Phil Mickelson recalls his disastrous partnership with Tiger Woods at the 2004 Ryder Cup
You might think that the key to a successful Ryder Cup pairing in foursomes is putting together two golfers that get along or mask each other's weaknesses. That's certainly important - Dustin Johnson, for example, has made it clear he doesn't want to play alongside Phil Mickeson - but one thing that keeps coming up in pre-Ryder Cup press conferences is the importance of being comfortable with the golf ball in play.
In foursomes, a teams of two players take turns hitting the same ball. One player will take the tee shot, the other will hit the approach and so on. There are two sessions of foursomes over the first two days and a total of eight points at stake, making it crucial for a Ryder Cup captian to figure out which pairs will be successful together. Sticking two players together who typically play different golf balls can lead to disastrous results, even if the players are the best in the world individually.
In a press conference Wednesday morning, Phil Mickelson reflected on the 2004 Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills in Michigan, where the European team embarrassed the USA by a score of 18.5-9.5. Captain Hal Sutton put Mickelson, who won the Masters earlier that year, in a super-team with Tiger Woods in both sessions on Thursday, banking on his two best players locking up two points. They lost both matches, and the two players took combined 3 points over the three days.
Via ASAP Sports:
