As everyone knows, the U.S. Ryder Cup Team has now been set. Controversial picks or not (which there always is), now you have to deal with the team you have.

In no particular order, they are:

1. P. Mickelson
2. S. Cink
3. K. Perry
4. J. Furyk
5. A. Kim
6. J. Leonard
7. B. Curtis
8. B. Weekly
9. H. Mahan
10. C. Campbell
11. S. Stricker
12. J.B. Holmes

Captain Azinger has switched the order of matches this year, and Friday morning will begin with Foursomes (alternate shot) matches. There's no way to know who you go up against, but do you front load the early matches, or do you spread out your stronger players throughout the day, or does it really matter what order your teams go out in?

How would you, Captain McDivots, pair the players for Foursomes? Do you put bombers together? Do you play a bomber and a more steady player together? Do you go more on personalities/chemistry between players? Do you just pick half the guys who are going out in the Friday morning matches and tell them, "Pick your own partners"? Do you send your rookies out early so they get the feel of the competition and get the nerves out or do you sit them out in the early matches?

So, all you Captains McDivots, firstly who do you pair for the Friday morning Foursomes to get us off to an early good start?

Who gets "stuck" with Mickelson?

Here's my pairings and reasoning for the Friday morning Foursomes:

I think you have to play Mickelson, simply because he "can" make birdies in bunches, but who do you pair him with? He's going to hit some wild tee shots, so I say he needs someone with the strength and imagination to get out of those not so favorable places, but also someone who will put him in the fairway "most" of the time and let him go for it, and a man who is putting well. I think it's Furyk.

Next I put Cink out, steady and tough, and I think I put him with Perry, to get him out early and get the Kentucky crowd going.

For no particular reason, I think you play Leonard next, and this may seem a strange combo, but I'm putting him with Stricker. They're both steady, both tough competitors, and should be playing from the fairway most of the time, and both are good putters.

I think you need to get Kim out in the early match. He's exciting, long, "good" putter, and I think he wants to play badly. I think he can play with anyone as a partner and it won't bother him. Mahan is playing well recently, and I think two rookies, IF they play well will really get things going for the U.S., so that's who I'm going with.

1. Mickelson - Furyk.
2. Cink - Perry
3. Leonard - Stricker
4. Kim - Mahan

The one thing I hope for from Azinger is that if Mickelson, as usual, is not playing well, that he'll have to balls to sit him. I think Azinger might be the first captain in a very long time, maybe ever, that would have the guts to do so.

How about you? What are your pairings and rationale for Friday morning Foursomes?

Friday Morning
1. Philly Mick and AK - I like the matchup this presents. Both have ungodly good imaginations and I think it works well for Anthony. I think he can hold Phils ego in check.
2. Cink and Furyk - Both guys having less than stellar years individually. They've been around the block together so they should know how to dance it. I think they can push each other.
3. Boo and Stricker - North and South, Yin and Yang, whatever you want to call it, I think it works.
4. Perry and Leonard - Similar distances - should be comfortable enough to trust each other. If you want to save Leonard for a very good four ball pairing with Perry then sub in Curtis here. Perry - Curtis works well too.

Later,

1. initial thoughts were the same, Mickelson and Kim, and I really like them together in fourball. In alternate shot, not so much. It would be a dynamic duo, though, I agree!

2. Can't argue too much with Cink and Furyk. I think either would play well witn almost anyone. I think maybe their games are too much alike to be highly effective in Foursomes.

3. Boo and Stricker makes an interesting pairing. Ying and Yang for sure!! At some point, I think Boo and Kim would make a heck of a pairing.

4. Perry and Leonard. Similar distances? I think Perry hits a 5w farther than Leonard hits his driver. :0) Maybe I'm wrong, but that's my perception. A "tough" pair, for sure.

OK, here goes, since I think the US will squeak this one out, I would send out:

1. Phil and JB. I think that would just ignite the crowd on the first tee, but before they went out, I'd talk with Phil, and give him the role of captain of this pair, he needs to take JB under his wing and get the point, period! I would make sure he knows he is a leader of this pair and the team.

2. I like your third pairof Leonard and Stricker, but I would put them out second. They would be able to handle all the ruckus right behind the first group and get the point.

3. Cink and Kim would be my third pair, and I think they would play together and match up very well. IMO, they would fire each other up.

4. Mahan and Perry would end the morning session with a possible sweep and probably just about wear the crowd out.

Score here after the morning, US 3 or 4, Europe 0 or 1. How about them apples, and look what I have left for the afternoon matches!!!!!!!!

Alright,,, here ya go !!!!!!

1. P. Mickelson - J. Leonard

2. S. Cink - A. Kim

3. K. Perry - B. Curtis

4. J. Furyk - H. Mahan

Your winning line up and Ya heard it here first !!!!!

Hard to argue too much with any of them!
J.B. and Phil? Who will kill who first?? LOL Although J.B. might be the only one "willing" to play with Philly Mick! LOL I don't really think anyone is too hot on playing with J.B. From well-documented reports, he's not only not liked very well, but he has a BO problem that would knock a bull elephant over if he got too close!!

Basically, all of yours stink!!

Just kidding...with your eight I would switch Leonard and Furyk. I really just don't think anyone else works with Mickelson. And maybe Jim wouldn't either!!!

While we're waiting on others to weigh in with their thoughts, I hope one thing for the U.S.
I hope they go out to rip the hearts out of the Euros early. One of the things about match play is that you want to go out and get your opponent down early. It seems to me that in fourball (not so much foursomes) our guys play not to lose rather than to win. Except in foursomes, where I think strategy and personalities are more important, I've never understood what the big deal is about playing fourball. Just play your game and try to get it in the hole for birdie EVERY TIME! Don't play so careful. Put the pedal to the metal and go for it for a change!!!
That's certainly seems to me what the Euros do in fourball!!

Well, I have to agree with you on that one !!! No need to play "Safe Golf" with that format. If you do, then IMO its lost from the first tee !!!

Hey,,,, watch how ya talk to the captain !!!!!!