By Art Spander
Special to NewsdayNEWPORT, Wales -- Corey Pavin said he wasn't hoping for anything. He created his opening Ryder Cup pairings not on what the weather might be -- the forecast was for Bethpage bleak -- and not on whom the opponents might be but what he thought was best for the American team.
So Tiger Woods, who in the five previous Ryder Cups he's played has been in the leadoff slot, will be in the third group of fourballs (better-ball) Friday when the 38th Cup begins at Celtic Manor.
Two rookies, Bubba Watson and Jeff Overton, are paired. And Jim Furyk, who won $11.35 million and the FedEx Cup last Sunday, will be on the bench.
Woods and Steve Stricker, an expected pairing, will face Europe's Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher.
After the uproar about 21-year-old Rory McIlroy wanting to challenge Woods, Pavin was asked whether he hoped McIlroy would be in that same third pairing as Woods. "I wasn't hoping for anything,'' said the U.S. captain. "I put Tiger and Steve in that slot just [because] I thought it was a good slot for them.''
The morning lineup was, in order, Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson of the U.S. against Lee Westwood-Martin Kaymer of Europe;Stewart Cink-Matt Kuchar vs. McIlroy and fellow Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell; Woods-Stricker vs. Poulter-Fisher and Watson-Overton vs. Luke Donald-Padraig Harrington.
During the fancy opening ceremonies Thursday afternoon, Pavin forgot to introduce Cink.
Four foursomes (alternate shot) matches, are scheduled for this afternoon. The Americans who were idle in the morning, Furyk,Zach Johnson, Rickie Fowler and Hunter Mahan, will almost certainly be called on to play.
Asked his logic for holding out Furyk in the morning, Pavin joked, "Well, he said he's been tired. He was counting his money, and he's been very tired.''
He also said he wanted Mickelson and Johnson to start off. "Phil likes to get out there and get at it,'' was Pavin's explanation, "andDustin has been chomping at the bit.''
He also seemed oblivious of the forecast of rain which might force officials to allow golfers to lift, clean and place balls on a course already soggy.
"I just wanted to send out guys that I thought were very good at better-ball and send them out. Weather is not a factor," said Pavin.
Pavin's wife, Lisa, sarcastically referred to as "The Captainess,'' was the object of a scornful article in Thursday's, London Daily Telegraph. The author, Oliver Brown called her a "loopy narcissist'' who could trigger an international incident.
She and other wives of players on both teams were, along with their husbands, part of a black-tie gala Wednesday evening at Millennium Stadium in nearby Cardiff that featured Wales natives Catherine Zeta-Jones and Shirley Bassey.
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