Friday Fourball pairings announced

Friday Fourball pairings announced

The U.S Ryder Cup defense starts on Friday, and the Americans are turning to Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson to start things off.

The pairings for the Celtic Manor tournament have been released. "Lefty" and Johnson play Lee Westwood and PGA champion Martin Kaymer, representing Europe.

For the first time since 1999, Tiger Woods is not in the leadoff match, but is paired with Steve Stricker, with opposition from Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher.

The other two match-ups sees Stewart Cink and Matt Kuchar playing Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell - and Bubba Watson and Jeff Overton face Luke Donald and Padraig Harrington.