Ten Best Ryder Cup Pairs in the History of Golf (Part 1)
A Ryder Cup captain has to plan a lot about the course of his era, but nothing matters more than his choice of pairings. Will he go for two strong golfers in one pair and leave another pair vulnerable to defeat? Or else try to find a mixture of length and accuracy so crucial in foursomes? The past Ryder Cups have thrown up some fantastic pairings that roared on the day while others have drowned without trace. Bettor.com looks back in Ryder Cup history to some of the pairings that caught the eye and shone on the course.
1) Seve Ballesteros & Jose Maria Olazabal
Opposite attracts! Cheese and sausages, cherries and cream, sugar and pepper - some things are just meant to be together. This partnership initially seemed like a disaster on paper but on the ground, it wiped the enemy off. Tony Jacklin managed to persuade Seve back to the Ryder Cup team after he had arguments with the European Tour over money. The duo holds a superb record unlike any other pair. In 1987, they won by 11-2 when they were left 14 feet from the green and a birdie was required by both the players to reach the pin. Seve knocked a 10 feet pass to Olazabal which he vaulted right into the pin.
2) Darren Clarke & Lee Westwood
Darren Clark is currently the vice captain of European side while Lee West wood is yet another player but back in 1999 , their partnership was considered as the strongest. They were great friends off the field and when their Ryder Cup career started, they turned into partners. They both first teamed up in 1999 at Brookline and claimed two out of three matches. Moreover, they defeated Tiger Woods and David Duval in the same tournament. In 2004, together they won all four matches and repeated the same performance at 2006's four balls.
3) Jack Nicklaus & Tom Watson
This duo came into formation in 1981 and ever since they are considered as one of the best pairs ever. They claimed 36 major victories and their record shows not a single defeat in any Ryder Cup. Jack and Tom were unstoppable on all Sundays and the Europeans had no counter pair to deal with them.
4) The Molinari Brothers
They are the first brothers to be part of the same Ryder Cup team. Francesco qualified for the automatic spot after a strong and charismatic season on the European Tour and his brother , Edoardo got the wild card from Colin Montgomerie after he won the Johnnie Walker Championship. The brothers had , earlier, claimed the World Cup of Golf at Mission Hills in China, last year. However, despite being in the same team, chances are that Monty might split them apart.
5) Arnold Palmer & Gardner Dickinson
Their glorious era started in 1967 and stretched all the way to 1971. Of this duo, Dickinson held the record for the highest winning percentage in a Ryder Cup. His record of 9-1-0 is still unbroken. Both Palmer and Dickinson combined for the first time in 1967 and won by 5-0. Their pair was considered as a dreamy combination as one was excellent at wedges while the other was excellent at long tee shots.
Finally, this is the first half of the ten best Ryder Cup pairs. The next five will follow soon. However, looking at these pairs one realizes that pairs are made keeping in mind their matching stats and their edge over each other. If one is weak then the other should be strong, if one is a long hitter than the other should be expert with wedges. This combination can take the shot out of a bunker and drive it all the way into the pin.
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