Why Straka And Lowry Was An Easy Ryder Cup Pairing For Luke Donald
Sometimes equipment can dictate who plays with who in the foursomes
Listen to most former Ryder Cup captains discuss pairings, and they’ll often talk a lot about how statistics are used to help them decide on who plays with you.
Then you have former skippers like Paul McGinley talking about a “gut feel” for who will make a successful partnership.
Europe’s 2023 captain, Luke Donald, will no doubt have prepared just as thoroughly as any of his predecessors, although, just like many former captains have done in the past, he will also have kept a few cards close to his chest this week.
However, once the Ryder Cup practice days commence, it doesn’t take a genius to work out who might be playing with who – the answer is often there right in front of our eyes as the players team up together.
After seeing Rory McIlroy alongside Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm with Tyrrell Hatton, Viktor Hovland with Ludvig Aberg, and Shane Lowry with Sepp Straka, Donald confirmed that these were his four pairings for Friday's foursomes.
Donald will talk about how they get along and how their games suit each other perfectly for the foursomes format, but has the model of ball that these players use also come into his thinking?
Pairing up players who play the exact same model makes sense. Lowry and Straka, who both use the Srixon Z-Star XV, won't have to worry about getting used to a different model.
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The same can be said of Fleetwood and McIlroy, who both play with a TaylorMade TP5x golf ball.
The type of ball players use is a big deal. At this level, players are meticulous with their golf ball choice, and they can have quite different preferences when it comes to spin control and feel.
There will, of course, be some players who have to make an adjustment and play with a ball that they're not used to playing week to week.
As to who decides which ball to play, it's difficult to imagine it being decided by a game of 'Rock, Paper, Scissors'. More likely, players call rank. In other words, you're not going to have a choice if you're a rookie.
Then again, maybe a more experienced player might be able to make those slight adjustments a little better. Oh, to be a fly on the team room wall.
Michael has been with Golf Monthly since 2008. As a multimedia journalist, he has also worked for The Football Association, where he created content to support the men's European Championships, The FA Cup, London 2012, and FA Women's Super League. As content editor at Foremost Golf, Michael worked closely with golf's biggest equipment manufacturers, and has developed an in-depth knowledge of this side of the industry. He's now a regular contributor, covering instruction, equipment and feature content. Michael has interviewed many of the game's biggest stars, including six world number ones, and has attended and reported on many Major Championships and Ryder Cups. He's a member of Formby Golf Club.
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