Donald & Garcia set to resume pairing

MEDINAH – Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia look likely to resume their unbeaten foursomes partnership on the first morning of the Ryder Cup on Friday.

Thursday, September 27, 2012
Donald (L) and Spaniard Garcia (R) won twice together on the former's Ryder Cup debut in Detroit in 2004. Net photo.

MEDINAH – Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia look likely to resume their unbeaten foursomes partnership on the first morning of the Ryder Cup on Friday.The European pair, who are unbeaten in four Ryder Cup foursomes matches, practised together on Wednesday. Englishman Donald has six wins out of six in the alternate-shot format, while Garcia is unbeaten in nine matches.Rory McIlroy and fellow Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell look set to rekindle their 2010 partnership.World number one McIlroy and fellow former US Open champion McDowell scored 1½ points out of a possible three at Celtic Manor and were paired together for a second day in a row when the Europeans played foursomes over the front nine at Medinah outside Chicago.Westwood, who combined with Donald to beat Ian Poulter and Justin Rose in fourball practice on Tuesday, switched to playing with Italian Francesco Molinari against Scot Paul Lawrie and Belgian debutant Nicolas Colsaerts.In the first European group out on Wednesday, Poulter and Rose teamed up against Swede Peter Hanson and German Martin Kaymer.Donald and Spaniard Garcia won twice together on the former’s Ryder Cup debut in Detroit in 2004 and added two more victories two years later in Ireland.World number three Donald also partnered Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood when Garcia was only an assistant captain in Wales two years ago .And Donald hinted that he would also be rekindling his partnership with compatriot and world number four Westwood.Donald, 34, said: "Lee is great off the tee. With his long game and my short game, if you put the two together we could have had a few more than zero majors between us.Garcia, meanwhile, has won eight of his nine foursomes matches since making his debut as a 19-year-old in 1999.The teamsUnited StatesTiger Woods (36), Bubba Watson (33), Jason Dufner (35), Keegan Bradley (26), Webb Simpson (27), Zach Johnson (36), Matt Kuchar (34), Phil Mickelson (42), Steve Stricker (45), Jim Furyk (42), Brandt Snedeker (31), Dustin Johnson (28)EuropeRory McIlroy (23, NI), Justin Rose (32, Eng), Paul Lawrie (43, Sco), Graeme McDowell (33, NI), Francesco Molinari (29, Ita), Luke Donald (34, Eng), Lee Westwood (39, Eng), Sergio Garcia (32, Spa), Peter Hanson (34, Swe), Martin Kaymer (27, Ger), Nicolas Colsaerts (29, Bel), Ian Poulter (36, Eng)