Captains face crucial calls in pairings battle

American hopes of regaining the Ryder Cup at Medinah received a major boost with Brandt Snedeker’s victory in the FedEx Cup and Tour Championship while European pair Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood faded.

However, when the actions tees off on Friday what happened in Atlanta will seem irrelevant.

The thoughts of rival captains Davis Love III and Jose-Maria Olazabal have already moved on to the special requirements of the Ryder Cup and the tricky decisions facing them, particularly in finalising their fourball and foursomes pairings. Many captains have perished when failing to master this crucial aspect of the contest.