ShareThisBy RICK MARTINO
Monday, October 30, 2006
While the 36th Ryder Cup concluded Sunday in Ireland, it's very possible that the same disappointing outcome for the American team was determined or at least heavily affected on Thursday, when U.S. and European Team Captains Tom Lehman and Ian Woosnam went public with their pairing selections. Selecting which players to team with each other for the Four-Ball and Foursome games on Friday and Saturday are the key strategic decisions that each Ryder Cup captain must make in hopes of getting his team off to a fast start and ultimately bringing home the Cup.
Much was made of the decision two years ago at the 35th Ryder Cup by then-U.S. Captain Hal Sutton to pair his two marquee players _ Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson _ together for the Four-Ball and Foursome games on the opening day of competition at Oakland Hills Country Club just outside Detroit. Unfortunately for Sutton and the U.S. Team, the pair of superstars just didn't jell and lost both their games that day, putting the American team in an early deficit from which they never recovered.
Ryder Cup captains aren't they only ones who need to pay attention to the importance of pairings. Many college, high school and amateur events use the match and team play formats, and many weekend players often find themselves involved in friendly team play matches.
There are no absolute rules about what make a good partnership _ a lot simply comes down to two personalities that happen to get along, and their games benefit from that congeniality. With that said, however, here are some guidelines that will help produce more successful partnerships.
_ 1.Opposites attract: If you tend to be long but somewhat wild off the tee, you'll benefit from pairing with a player who, while not quite as long off the tee, knows how to keep the ball in play.
_ 2. Safety first: Whenever possible, get a ball safely in play or on the green. This allows the other member of the team to take a calculated gamble and try to hit a long drive or shoot at a dangerous pin placement.
_ 3. Pair with a putter who has a similar style: There are basically two styles of putters _ those who like to take an aggressive, charging approach and those who prefer to lag the ball to the hole. Two examples would be Tiger Woods, who is a charger, and LPGA veteran Juli Inkster, who lags her putts. Because of their differing styles, it would be very difficult for them to help read one another's putts as partners. A better approach is to find a partner who shares your approach to putting. Keep in mind however that it's not required or always a good idea to read greens for each other.
_ 4. Find a kindred spirit: One of golf's most successful pairings was Ben Hogan and Jimmy Demaret, although the two men couldn't have been more different in terms of personality. Hogan was a quiet, shy man while Demaret was gregarious. Their partnership succeeded for just that reason. Hogan enjoyed Demaret's conversation and it helped him relax, while Demaret always seemed to pick up the level of his game when paired with the quiet, intense Hogan. The foundation for their success, however, came down to the fact that they respected each other as people and as players.
_ 5. Skip the apologies: Paul Runyan, a two-time winner of the PGA Championship and a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, enjoyed great success when he teamed with Horton Smith. According to Runyan, the secret to their success was simple: "On the first tee, we'd shake hands and both of us would apologize in advance for any error or poor shot. That would be the only time we'd apologize in the course of the match. There was no need for any further apologies. We both understood that the other fellow was trying his hardest."
For more strategies on match play and team play formats, I recommend you speak to your local PGA Professional. They have the experience and the expertise to guide you through the ins-and-outs of match play. As always, to locate a PGA Professional at a golf facility near you, use the zip code search on www.playgolfamerica.com.
