Ryder Cup: Tuesday practice session offers clue to pairings

There’s only 72 hours until the first balls are struck at the 2023 Ryder Cup and, predictably, there’s plenty of speculation over who’ll be playing with whom on the opening morning.

European captain Luke Donald has already sprung a surprise by announcing that the first session at Marco Simone will be foursomes – a format Europe hasn’t opened with since 1993… which also happens to be the last time the US won on the road.

But the big question of which players will be entrusted for the opening session won’t be answered until Thursday’s opening ceremony.

That being said, we may have already been served a significant clue courtesy of the Tuesday practice pairings.

Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Sepp Straka and Tommy Fleetwood are out first for Europe today at approximately 10am.

They’ll be followed by Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton and Ludvig Aberg at 10.15am.

Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose, Robert MacIntyre and Nicolai Hojgaard complete the set at 10.30am.

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For the Americans, Jordan Spieth, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas are first off the tenth tee at 9.30am.

They’re followed by Collin Morikawa, Brian Harman, Rickie Fowler and Max Homa.

Last but not least are Scottie Scheffler, Brooks Koepka, Wyndham Clark and Sam Burns.

Typically, players who practice together at the Ryder Cup end up playing together.

With that said, here’s our prediction for Friday’s opening foursomes match-ups…

BUNKERED PREDICTION – FRIDAY AM, FOURSOMES

Match 1
McIlroy / Fleetwood vs Cantlay / Schauffele

Match 2
Rahm / Hatton vs Scheffler / Burns

Match 3
Fitzpatrick / Rose vs Koepka / Clark

Match 4 
Hovland / Aberg vs Spieth / Thomas

How to watch the Ryder Cup on UK TV

Click here for a full guide to the Ryder Cup broadcast coverage for television viewers in the United Kingdom.