Chemistry the buzzword as Europe look to learn from past

Chemistry was the word on everybody’s lips at Le Golf National last night as the longest wait in golf ended with the unveiling of an exciting line-up of matches to kickstart the 42nd Ryder Cup this morning on the outskirts of Paris.

The opening fourballs, better-ball, matches will set the tone for the four sessions to follow and European captain Thomas Bjorn has set out his stall in a bid to avoid the fate that befell his predecessor Darren Clark at Hazeltine two years ago when the United States romped into a 4-0 lead after the first session and never looked back in a 17-11 mauling of the visitors in Minnesota.

For the Americans, it marked the dawning of a new era of togetherness and cohesion in this team format after the recriminations that followed Tom Watson’s ill-fated handling of the 2014 matches at Gleneagles.

And it is why Jim Furyk’s side crossed the Atlantic as favourites to claim a first away win at the Ryder Cup since Watson captained his 1993 side to victory at the Belfry, when 2018 rookie Bryson DeChambeau was only 10 days old.

What goes around comes around. That sparked a Euro awakening and now they must avoid paying the penalty from a similarly revived Team USA which finally looks the sum of its parts.

It has been a long time to wait and no American team has looked stronger in that drought than this dozen, but if there is a sporting event that defies logic more often than conforms to it, it is a Ryder Cup.

The Europeans have home advantage and are playing on a course that has been host to the Open de France since 1991.

Never mind the five rookies on the side, Bjorn and his players are ready to embrace all the assets in its favour.

The morning’s line-up is an example of the confidence the European captain has in his debutants, sending four of them out alongside more experienced partners, including fellow Dane Thorbjorn Olesen in the company of Rory McIlroy to do battle with Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler.

It is a partnership few saw coming after McIlroy practised for the first two days here with Jon Rahm, but the Irishman likes the look of his latest playing partner.

“Thorbjorn and I have known each other for a lot of years,” said McIlroy. “We first played together in Egypt in 2010, which is a long time ago.

“I think our game styles are pretty similar. We both hit the ball a long way and we sort of see the game similarly, and it’s about chemistry, and being one of the more experienced players, I wanted to not necessarily take a rookie under my wing, but if it was called upon me to play with someone with a little less experience, I was all for that.

I think it’s going to be a good experience for Thorbjorn to go out there tomorrow morning and experience the first tee. I just can’t wait to go out with him and try to win a point for Europe.

McIlroy also endorsed Bjorn’s policy of playing four of his rookies in the fourballs.

Asked what it said about playing the newcomers first up, he said: “It means that they are not really rookies. They know the golf course so well and Thorbjorn has played the golf course in the French Open, so it’s not anything new.”

Of familiar foes Fowler and Johnson, also a new combination, McIlroy said: “I’ve played Rickie a lot in Ryder Cup over the past few years, so it’s a comfortable match for both of us.

"Obviously Thorbjorn and Dustin know each other just a little bit through their management group, so it will be a comfortable grouping.

“Especially first Ryder Cup match for Thorbjorn, so the more comfortable it can be, the better. Just excited to get going tomorrow and can’t wait to partner up with this man and try to bring a point home for Europe.”

Aside from a vocal home crowd, Europe’s familiarity with Le Golf National could turn this par-71, 7,183-yard course into a 13th man.

Everyone on the European side is raring to go, said the European captain.

“I said for a long time this week that we’d be ready to go, and this is it,” Bjorn declared last night, adding that on Tuesday, "we were dragging our feet a little bit and getting to know everything”.

He continued: “Then the last two days have been just fantastic. There’s been an unbelievable mood in the camp.

"They have been great on the golf course and played with each other out there and had a nice time, and the team room’s been brilliant.

“We stand here and all is good. The great thing about tonight is that I get a night’s sleep before the matches, because I think that (opening ceremony) speech has been playing on my mind for awhile.

So I’m looking forward to actually get to bed tonight, and then we go tomorrow. There’s a wonderful mood in this group of guys. They are really good with each other. Yeah, we’re ready to go.

While the morning’s fourball pairings seem like a collection of birdie machines, one of them — Jordan Spieth — has warned it will be a very different contest to the birdie-fest of 2016, although his hopes for a subdued crowd may be wishful thinking on the American’s part.

“I don’t think you’ll go anywhere else where you’ll see as many fist-pump pars as you’ll see this week, especially in the afternoon foursomes when the wind picks up,” said Spieth.

“It was windy yesterday and we were playing best-ball and there weren’t that many birdies outside the par fives.

“I don’t think there will be as many roars. You’ll know who won holes, when holes are won. But there were a lot of putts made at Hazeltine, which you know, from any change, six to 30 feet. That was really exciting…

“You just won’t see that many birdie opportunities as we saw at Hazeltine just because if you miss the fairway, you’re fighting for par.”

Speith may be expecting a crowd unimpressed by par putts but he is in for a rude awakening.

Every putt that sinks for a European and wins a hole will reverberate around this stadium course whether it is par or worse.

Logic will definitely go out the window. This is a Ryder Cup after all.