Friday Morning Ryder Cup Analysis

   The 40th Ryder Cup begins Friday morning at the Gleneagles Centenary Course in Scotland. The bieennial competition pits 12 golfers from the United States against 12 players from Europe. Overall, the U.S. leads 25-12-2, but Europe has won seven of the last nine times. Two-man teams on Friday and Saturday, and singles on Sunday are all played under a blind draw.

Format
   Friday AM: 4 best-ball (fourball) matches
   Friday PM: 4 alternate shot (foursome) matches
   Saturday AM: 4 best-ball matches
   Saturday PM: 4 alternate shot matches
   Sunday: 12 singles matches

   There are 28 points available in the event, one point for each match won and a half a point to each side if tied. As the defending champion, Europe needs only 14 points to retain possession of the Ryder Cup. The United States needs 14 1/2 points to win it back. The 2016 Ryder Cup Matches will be held at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota.

Friday's Morning Analysis
Match 1 (all times Eastern)
   2:35 a.m. - Bubba Watson/Webb Simpson, U.S. vs. Justin Rose/Henrik Stenson, Europe - Not a real surprise that American captain Tom Watson is going with this pairing. Of his three captain's picks for the Ryder Cup, Simpson was maybe the most controversial, but pairing him with Bubba only makes sense in the fourball format. The two won both of their fourball matches paired with each other two years ago, both of them by 5&4 blowout style.
   Advantage: I like Watson and Simpson here. Bubba is an enigmatic personality at times and you never know what's going through his mind. That said, the man can flat out bomb the ball off the tee and play great golf. Two Masters titles in the past three years tells you that. Simpson provides that steady hand to go alongside.

   2:50 a.m. - Rickie Fowler/Jimmy Walker, U.S. vs. Thomas Bjorn/Martin Kaymer, Europe - The first of Watson's rookies is here with Walker, a three-time winner earlier this year on the PGA Tour. He is paired with Fowler, who finished in the top five of all the major championships in 2014. Fowler made headlines before departing for Scotland by having the letters USA put on the side of his head after a new haircut. On the other side, Bjorn is one of the feel-good stories of this year's Ryder Cup, as he qualified for his first team since the 2001 version, which was played in 2002 due to the September 11 attacks. Kaymer, who holed the winning putt in Europe's comeback victory two years ago, dominated in winning the U.S. Open this summer but hasn't done much since.
   Advantage: Again, I'll take the American side here in a close match. Fowler hasn't won a whole lot on tour, but he's probably our best player right now. He and Walker have reportedly wanted to play with each other, so here's their first opportunity.

   3:05 a.m. - Jordan Spieth/Patrick Reed, U.S. vs. Stephen Gallacher/Ian Poulter, Europe - What an intriguing matchup here. Three rookies in this group along with the most successful Ryder Cup player in recent times. There will plenty of roars from the crowd for the European tandem, as Gallacher is the only Scot in the event and lives just 35 miles from the site. All Poulter has done is go unbeaten in his last seven Ryder Cup matches, dating back to 2010. Spieth (21) and Reed (24) are 45 years old combined, and come in as decided underdogs.
   Advantage: Hard not to give Europe a point in this one. I have that penciled in to my predictions, but I'm not completely overlooking the American side. Gallacher and Poulter have all the pressure on them here, with rookie Gallacher being so close to home, and Poulter being so good in Ryder Cup play. Yet Poulter hasn't done much of anything good this year in golf, while Spieth and Reed both had solid seasons in the United States. It's only one point out of 28 overall, but if Spieth and Reed could win this match or even manage a draw, it would be an early momentum swing toward the Americans.

   3:20 a.m. - Keegan Bradley/Phil Mickelson, U.S. vs. Rory McIlroy/Sergio Garcia, Europe - I talk a lot about there being wrestlers who are called "studs." Well, in this year's Ryder Cup, this is your "stud" matchup. Bradley and Mickelson went 3-0 as a duo two years ago, and also had success at last year's Presidents Cup. That said, both have had subpar years, and Mickelson would have needed a captain's pick to make the team had he not posted a high finish at the PGA Championship. Lefty qualified on points for his 10th straight Ryder Cup. Meanwhile, McIlroy broke off his engagement to tennis player Caroline Wozniacki and then went on a golfing tear, winning the British Open and PGA Championship along with a World Golf Championship event during a month-long stretch this summer to get back to being the top ranked player in the world. His teammate for this one, Garcia, rather quietly had a good year and is currently ranked third.
   Advantage: As much as I'd love to see Bradley and Mickelson continue their winning ways, I'm going with McIlroy and Garcia. They're just playing better right now, bottom line. After nearly missing his tee time two years ago, McIlroy beat Bradley in the singles format.

   Surprises: I'm a little surprised that Matt Kuchar is sitting out the early session for the U.S. He won a pair of fourball matches in 2012. But hey, four guys have to sit each time, and I like the idea of Watson getting all three first-timers into the mix from the get-go.

Friday Morning Prediction: United States 2, Europe 2
Overall Prediction: United States 15, Europe 13