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Euro Ryder Cup Partners: Who Will Pair with Whom at Whistling Straits?

By Kathlene Bissell

PARIS, FRANCE - SEPTEMBER 30: Tommy Fleetwood of Europe and Rory McIlroy of Europe celebrate after winning The Ryder Cup during singles matches of the 2018 Ryder Cup at Le Golf National on September 30, 2018 in Paris, France. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE - SEPTEMBER 30: Tommy Fleetwood of Europe and Rory McIlroy of Europe celebrate after winning The Ryder Cup during singles matches of the 2018 Ryder Cup at Le Golf National on September 30, 2018 in Paris, France. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images) /
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Let the guessing begin!  We have a little over a week until the first pairings are announced.  After that, things happen fast. Fingers get pointed.  Questions get asked.  But for now, who should play with whom?

Europe, it seems, has been brilliant for the last 30 years in picking partners. People refer to it as their “secret sauce.”  In fact, the most successful Ryder Cup pair in history has been the European team of Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal.

Rory McIlroy gave some small clues as to their inside methods in a recent press conference at the Tour Championship.

“There’s going to be a couple of rookies on the team that are going to have to see who they pair well with and that will be up to maybe different personalities, maybe looking into the stats to see whose game matches up with who,” he explained.

“We have got some tried and tested formulas…” — Rory McIlroy

That could mean that McIlroy will play with Sergio Garcia or Ian Poulter, both of whom have been his partners before.  Lee Westwood, half of one of the most successful Ryder Cup pairings ( with Darren Clarke), has also paired with Garcia.  Certainly, between Westwood, Garcia, Poulter and McIlroy, that gives Europe a lot of experience and flexibility in pairings.

As McIlroy said, “We have got some tried and tested formulas that have worked in the past, and I don’t think there’s any reason to deviate from them too much.”

Poulter is a team spark plug, a burst of energy that seems to turn bad situations into victories.  No one quite knows how he does it or where his extra energy comes from, but nobody really wants to take on Poulter during a Ryder Cup. McIlroy feels Poulter’s energy is contagious.

“You always think you’re going to win the hole and they end up halving it,” McIlroy said about Poulter when asked about him at the BMW Championship. It was right after Poulter was picked by Ryder Cup Captain Padraig Harrington.

Then there are the numbers to consider.

“The stats could throw up a partnership out of nowhere and be like, okay, well, these two guys seem to match up well,” he added.

Rookies could have a tough time with the schedule and the pressure.  In addition, it’s easy to get worn out with the potential to play five matches. McIlroy said his keys have been to make sure he doesn’t overextend himself early in the week. He doesn’t want to be worn out before the Sunday singles. His keys? He doesn’t play 18 holes every day in practice.  He doesn’t spend extra time in the gym.

So, what kind of pairings could we see?  Will Tommy Fleetwood find a new guy to win four matches with, like he did with Francesco Molinari?

Who will win Vicktor Hovland’s eye?

“There’s a few guys lining up to have the chance to play with him in the team formats the first couple of days. So, he’ll probably have his pick of who he wants to play with,” McIlroy said about the Norwegian.

What about Shane Lowry?  Will McIlroy be chosen to shepherd him in his Ryder Cup debut at Whistling Straits?

Should we look for Garcia be paired up with Jon Rahm, continuing the Spanish tradition of great teams like Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal?

Overall, Ballesteros and Olazabal played 15 matches, more than any other European combination. They won 11 and only lost twice.

When Olazabal made his Ryder Cup debut  as Ballesteros’ partner in 1987, Ballesteros reportedly told him, “You just play your game, and I’ll take care of the rest.”  And he did.  No one on either side comes close to that record.  Ballesteros was willing to take the burden of leading his newbie partner.

AUGUSTA, : Steve Ballesteros of Spain (L) talks to compatriot Jose Maria Olazabal from inside a bunker on the 10th hole 07 April during the first practice round for the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. The tournament will start on 10 April. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE) (Photo credit should read JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images)
AUGUSTA, : Steve Ballesteros of Spain (L) talks to compatriot Jose Maria Olazabal from inside a bunker on the 10th hole 07 April during the first practice round for the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. The tournament will start on 10 April. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE) (Photo credit should read JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images) /

But the Seve/Ollie paring is not the only one great one in European history.  Another one is Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke, who is now on the PGA Tour Champions circuit.  They won six points as partners, tied with NickFaldo and Ian Woosnam as the second most successful pairing in European Ryder Cup history.

Lee Westwood only has to play two matches to tie Nick Faldo’s record of 46.  He now has 23 total Ryder Cup points, tied with Ballesteros, just behind Colin Montgomerie and Bernhard Langer, both with 24, and Faldo with 25. However, all of them are behind Europe’s all-time points leader in Ryder Cup:  Sergio Garcia, with 25.5.

Perhaps Westwood could take his pick of Englishmen, from Poulter, Fleetwood, Paul Casey, Tyrrell Hatton or Matthew Fitzpatrick.  Certainly, he would be a solid partner for a newcomer, and that’s important.

Can’t wait to see who the partnerships are.