Harrington, Monty ready for American dream team

Tiger Woods draws a huge crowd wherever he goes – on the golf course or off it.

But even if he has played in front of more people than were at Oakland Hills in Detroit today he might never have played a more eagerly-awaited match.

The 35th Ryder Cup was kicking off with a clash of the Titans – Woods and Masters champion Phil Mickelson against Colin Montgomerie and Padraig Harrington.

“I felt history needed it. I felt the fans needed it and most of all I felt Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson needed it,” said American captain Hal Sutton.

Woods is no longer the world number one in golf, but still arguably the biggest attraction in the sport.

And he has a point to prove after winning, not only a mere five out of 15 Ryder Cup games so far in his career, but also only two of 12 fourballs in Ryder and Presidents Cup competition.

Mickelson was first, second, third and sixth in this season’s four majors and also has a point to prove after one of his worst performances of the year last week when he switched woods and balls.

Harrington, Europe’s only top-10 player in the world rankings, was a winner in Cologne last Sunday and now is out to prove that he can play a leading role in this biennial event.

Montgomerie, loser of only two of his last 16 Ryder Cup games, top scorer in the last three matches and, after needing a wild card for the first time, needs to show he can still shine in such company.

The added spice was that the two Americans had never been partners before and have been fierce rivals.

Montgomerie admitted his hair would be standing on end when he hit the first shot.

“From where I was in my life in April (when news of his split from wife Eimear was made public) to where I am now is a different world,” he said.

“The atmosphere is going to be electric. It is going to be a dramatic opening, there is no question about that. But that is why we play this game, that is why we try to get into this position.

“Tiger is in that elevated position if you like, almost a regal position here in the States. Phil Mickelson has had the year of his life and they have put them together. It will be interesting, but we can beat them.

“They will not like the fact of facing us, they won’t really know what to expect. Padraig is a super partner and hopefully he has as much faith in me as I have in him.

“I think he asked to play with me, which was good because we have respect for each other.” They were the only pair to defeat Mickelson and David Toms at The Belfry two years ago.

“I might be 62 in the world but that goes out of the window in this competition. This is the start that the tournament deserves. Game on.”

Harrington added: “It is exactly as we predicted, no surprise to us. That’s the way we wanted it.

“Monty has the experience and I am usually pretty determined. They are the big stars but hopefully we will manage our games against them.”

It is the start every on-looker was hoping for this weekend and the start captains Bernhard Langer and Sutton say they are happy about too.

“I don’t know how many people the first hole can hold, but we will find out,” said Sutton.

“We came here to win,” he added. “I told these two guys that the perception is that the United States team don’t bond. I can’t think of a message we could send any louder.”

In three Ryder Cups and three Presidents Cups Woods and Mickelson were kept apart throughout by Tom Kite, Ben Crenshaw, Curtis Strange, Ken Venturi and Jack Nicklaus (twice).

But from the day he was appointed captain two years ago Sutton has had in his mind to change that – especially with the United States having lost three of the last four Ryder Cups.

Sutton is ready for criticism if the plan backfires, of course, but he also warns: “I don’t think anything would aggravate them more. There would be some Hell to pay.”

Langer commented: “It looks great on paper to me. A win would be fantastic and would really pump us up.”

The partnership is a bold attempt to get America off to a flying start and so is the way Mickelson has prepared for the match.

He did not practise on Wednesday and when he played yesterday it was on the adjoining North Course and not the South Course on which the match actually takes place.

Langer had heard rumours that Woods and Mickelson were to be united.

“I think I have two very good opponents for them to match up,” he commented. “Any win is fantastic and if we win that one it would really pump us up.”

There were three other games in the opening session, of course, and Langer made a late change with 2002 match-winner Paul McGinley being drafted in to partner Luke Donald instead of Paul Casey. He said it was because McGinley was playing “awesome.”

They were taking on Stewart Cink and Chris Riley in the third game. Ahead of them were Darren Clarke and Miguel Angel Jimenez against Davis Love and Chad Campbell and bringing up the rear were successful Belfry duo Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood, who faced major winners Jim Furyk and David Toms.