by myself — unless you’re Poulter; he can do it by himself.

It would be a really nice end to the year, right, even though we have already started the new season technically. It would be a very nice end to what has been a wonderful year. That win in France, you create a bond that’s unforgettable and it would be a really good feeling to be able to do it in my first try in my case on U.S. soil, as well.

It’s something we always want to add to the calendar and always want to add to the repertoire and winning a Ryder Cup, especially in an away country.

Q. From what you’ve seen so far, what are the biggest differences in temperament and captaining style between Thomas and P�draig?

JON RAHM: I don’t know if my vice captain will let me disclose too much. I will say that I didn’t know either of them before The Ryder Cup. I had only been a pro for a couple of years before Paris, so I didn’t see Thomas that much or P�draig.

The only thing I’m going to say, P�draig is a lot more calm than Thomas was. Am I right on that? A little bit, yeah, okay. I feel like that’s a better question for a vice captain because they see in here a lot more reality where the captain needs to be calm, cool and composed for all the players, he can’t be going off on all of us.

We might not see the whole truth, but obviously they have both been very well-spoken and very well expressive in what they have in mind and what they expect from us. They have made it very easy and made it comfortable for all of us. They have done a good job of letting us know what we have to do and in my case letting me know what they expect me to do and that’s been wonderful.

Q. I know you can’t came names obviously but how early were you given the information of who you were going to play with?

JON RAHM: What do you mean? Tomorrow?

Q. Yeah, who you’ll play with tomorrow.

JON RAHM: I still don’t know. You tell me. I think you guys think we know a lot more than you guys know. I have an idea of what players I might be playing with. Didn’t you guys see us throwing balls on the tee yesterday? Well, there you go. That’s how we do things, leave it up to chance.

Q. Can you talk about the transition going from golf as an individual sport to golf as a team sport, what the transition is like for you?

JON RAHM: Honestly it’s great. It’s something that for some reason for all of us becomes quite easy. I think because we have so much of individual golf where for the most part you only care about yourself. A lot of the decisions in life and even at home I’ve made due to golf and what we need to do to be better players. When you get here, it’s not just about yourself or your family. It’s about all 12 of us and to be fair a lot of the decisions are made for us; it’s a lot easier.

But it is really cool to see all these great players, people that have been doing this for a very long time. I mean, when Lee played The Ryder Cup for the first time, I wasn’t even three years old yet. To see all these great people that have accomplished so many things come together with a smile that only a team even like The Ryder Cup can bring to you, a juvenile excitement that you don’t usually expect a 48-year-old to have, it’s very unique and it’s something that I wish everybody could see because I feel like a lot of times we’re missing that in life, and a week like this can definitely give you that youth back in that sense mentally, right.

Even though I’m still 26, I’m very young. Still takes me back to when I was a kid hoping to be playing in The Ryder Cup when I was a kid representing Spain and how I felt back then, obviously magnified times a hundred in this situation. But it’s something that’s very, very fun and it what makes The Ryder Cup so special amongst other things, right. We are all one and we are all the same and we have the same level of excitement and the smiles that we see around and the happiness and the joy is something I wish everybody could see.

Under pressure..

Q. You’re world No. 1 and U.S. champion. Do you take any confidence from that or does that put pressure on you? And have you ever actually met Monty?

JON RAHM: I have met Monty, I can’t say when, but I have met him, quickly in passing. I remember not meeting him, but I remember watching him finish the last two holes in Valderrama, I think it was 2009, the Volvo Masters, amongst many other players, Paul Casey and Stenson signed my shirt. There was a picture that came around a couple years ago. I remember watching him then.

If anything, being a Major Champion this year in a tough setup, gives me confidence. At the same time, it’s match play. It’s different. Tomorrow morning, foursomes, right, or fourballs, so you’re playing with a partner, not an individual anymore. It is a little bit of a different game but at the same time you’ve got to do — try your best, right, and in that sense it’s the same thing. If anything, just gives me confidence in that sense that I know what I’m capable of.

Q. It’s a pretty demanding golf course obviously and the cold and wind can wear down on anybody. How do you prepare your body and mind for the possibility of going all five this week?

JON RAHM: I’m physically ready for it. I know I don’t look like it but I train every day when I’m at home, believe it or not. I’m in really good shape. I have no problem walking 36. I feel like the biggest challenge in an event like this is possibly five rounds of the mental aspect of it, and that’s where I think you need to learn to really unwind quickly and get ready when you need to.

And I mean on the golf course, as well, you can’t be 100 percent focused and locked in for five hours. That is mentally driving range. You have to learn how to switch off a little bit and have fun with your partner and then caddies and be ready to hit the shot in there. It’s a bit of things. Also when you get to the team room after the round, practice round, whatever it is, everybody is having such a good time that that in itself is a great rest.

In my case, the most important things outside of all that would be hydrating properly and getting enough sleep. Those two things are going to be the keys this week, as well. Throughout the week, make sure you’re sleeping enough and letting your body recover and hydrate to make sure your recovery is even better.

Q. When did this competition really begin to matter to you? And the video that came out out of context from Team Europe, is that an accurate depiction of how you celebrated in 2018?

JON RAHM: No, but that’s what they want me to do this year if that were to happen. I mean, it’s not what I did, I can tell you the environment is not too far from that, okay. Now, nobody was on tables, shirt off; I certainly wasn’t. But the environment is somewhat similar. Some people were going just as hard that night celebrating, which I don’t blame them. It’s a stressful long year.

Like I said earlier, when you are in an environment with no judgment, you’re not scared of anybody posting on Instagram, you can let yourself go a little bit and be vulnerable, and that’s the fun part of things like that.

Q. And when did this event…

JON RAHM: I don’t know exactly the age but it’s been on my radar a long time. When you’re born in Spain, the Ryder Cup is something special. There’s a lot of legacy in this event between Seve and Ollie and the players got the most amount of Ryder Cup points for Team Europe in history.

It’s a lot to live up to, I’m not going to lie. It’s a lot of expectation when you’re a Spaniard. But that just means — a lot of times we’re called a different word for passionate, but I think that’s when all these great emotions can be used in match play and that’s why in general people have done great.

And so for a long time I’ve been looking forward to being a Ryder Cup player and it still is something you have in mind every day, especially while you’re approaching. Obviously we have a lot of individual events going on, but when the topic comes up, it is something, you can’t explain it but it’s very unique.

Interview transcript from Asap Sports

The pairings for the first day of the 43rd Ryder Cup have been set. The most anticipated golf event is finally here. Contenders and fans alike are especially anxious after waiting due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its delays. Friday is formatted as alternate-shot foursomes and the pairings are quite surprising, specifically on the American side. The U.S. team will begin the session with its pairings of Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth on Friday morning. They will play against the European matchings of Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia.

The first match is important, but the first day as a whole is what matters. The U.S. is sending out strong leaders against Europe’s all time Ryder Cup point earner, Jon Rahm. Not to mention, he is also ranked number one on the World Golf Ranking. It is intriguing to see how these pairings will set off the 43rd Ryder Cup weekend.

The pairings for Friday’s Foursome

Up first:

Check out our live scoring and get all updates on the Ryder Cup on Golfpost.com

JOHN DEVER: Welcome back to the 43rd Ryder Cup here at Whistling Straits where we are joined by U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Steve Stricker.

Captain, we have pairings and we have matchups, too. Let’s speak just in generalities for your four pairings. How do you feel about it? You must feel pretty good, and we’re on the cusp of getting this thing going.

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, to your last part there, how excited we are and everybody is to get this thing going finally. It’s been three years and you come in here on Sunday evening, and you know, the practice rounds are great but yet you have Friday in the back of your mind and you are just looking forward to getting out there and getting it going.

Yeah, I feel great about our pairings. You know, some teams that have played together over the years, whether in Ryder Cups or some Presidents Cups, so we wouldn’t put them out there if we didn’t feel good about them, let me just put it that way. So we are extremely excited about how these guys are playing, and the order of which they are going out.

Q. A few of us did some predictions for fun and almost everybody got the four pairs that the U.S. was putting out. They have been playing together and they have played together in the past, and Europe seems unpredictable and very surprising. You probably were not giving a lot of thought to them beforehand but looking at it now, what do you think about their pairings and did you anticipate any of this?

STEVE STRICKER: You know, I didn’t, and I didn’t even try to anticipate. You know, they are all great players. We were trying to take care of ourselves. You know, I’m paying attention to my team.

We talked occasionally about maybe who they are going to put out, but it doesn’t matter, really. They are all such great players. They are all highly ranked players and we know that we are going to have to play our best to beat them.

So we have an idea that Rory and Rahm would probably go 1 and 4, and that’s pretty much all we knew, or really thought about. We didn’t know who their guys were going to be that they were going to be paired with, but we kind of had that figured out for the most part.

So we tried to act accordingly, as well. But yeah, other than that, we didn’t take the time to try to figure it out.

Q. You put Daniel and Brooks together when you were captain at Liberty, right?

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah.

Q. What did you see in them and what do they bring out in each other?

STEVE STRICKER: They play golf at home together and they enjoy being with one another. Daniel is a wonderful foursomes player. He controls his ball really nicely. Good short game. Great putter. He’s a natural fit for the foursomes.

They like playing together, bottom line, and they do well together. They are excited to go out tomorrow and try to get a point.

Everyone needs a rest time too

Q. When you were naming your six captain’s picks, you mentioned how length was important, and yet the longest guy on your team is sitting in the morning. Can you explain why?

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, we are trying to make sure that everybody gets a little bit of rest, too. That’s in the back of our mind, and yeah, we can’t play everybody every session, right. Four people have to sit, but he’s going to get his turn at some point.

The real good thing is that all these guys have bought in. They know the plan for the most part. We have communicated that to them and we are up front with them, and they understand it and are willing to do anything for the betterment of the team.

Q. In your particular case, will all of your guys play today and tomorrow?

STEVE STRICKER: You’ll have to wait and see, Alex.

Q. One last thing. Did anything happen this week —

STEVE STRICKER: Is that a Cubs hat on?

Q. Yes, it is.

STEVE STRICKER: I didn’t know if it was a Chicago Bears hat.

Q. You almost got fileted.

STEVE STRICKER: That didn’t turn out so good. I tried to explain myself as we kept going there. I still root for the Packers. Let me get that straight.

Q. Did anything happen this week influence what you have on paper today?

STEVE STRICKER: Anything that happened this week influence what these matchups are?

Q. Yeah.

STEVE STRICKER: No.

Q. I assume you have a plan for the afternoon. Is there anything that could change it, or aside from an illness or injury, but the way somebody plays or anything, do you have set pairings for the afternoon? I know you won’t tell us, but will you stick with it?

STEVE STRICKER: No, we are going to stick with the afternoon plan. Its was put in front of them on Monday and we stuck with it and we are going to stick with it.

No disappointment going in

Q. Was there any disappointment from anybody about not playing early or because you set it so early they got on board?

STEVE STRICKER: Not at all. Again, these guys have been incredible. I can’t stress it enough, really. Again, it’s about the communication we have had, the captains and myself, and being up front with them and just letting them know what we’re thinking so there’s no curveballs.

We have heard it multiple times from all the players, if you want to play me once or all five, that’s up to you, meaning the captains, just so we can try to win this Cup.

Q. I see Phil out there during the practice rounds, he’s talking and talking and talking to you, can you give us some sense of what he’s actually talking about?

STEVE STRICKER: To me? Oh, we’ve talked a lot about a lot of different things. We’ve talked about players, picks, or pairings, I should say. We’ve talked about golf swings. I enjoy talking with Phil, and we’re lucky to have him to be a part of this team.

You know, it was unknown for a while whether he was going to be a part of this team as a player or (vice) captain, and I had reached out to him quite a long time ago about being a part of this team, actually last year, and then we keep touching base and then he wins the PGA Championship. So we talk again. It’s been an ongoing process with Phil but I knew I wanted him here. He’s great for the team and he’s great in the room.

Yeah, so he talks all the time. He talks, you know, about — and we have talked about a lot of different things. So it’s wonderful to have him around.

Q. Is Bryson sort of his — does he mind Bryson in a way?

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, they get along great. Phil finds Bryson very interesting and he’s trying to learn things from Bryson I think, too. I think Bryson feels like he’s trying to help Phil in some ways, too. So they have this rapport with one another, and they enjoy being with one another.

Yeah, so I see those two guys being in each other’s pocket for the rest of the week.

Q. At the outset you mentioned it’s a three-year run-up to plan for the week. Now that you’re ready to hit balls on Friday, has that worked the way you had hoped, when you see the guys get together and the way they are loose, the things they have said, up to now, do you feel like the goal has been accomplished in your mind?

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, very much so. Obviously the most important part is coming up, right. The playing, them trying to win a point, just trying to put them in a position to play great golf. So far, I think we’ve done that.

The guys are playing great. Like I said, they are all on board.

Q. How important was continuity when making those pairings, in either improving pairings from previous Ryder Cups or Presidents Cups, or partnerships with similar or same golf balls they use?

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, all that is taken into effect. Xander and Patrick have had success in foursomes in The Presidents Cup, so we thought it was a natural fit for them to do foursomes here tomorrow morning.

Yeah, we look at the golf balls. Sometimes it’s just very difficult. We had some guys trying other guys’ balls and it’s a challenge at times. That determines sometimes the pairings and what you can do going forward.

So it is, it’s a big puzzle trying to get all the pieces put together and you rely on feedback from the players. You rely on feedback from the captains, and.

Yeah, it’s a challenge but one that we’re excited to be a part of.

Is Stricker worried about the weather?

Q. How do you think now — look, we had some rain earlier obviously, but how do you think the course will play? Are the greens as firm as you would like them?

STEVE STRICKER: I don’t know, the rules are that we get it into the condition all the way up to the Sunday before, and then that condition is kind of maintained throughout. So that’s the goal is that that condition will be kind of maintained, and it has been.

You know, we can’t — we don’t have any say on what Mother Nature does and provides as far as rain goes or wind, and today they were getting a little bit, not really that firm, but just faster with all that wind and borderline almost too fast for that kind of wind.

But the good news is, the wind looks like it’s going to lay down a little bit. Still breezy but not as much as the last couple days, but the course is in great shape. The guys think it’s a good setup, and everyone I’ve heard from both sides have enjoyed it so far.

Q. You’ve been here before in Presidents Cups, and you’re at the point where you’ve had total control and now you have to relinquish it and basically sit back and watch. What does that feel like and how does it change your own nerves?

STEVE STRICKER: I’m going to enjoy it. To this point, it’s been a lot of work, and there’s still more work to be done for sure. We still have to watch some golf. We still have to gain some more information, the way I’ve been talking to the assistant captains. You know, you want to look forward to Saturday and you want to try to get a plan, and we do have somewhat of a plan, but it’s more about watching these guys play now, getting some feedback from them and the caddies and the assistants and then making the plan for Saturday.

But yeah, it’s in their hands now. They are playing great and they are excited to get going. I mean, I can’t tell you how excited they are to get going and get that first tee ball in the air tomorrow.

Q. It was the captain’s call, right, to start with either format, and I’m curious why you chose foursomes? Was it the fast start at Hazeltine?

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, stats have shown over the years that that’s a better format for us. Yeah, so we wanted to kind of stay with that plan and that’s what we’re doing.

JOHN DEVER: Four rookies going out for you tomorrow, Ryder Cup rookies, what’s that night’s sleep going out into Friday morning? You were in those shoes in 2008.

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, it’s a week where you don’t get a lot of sleep. You try to make sure you do that. I’ve tried to give that to the guys and I’ll do that same thing tonight. We’ll have a quick dinner and tell them to get to bed. It’s a big day tomorrow, but it is, it occupies your mind and it’s tough to get some sleep.

It’s an exciting time. We’re all excited. I’m sure you guys are all excited as well. We are definitely looking forward to it.

Q. Pat Hurst at the Solheim Cup said she wouldn’t play anybody five; she thought it was too much. Do you feel the same way?

STEVE STRICKER: We kind of do at times, and that could morph into something different when we start watching these guys, and if you need to lean on some players more than others.

Yeah, we are trying, that’s our focus is to make sure that guys get rest. It’s a big golf course and when you have conditions like we’ve had the last couple days, it can kind of really beat you up.

Yeah, we are conscious of that, and trying to look at that going forward, as well. It’s definitely on our plate to try to make sure that guys are getting their rest.

JOHN DEVER: Captain, you’ve made it to Ryder Cup Friday almost. Enjoy your evening.

Interview transcript from Asap Sports