Paul McGinley expects all of Team Europe to play on Ryder Cup opening day

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Paul McGinley

Golf Columnist

Thursday 7 November 2019 12:10, UK

Paul McGinley believes Thomas Bjorn's strategy is to play all 12 members of his European team on the opening day of the Ryder Cup.

Bjorn unveiled his line-up for Friday morning's fourballs during the opening ceremony at Le Golf National on Thursday afternoon, with Justin Rose and Jon Rahm leading off the home challenge against the United States.

Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson and Alex Noren will sit out the first session but McGinley expects them all to feature in the afternoon foursomes.

He said: "We've been saying all along there is 12 strong players, there's no doubt about that. Always going to be strong pairings.

"Three of his four picks are not playing in the morning but that's okay, they will probably come in in the afternoon. That to me looks like he is thinking about playing all 12 players on the first day, because the players who are not playing could well be foursomes players coming in in the afternoon.

"Sergio, Poulter and Stenson. All great pedigrees and winning records in foursomes play. These guys, there's no doubt they are coming in in the afternoon.

"Alex Noren won the French Open around here this year; he's suited to this golf course, there's no doubt he's a steady Eddie, he's coming in too.

"I'll be very surprised now if Thomas is not doing a strategy of playing all 12 players on the first day which I believe is the right strategy. Get all of them out.

"This is a very strong team one to 12. We are not back in the 1980s when we had to rely on four or five of the major champions carrying us through and maybe the odd point from the rookies.

"This is a different dynamic now and that's the strategy that Thomas seems to be going with. You've got to understand the style of players suited to fourball, the style of players suited to foursomes - two different things.

"Tyrrell Hatton we've said all week if he's going to play on the first day it will have to be the first morning, and he is."

Rose and Rahm will be up against Brooks Koepka and Tony Finau and McGinley reckons the European pair will present a formidable opening partnership.

He said: "Justin's used to being in that lead role. He's played it in the past with Henrik Stenson very successfully. He's just won, basically, the Order of Merit on the PGA Tour.

"Big player, so he's ready for that and I don't think there is anybody who knows anything about golf that doesn't think Jon Rahm is not going to be a superstar going forward in terms of major wins and what he is going to achieve in the game.

"I think he's got a heart of a lion and I think he's going to relish this environment. So that to me on paper looks like a really strong partnership."

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