Jordan Spieth

United States Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker is calling on the same four teams he used Friday morning to pick up points Saturday at Whistling Straits.

The Americans earned three of their six points from the Friday morning foursomes competition. The only change made by Stricker is the order in which the pairings hit the course.

Daniel Berger and Brooks Koepka will lead off the set of four morning matches against Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia, who picked up the lone point in the Friday foursomes for Europe.

Europe captain Padraig Harrington will use one other pairing from his Friday morning selections. He is going with two new teams in an attempt to halt the American momentum.

Harrington delivered the biggest shock of the lineup selection, as he opted to keep Rory McIlroy off the course Saturday morning. McIlroy has never sat during a single session in his Ryder Cup career.

The foursomes competition begins at 8 a.m. ET on Golf Channel. The coverage moves to NBC at 9 a.m. ET for the rest of the day.

              

Saturday Tee Times and Pairings

Day ✌️ Foursomes Pairings@ROLEX | #RyderCup pic.twitter.com/yh21ptHqKu

— Ryder Cup (@rydercup) September 25, 2021

          

Predictions

Justin Thomas Banks Off Momentum Gained from Friday Afternoon

Justin Thomas did not play well in the Friday morning foursomes session alongside Jordan Spieth, and they were the only American pair to drop a match in the opening round of contests.

Thomas appeared to be headed for a similar result in the afternoon alongside Patrick Cantlay, but he turned around that match on the ninth hole.

After that, Thomas nailed a few massive putts on the back nine to rally from a three-shot deficit to earn a tie against Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland.

Thomas displayed a ton of emotion throughout the comeback. Part of that appeared to be a release of the frustration from his first 26 holes. If he banks off that momentum, he and Spieth could get off to a fast start in their match against Hovland and Bernd Wiesberger.

Spieth turned in the better round in the alternate-shot format Friday. He could ride the wave of emotion created by Thomas on Friday afternoon. In 2018, Spieth and Thomas were the United States' best duo. They went 3-1, with their only loss coming in the Friday foursomes.

Hovland and Wiesberger will be playing together for the first time in the Ryder Cup on Saturday. Neither player won his first Ryder Cup match Friday afternoon.

Spieth and Thomas carry a significant edge in experience, and that should provide yet another boost to the duo's chase of a Saturday morning point.

                  

Patrick Cantlay & Xander Schauffele Continue Strong Ryder Cup

Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele turned in the best foursomes performance Friday.

The American rookies rolled off five consecutive hole victories to begin their match against McIlroy and Ian Poulter.

Cantlay and Schauffele only lost two holes in that match, and they closed with wins on the 14th and 15th holes.

Schauffele extended his strong play into Friday afternoon alongside Dustin Johnson, while Cantlay thrived alongside Thomas to come back in the four-balls anchor match.

The American duo sits in the anchor position again Saturday morning, and it should roll versus the English duo of Lee Westwood and Matt Fitzpatrick.

Westwood and Fitzpatrick lost their Friday foursomes match to Brooks Koepka and Daniel Berger. They did not win a hole on the back nine even though the match made it to the 17th hole.

The English pair was not effective enough Friday and could run into a buzz saw Saturday.

It is hard to see Cantlay and Schauffele losing any match in their form, and they may finish the day as the United States pairing with the best record.

In the 21st century, the United States has won the Ryder Cup over Europe just twice in nine attempts. 

The Americans got a pretty good start on making it three out of 10 on Friday. 

They hold a commanding 6-2 lead after the first day of play that featured a morning session of foursome and an afternoon session of four-ball. 

6-2 US. Largest Day 1 lead since 1975. Largest for any side since Europe led 6.5-1.5 en route to a rout in 2004.

— Will Gray (@WillGrayGolfbet) September 24, 2021

Below, we'll break down the scores and highlights from the first day of action at Whistling Straits. 

---

Morning Foursome Scores

(Europe) Jon Rahm / Sergio Garcia def. Justin Thomas / Jordan Spieth, 3 & 1

(USA) Dustin Johnson / Collin Morikawa def. Paul Casey / Viktor Hovland, 3 & 2

(USA) Brooks Koepka / Daniel Berger def. Lee Westwood / Matt Fitzpatrick, 2 & 1

(USA) Patrick Cantlay / Xander Schauffele def. Rory McIlroy / Ian Poulter, 5 & 3

---

Afternoon Four-Ball Scores

(USA) Johnson / Schauffele def. Casey / Bernd Wiesberger, 2 & 1

(USA) Tony Finau / Harris English def. McIlroy / Shane Lowry, 4 & 3

(USA) Bryson DeChambeau / Scottie Scheffler tied Rahm / Tyrell Hatton

(USA) Thomas / Cantlay tied Tommy Fleetwood / Hovland

---

The Americans got off to a fantastic start on Friday, exactly what they needed in front of the home fans. And they did so in style. 

Seriously, there were some incredible shots on Friday, from DeChambeau absolutely blasting the ball off the tee to Spieth hitting one of the most ridiculous shots you'll ever see:

BRYSON.

417 YARDS.#RyderCup | @RyderCupUSA

📺 Golf Channel and @peacockTV pic.twitter.com/15bXf9ZmXq

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) September 24, 2021

Bryson, once again, is putting on a show in the tee box #RyderCup https://t.co/i4jOKWTM6A

— Golf Central (@GolfCentral) September 24, 2021

How'd Spieth do that? 🤯

(via @golfchannel)pic.twitter.com/PmTpON3X3U

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 24, 2021

Spieth almost ate it for that shot, folks. That's commitment. That's patriotism. 

Johnson, meanwhile, was the day's MVP, winning both of his rounds with scintillating performances. He looked very much the part of the player who has sat atop the world rankings for 135 weeks throughout his career. 

DJ & MJ - the perfect pairing.#GoUSA | #RyderCup pic.twitter.com/FHZkiTeYly

— Ryder Cup USA (@RyderCupUSA) September 24, 2021

Dustin Johnson picked a good day to play maybe his best golf all year. Vintage DJ today.

— Jason Sobel (@JasonSobelGolf) September 24, 2021

Dustin Johnson came to play this weekend. Throwing dart after dart.

— Tony Paul | Detroit News (@TonyPaul1984) September 24, 2021

Dustin Johnson making golf look easy is one of the best things in sports

— Ryan Ballengee (@RyanBallengee) September 24, 2021

Schauffele had an equally impressive day, winning both of his matches as well. After bulldozing McIlroy and Poulter with Cantlay, he and Johnson partnered up to make easy work of Casey and Wiesberger. 

After Schauffele's strong start with Cantlay, Steve Stricker choosing to split up that pair was a somewhat controversial decision. Schauffele and Johnson getting the win and Thomas and Cantlay managing a draw validated the decision. 

And if you don't think the players are taking this very, very seriously, just look at Thomas rousing the crowd after making this putt:

The past hour of golf at the Ryder Cup has been ELECTRIC.

Tony Finau pouring in putts. Dustin Johnson celebrating with Michael Jordan.

Now Justin Thomas lighting a fire into the American crowd. Not seen, JT screaming “I CAN’T F***ING HEAR YOU.” #RyderCup pic.twitter.com/l3YSOGC35G

— TJ Eckert (@TJEckertKJRH) September 24, 2021

For the European team, meanwhile, McIlroy struggled immensely. Both of his losses were total blowouts. 

It was an ominous sign for the Europeans:

Rory has never sat a session in his Ryder Cup career. Played 4 as a rookie in '10 only because of weather delays and 5 matches every year since. Euro plan had to include he and Rahm going the distance. After 2 semi-blowout losses would Harrington call an audible tomorrow? https://t.co/HuTQZkyai3

— Will Gray (@WillGrayGolfbet) September 24, 2021

Tony Finau to Rory McIlroy pic.twitter.com/EcFiZjJjHX

— Michael Collins (@ESPNCaddie) September 24, 2021

It's unlikely that Poulter's comments after he and McIlroy lost to Schauffele and Cantlay will play well in the European papers, either. 

"A shame, because we actually played quite well," he told reporters. "You know, they have played exceptionally good golf in foursomes. It's not nice to get off to the start 5-down through five. Not easy to come back, and they finished the match off."

How bad did things go for Europe on Friday? Fleetwood and Hovland blew a late lead to Thomas and Cantlay, giving away a crucial half-point in the process:

TIED going into the 17th!

Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay are PUMPED! #RyderCup pic.twitter.com/xANh7dwvl6

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) September 24, 2021

Since 1979, teams to lead by 3+ points after the second session have won 4 of 5 times. Lone exception was in 1999. #RyderCup

— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) September 24, 2021

6-2 US. Largest Day 1 lead since 1975. Largest for any side since Europe led 6.5-1.5 en route to a rout in 2004.

— Will Gray (@WillGrayGolfbet) September 24, 2021

Really, only Garcia and Rahm were the bright spot for Europe. No surprises there, as the Ryder Cup always seems to bring the best out of Garcia:

Sergio Garcia equals that all-time record for matches won at the Ryder Cup. (23)#TeamEurope #RyderCup pic.twitter.com/z4gPIzuRx3

— Ryder Cup Europe (@RyderCupEurope) September 24, 2021

Jon Rahm is now the 8th player that Sergio Garcia has won a match alongside in the Ryder Cup, joining Parnevik, Olazabal, Westwood, Donald, McIlroy, Noren, and Cabrera-Bello.

— Shane Bacon (@shanebacon) September 24, 2021

Coming into the tournament, Garcia had as many Ryder Cup points (25.5) as the entire U.S. team combined. There was never a question he would play well in Whistling Straits. 

Europe is going to need more bright spots if it is going to reverse its fortunes after a tough Friday, however.

Jordan Spieth whipped the crowd into a frenzy Friday morning at Whistling Straits in Haven, Wisconsin, when he pulled off a miraculous chip shot during the opening session of the 2021 Ryder Cup.

Spieth found himself in what looked to be an impossible situation when the ball was pressed against a steep embankment, but he somehow managed to blast it over the hill, onto the green and within a few feet of the hole:

How did @JordanSpieth ...

A) Not fall over?
B) Get it that close?pic.twitter.com/jxi11xBCN3

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 24, 2021

Making the shot even more impressive was the fact that Spieth's momentum caused him to run down the hill, and he stopped just short of falling into Lake Michigan.

The shot came at a crucial time for Spieth, as he and playing partner Justin Thomas were trailing Europe's Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia by two holes on No. 17.

Thomas needed to make the ensuing putt to give Team USA a chance to halve the match, but he was unable to convert, and the European team won 3 and 1.

While it was a less-than-ideal start for Team USA, the Americans won the other three morning foursome matches, taking a 3-1 lead into afternoon four-ball.

The other foursome matches saw Dustin Johnson and Collin Morikawa defeat Paul Casey and Viktor Hovland, Brooks Koepka and Daniel Berger beat Lee Westwood and Matthew Fitzpatrick, and Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele defeat Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter.

Thomas will be back in action during afternoon four-ball as Cantlay's partner, while Spieth is getting the rest of the day off.

The Americans are looking to win the Ryder Cup for the second time out of the past three times it has been held after falling 17.5-10.5 to Europe in 2018 and beating Europe 17-11 in 2016.

The 2021 Ryder Cup Opening Ceremony took place Thursday, one day before the tournament is slated to begin from Whistling Straits golf course in Haven, Wisconsin.

LIVE: Tune in now from the Opening Ceremonies of the 43rd #RyderCup. https://t.co/QcVniOROnM

— Ryder Cup (@rydercup) September 23, 2021

Camaraderie and sportsmanship on display at the #RyderCup Opening Ceremony. pic.twitter.com/qqaynauwQa

— Ryder Cup (@rydercup) September 23, 2021

Team USA and Team Europe took center stage, with Team USA captain Steve Stricker and Team Europe captain Padraig Harrington both speaking with the media:

LIVE now from Day 3 of the 43rd #RyderCup, #USTeam Captain @stevestricker https://t.co/FvJngDra0a

— Ryder Cup (@rydercup) September 23, 2021

LIVE now from the 43rd #RyderCup, @padraig_h https://t.co/dTK9uiO1bI

— Ryder Cup (@rydercup) September 23, 2021

Comedian Rob Riggle helped narrarate the proceedings:

Welcome to Whistling Straits!

The 43rd @rydercup Opening Ceremony is underway NOW on GOLF and streaming here: https://t.co/2NWjUzM3tg #RyderCup // @RobRiggle pic.twitter.com/5lJJTQ04pe

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) September 23, 2021

Stricker, a Wisconsin native, noted how special it was to return to his home state while shouting out the Ryder Cup fans:

"This is home."

Wisconsin native and @RyderCupUSA Captain @stevestricker on what makes the 43rd #RyderCup so special. pic.twitter.com/3WecbMSTKI

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) September 23, 2021

He and Harrington announced the Friday foursome pairings, too:

Captains @stevestricker and @padraig_h announce their pairings for Friday’s foursome matches. 🇺🇸🤜🤛🇪🇺#RyderCup // @RyderCupUSA x @RyderCupEurope pic.twitter.com/nLARzqXO2H

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) September 23, 2021

The opening foursome matchups for the #RyderCup have been announced. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/jRkWOmS0xT

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 23, 2021

As for the tournament itself, it'll make its first appearance at Whistling Straits, which is used to hosting big events: The PGA Championship was held there in 2004, 2010 and 2015, and the 2007 U.S. Senior Open.

The three-day event will begin with Friday morning foursomes.

There's a loaded matchup to start featuring childhood friends Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth (Team USA) versus a pair of Spaniards in Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia (Team Europe). The four of them have combined to win six majors. They'll tee off 8:05 a.m. ET.

A pair of two-time major champions in Dustin Johnson and Collin Morikawa, who are second and third in the Official World Golf Rankings, respectively, will follow suit for Team USA when they face off against Paul Casey and Viktor Hovland. Casey finished 26th or better in all four majors this year. Hovland has three professional wins under his belt, most recently at the BMW International Open.

A pair of Florida residents and ex-Florida State teammates Daniel Berger and Brooks Koepka are up next for Team USA. They'll take on Lee Westwood and Matt Fitzpatrick, who combined to make seven of eight major cuts.

The last foursome features reigning FedEx Cup champion Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, who has nine top-10 finishes at majors since 2017.

That Team USA group will go against Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter. McIlroy is a four-time major winner. Poulter has won 15 career events (three PGA Tour, 12 European Tour).

Europe has won nine of the last 12 Ryder Cups, including the last iteration in 2018.

The United States has home-course advantage and a star-studded lineup as it looks to win the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin after losing in blowout fashion in France in 2018 and dropping four of the last five competitions.

Now it has the starting lineups as well.

The Americans and Europeans released the Friday morning pairings and tee times for the opening day of competition, which can be found below (via Sports Illustrated).

---

Friday Tee Times and Pairings (all times ET)

• 8:05 a.m.: Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia (Europe) vs. Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas (USA)

• 8:21 a.m.: Paul Casey and Viktor Hovland (Europe) vs. Dustin Johnson and Collin Morikawa (USA)

• 8:37 a.m.: Lee Westwood and Matt Fitzpatrick (Europe) vs. Brooks Koepka and Daniel Berger (USA)

• 8:53 a.m.: Rory  McIlroy and Ian Poulter (Europe) vs. Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele (USA)

The Friday afternoon pairings will be announced Friday after the captains turn them in and prior to the first tee time of 1:10 p.m. ET.

---

TV Schedule (all times ET)

• Friday: 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Golf Channel

• Saturday: 8-9 a.m. Golf Channel, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. NBC

• Sunday: 12-6 p.m. NBC

---

Friday Morning Predictions

Rahm and Garcia defeat Spieth and Thomas

While Spieth and Thomas will have plenty of chemistry, few people have played better golf this year than Rahm. The leader of the European team tied for fifth at the Masters, tied for eighth at the PGA Championship, won the U.S. Open, tied for third at the Open Championship and finished in second at the Tour Championship.

Europe may be looking to make a statement right out of the gates by starting with him, and pairing him with a Ryder Cup veteran like Garcia will only help his chances.

Spieth and Thomas figure to be key pieces for the Americans throughout the competition, but going up against Rahm will be too much.

---

Johnson and Morikawa defeat Casey and Hovland

The Americans will get on the board with Open Championship victor Morikawa leading the way in his first career Ryder Cup. While there will surely be some nerves, he handled them on some of golf's biggest stages this year.

He will also have a veteran in Johnson to help him pick up an early point for their team.

---

Koepka and Berger defeat Westwood and Fitzpatrick

Koepka's health has been a major storyline coming into this tournament after he withdrew from the third round of the Tour Championship on Sept. 4 with a left wrist injury.

However, United States captain Steve Stricker told reporters, "Again, I am not worried about Brooks. He assures me he's healthy. He assures me that he is 100 percent all-in on this team and whatever he needs to do for this team to become the winner at the end of the week."

A healthy Koepka will help the team by winning one of the first matches and putting the Red, White and Blue ahead 2-1.

---

McIlroy and Poulter defeat Cantlay and Schauffele

That lead won't last long, as McIlroy remains one of the best players on Tour and Poulter has dominated Ryder Cup play throughout his career.

Look for the competition to be tied heading into the afternoon session.

The first day of action at the Ryder Cup is typically vital for the victor of the event.

Three years ago, Europe used a Friday-afternoon sweep to take hold of the lead and eventually win by seven points.

The United States' last victory was propelled by a Friday-morning sweep at Hazeltine in Minnesota. The Americans did not relinquish the lead at any stage of the 2016 event.

We do not know the Friday pairings and tee times for the fourball and foursome formats yet, but we have an idea of which golfers may be paired together based on the two practice sessions that have happened so far at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.

Europe is the underdog in the cross-continental matchup, and it could be the squad to take advantage of from an odds perspective to start the competition.

            

Ryder Cup Odds

Via DraftKings Sportsbook

Winner: United States (-190; bet $190 to win $100); Europe (+210; bet $100 to win $210); Draw (+1200)

Foursomes Day 1 Winner: USA (+115); Europe (+185); Draw (+275)

Fourballs Day 1 Winner: USA (+100); Europe (+200); Draw (+275)

    

Uniforms

The United States will go with a predominantly blue uniform for most of the week. The looks for each day can be found here.

Team Europe will wear a mostly white outfit for the three days of competition in Wisconsin. That look can be found here.

          

Predictions

Europe Wins Friday Foursomes

Europe typically controls the foursome format in the Ryder Cup.

In 2018, Europe swept the Americans on Friday in the alternate-shot format and went on to win two more matches Saturday.

Unfortunately, Europe can't deploy the Francesco Molinari-Tommy Fleetwood partnership again that won four points in France. The Italian did not qualify for the squad this time around.

Fleetwood is still on the roster, and he could use his success from three years ago as a good base on which to build with a new partner.

Expect Fleetwood, Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy to be included in the Friday-morning foursomes matches. They are the most experienced European players.

McIlroy has been paired with Garcia and Poulter on multiple occasions over the years, so we should expect to see one variation of that pairing. If Europe calls on Jon Rahm, he could go off with Garcia to earn a point Friday morning.

McIlroy and Poulter as well as Rahm and Garcia were partnered together in Wednesday's practice groups, per Europe's official team Twitter account.

The Americans can't call on the same familiarity because they have six rookies in the squad. Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas went 3-1 together in 2018, and they could be paired up again by captain Steve Stricker. Spieth and Thomas were paired in Wednesday's practice group along with Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay, per Team USA's official team Twitter account.

Spieth and Thomas are only one experienced pairing, and that may not be enough to counter five players with four or more Ryder Cup appearances and multiple partnerships that worked for years.

Look for Europe to continue its dominance in the foursome format. Putting that format first up on the schedule could hurt the Americans.

     

Europe Wins Ryder Cup

The last three Ryder Cups have been won by the team with the advantage after Friday.

Europe led by a 5-3 margin in 2014 and 2018, while the Americans carried the same advantage into the second day of the 2016 event.

The key difference between the 2016 squad that captured the last win for the Americans and this one is experience.

The United States only had two rookies on a squad that included Phil Mickelson, Zach Johnson, Matt Kuchar and Dustin Johnson.

Johnson, Spieth and Brooks Koepka are the only holdovers from five years ago. The European team returns seven golfers from the group that won in 2018.

Europe captain Padraig Harrington does not have to worry much about his team chemistry, and he has some built-in pairings that he can call on to win points early.

Stricker is in a much more difficult situation, and he put himself in a tough spot by choosing to play the foursomes right off the bat.

The Americans could discover some magic Friday morning, as they did in 2016, but history suggests Europe will prevail Friday and keep the advantage for the rest of the competition.

       

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Before the United States and Europe duel on the golf course, they will take part in the opening ceremony of the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits. 

Thursday night's proceedings will formally kick off the three-day event in Wisconsin that was pushed back a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Europe has had the upper hand in the continental rivalry over the last decade. It is the reigning champion from 2018 and won four of the last five events dating back to 2010.

Europe is captained by Padraig Harrington, who was a mainstay on the European Ryder Cup squad in the 2000s. 

Steve Stricker, who is a Wisconsin native and three-time Ryder Cup participant, is in charge of the United States squad. 

        

Ryder Cup Opening Ceremony Info

Date: Thursday, September 23

Time: 5-8 p.m. ET 

TV: Golf Channel

Live Stream: NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app and RyderCup.com. 

      

The Americans come into the Ryder Cup with all of the pressure on their shoulders. 

They have a single Ryder Cup victory in the last decade and have not defended home soil well in the last 20 years. 

The United States is 2-2 on home soil since the turn of the century. Europe has not lost any of its home Ryder Cups in that span.

Europe won the Ryder Cup back from the United States in commanding fashion three years ago, sealing victory by seven points. 

Tommy Fleetwood, Sergio Garcia, Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter all earned multiple points for Europe three years ago, and they are once again on the roster for this year's competition. 

Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth and Tony Finau were the top American point earners in 2018, and they are all back for the 2021 event. 

However, the Americans do have plenty of unfamiliar faces to the competition. Stricker chose six Ryder Cup rookies to play at Whistling Straits. 

In 2018, Thomas and Finau performed well as rookies, but the veterans in the squad did not achieve the same level of success. 

Olympic gold medalist Xander Schauffele, FedEx Cup champion Patrick Cantlay and two-time major winner Collin Morikawa are among the collection of rookies. 

On paper, the American squad looks strong. Thomas, Spieth, Finau, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson are the players with previous Ryder Cup experience. 

DeChambeau did not win any of his three matches in 2018, and Johnson has an under .500 record in the competition.

Meanwhile, the European squad boasts six players with winning Ryder Cup records and the No. 1 player in the world in Jon Rahm, who went 1-2 in his first appearance. 

If the new players in the American squad play as well as they have over the past year, they should give the experienced European squad a tough test. 

Until the Europeans are officially eliminated on Sunday, they should be viewed as the favored side because of how successful they have been recently. 

Team Europe has been the dominant side in the Ryder Cup for the last decade. 

Europe won the last Ryder Cup three years ago in France, and it relinquished the trophy once since 2010. 

Despite Europe's dominance and the experience it carries on the 2021 roster, it is the underdog to hoist the trophy at Whistling Straits.

Europe captain Padraig Harrington assembled a strong mix of veteran Ryder Cup players and some of the world's top golfers for the event that begins on Friday.

United States captain Steve Stricker is running with a 12-man squad that consists of six rookies and only three players who participated in multiple Ryder Cups. 

Stricker is taking a calculated risk with his squad, and it needs a near-perfect performance over three days in Wisconsin to win on home soil. 

        

Ryder Cup Info

Dates: September 24-26

TV: Friday (8 a.m. ET-7 p.m. ET; Golf Channel), Saturday (9 a.m.-7 p.m. ET, NBC), Sunday (12-6 p.m. ET, NBC)

Odds (via DraftKings Sportsbook): USA (-190; bet $190 to win $100); Europe (+160; bet $100 to win $160)

     

Format

The two squads will compete in paired events on Friday and Saturday.

The four-ball format will have every player in the matchup play their own ball. The lowest score from the American and European pairs will be recorded. 

In foursomes, the players alternate shots. One player will take the tee shot on odd-numbered holes and the other will do so on even-number holes. 

The format is simple to follow on Sunday, as all 12 golfers from each team will compete in singles matches to determine the Ryder Cup champion.

       

Odds

Europe To Win Ryder Cup (+160)

Europe is listed at a price that is favorable to bettors. 

The Europeans have had a hold on the event in the last decade, with the exception of the American triumph at Hazeltine, Minnesota, in 2016. 

Europe has a chance to run away with the competition if its experience shines through on the opening few days. 

Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter have played in a combined 25 Ryder Cups, and each carries a winning record in the event.

Poulter is the most prolific Ryder Cup player on either roster. He is 14-6-2 in 22 matches over six Ryder Cup appearances. Westwood is 20-18-6 and Garcia is 22-12-7. 

There is a good chance all three players are on the course for each of the four sessions on Friday and Saturday. Two of them could even be paired together. 

Europe only brought three rookies to Whistling Straits, and one of them is a major champion in Shane Lowry. 

Conversely, the Americans have three players (Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Brooks Koepka) who have played in multiple Ryder Cups and have six rookies within the squad. 

Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay and Collin Morikawa all achieved career-defining victories in 2021, but entering the Ryder Cup for the first time is a completely different animal than winning the Olympics, FedEx Cup or a major championship. 

Europe is the more known commodity in this matchup, and the winning experience of its older players should shine through over three days. 

          

Justin Thomas To Win Most Points (+800)

Justin Thomas is one of the few American players who have a winning record in the event. 

In 2018, Thomas earned four points for the Americans in their failed attempt to retain the trophy at Le Grand National in France. 

Thomas went 3-1 in the foursome and four-ball events with Jordan Spieth, and then he beat Rory McIlroy in the first singles match. 

Thomas was responsible for four of the 10.5 points earned by the Americans three years ago and will be called upon again to do some heavy lifting. 

Stricker could call on the Thomas-Spieth pairing again to pick up a handful of points on Friday and Saturday, or he could pair Thomas with one of the six Ryder Cup rookies. 

In that scenario, Stricker would put Thomas and Spieth in different pairing with the hope that their Ryder Cup experience will help along their new partners. 

Thomas should have the edge over other golfers to earn the most points because he was consistent all season long on the PGA Tour. 

Thomas finished inside the top 40 in eight of his last nine PGA Tour events, and he picked up a pair of fourth-place finishes on the FedEx Cup circuit at the Northern Trust and Tour Championship.

Jon Rahm is the only other golfer with better odds to win the most points in Wisconsin, but he went 1-2 in his Ryder Cup debut in 2018. 

Expect Thomas to be one of the strongest individuals over three days, and he should be in a good position to clinch the most points during his individual match on Sunday. 

United States captain Steve Stricker unveiled his squad for the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits.

The first six spots were based on a golfer's performance dating back to 2019, which left Stricker to determine his six captain's picks. The 54-year-old selected Daniel Berger, Harris English, Tony Finau, Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth.

USA team locked in 🔒

Steve Stricker has named his 6⃣ wildcard picks to complete his #TeamUSA Ryder Cup squad 🇺🇸

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 8, 2021

Stricker didn't spring many surprises considering he chose six of the eight highest-ranked golfers in the U.S. Ryder Cup qualifying standings.

Patrick Reed is the biggest snub, though some will feel his exclusion is justified.

The 2018 Masters champion was hospitalized with double pneumonia in August, which caused him to miss the BMW Championship after already having missed the Wyndham Championship and Northern Trust for separate reasons.

Reed returned for the Tour Championship and finished in 25th at two under, a performance that may not have impressed Stricker too much. His last two appearances in a team setting for the U.S. likely impacted the decision-making process, too.

Stricker told reporters he "lost sleep" while going over whether to select Reed.

"He is a tremendous competitor. His record at the Ryder Cup is pretty darn good," he also said. "I think it was just the uncertainty of his health and really the lack of play that led to our decision down the stretch."

Going strictly off the standings, Webb Simpson would've been in a position to compete in the Ryder Cup ahead of Scheffler.

Simpson went without a victory this season but had six top-10 finishes in 21 events. He also has a lot of experience with the U.S. team, competing in the 2012, 2014 and 2018 Ryder Cups.

Stricker addressed why he thought Scheffler was a better fit for the 2021 tournament:

Steve Stricker on Scottie Scheffler: “Total rookie to team play at Ryder Cup and President’s Cup, but he showed us what he could do at WGC Match Play by taking down Poulter, Rahm & Day…and he’s a guy who makes lots of birdies.”

— Mark Rolfing (@MarkRolfingGC) September 8, 2021

Stricker's picks were ranked Nos. 7, 8, 9, 10, 12 and 14 in the Ryder Cup standings. P Reed was No. 11. Webb Simpson, at No. 13, was also bypassed for No. 14 Scheffler.

Stricker on taking Scheffler:
Beat Poutler, Rahm and J Day at WGC match play
Distance
Stats
Makes birdies

— Brendan Quinn (@BFQuinn) September 8, 2021

Europe has dominated the Ryder Cup in recent years, claiming seven of the last nine installments.

With what's likely to be a raucous atmosphere in Haven, Wisconsin, perhaps Stricker's squad can bring the United States its second victory in five years.

The 2021 FedEx Cup playoffs begin Thursday with the Northern Trust at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey.

The tournament is the first of three over a three-week span that will determine the PGA Tour champion for the 2020-21 season, which began in September.

One hundred and twenty-five golfers will converge on Liberty National Golf Club. The players at the top of the standings are more likely to survive the two rounds of cuts. The field gets trimmed from 125 to 70 for the BMW Championship and then the top 35 players qualify for The Tour Championship.

                

FedEx Cup Standings

1. Collin Morikawa: 2,171 points

2. Jordan Spieth: 2,139

3. Patrick Cantlay: 2,056

4. Harris English: 2,039

5. Jon Rahm: 2,003

6. Abraham Ancer: 1,926

7. Bryson DeChambeau: 1,910

8. Louis Oosthuizen: 1,877

9. Justin Thomas: 1,759

10. Sam Burns: 1,721

Full FedEx Cup standings can be found on PGATour.com.

         

The points system within the FedEx Cup playoffs works differently than the regular season.

The winners of the Northern Trust and BMW Championship receive 2,000 FedEx Cup points, which is four times the amount earned for a regular-season victory.

The second-place finisher receives 1,200 points, third place is worth 760 points, fourth carries 540 points and fifth is worth 440 points. The full FedEx Cup points breakdown can be found here.

Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth and the other golfers on top of the FedEx Cup standings have a bit more wiggle room on the leaderboard for the first playoff tournament. Those golfers do not need to win the competition. As long as they finish in a reasonable position, they will make the cut to advance to the BMW Championship.

The real drama at the Northern Trust comes on the cut line for 70th place. J.T. Poston is 70th with Bubba Watson, Harold Varner III, Seamus Power, Brandon Hagy and Andrew Putnam directly beneath him.

PGATour.com broke down the scenarios for Watson and every golfer from 71st to 125th on the projected finish they will need to ensure a spot at the BMW Championship.

Of course, a victory changes everything in the bubble picture and would allow any golfer in the bottom tier of the rankings to move on to next week's competition. However, it could be hard for any of the bubble golfers to win the Northern Trust since it has typically been won by the game's top stars.

Dustin Johnson has two victories in the past four years, including last year's event at TPC Boston. Patrick Reed and Bryson DeChambeau won in the two years between Johnson's triumphs.

The FedEx Cup leaders see the winning points total as valuable as well since the top 30 players start on different levels at the Tour Championship. The leader after the BMW Championship begins the final event of the season at 10 under. If Morikawa, Spieth or any of the top players win in the next two weeks, they would enter East Lake in Atlanta with a valuable edge.