United States and Europe prepare to do battle in 41st Ryder Cup

The Ryder Cup gets underway with the opening day of foursomes and fourballs at Hazeltine.

Where to Watch Live:

Live coverage of day one of the Ryder Cup begins at Friday 30 September at 12:30pm an is live on Sky Sports Ryder Cup. BBC Radio Five Live will broadcast commentary from 1pm. NBC and The Golf Channel will provide live coverage in the United States from 6am CST.

Overview:

The waiting is over, the discussion, speculation and procrastination is at an end and finally the curtain can come down on the 2016 Ryder Cup. Twenty-four of the greatest players on the planet will do battle for the greatest team prize in golf as Team USA and Team Europe vie for bragging rights and a whole lot more at Hazeltine.

Europe are attempting to win an unprecedented fourth successive Ryder Cup, while the United States are trying to claim their first success since 2008. After defeat at Gleneagles two years ago, the US formed a taskforce devoted to improving the nation's performances and this week is the first test of that group.

Despite having one victory in the last seven matches, the United States are the favourites to reclaim team golf's greatest prize. Headed by Phil Mickelson - who is playing in a record 11th Ryder Cup - the US have four players inside the top nine in the world rankings including the PGA Tour player of the year Dustin Johnson.

Furthermore, the hosts have enlisted a star-studded backroom team behind captain Davis Love III. Jim Furyk, Tom Lehmann, Steve Stricker and Bubba Watson are joined by former world number one Tiger Woods. Despite a chequered Ryder Cup career, the 14-time major winner could be a real asset for Love as he attempts to better his defeat in Medinah from two years ago.

But what Team Europe lose in experience and star quality, they more than make up for in youthful exuberance. Six of Darren Clarke's team will make their Ryder Cup debuts this week and will hope to show they can lead the continent into a new era in Minnesota. That group is led by Masters Champion Danny Willett, who has been in the news for all the wrong reasons in the lead up to his maiden appearance.

But perhaps the trump card that Europe possess is a team camaraderie which has defined their recent successes in the Ryder Cup. The unique synergy which the team has created, and has been improved upon during Clarke's tenure, could prove vital come the sharp end of the event as Europe chase history.

Friday 30 September foursomes [US/UK time]:

7:35am/1:35pm: Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed vs Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson

7:50am/1:50pm: Phil Mickelson and and Rickie Fowler vs Rory McIlory and Andy Sullivan

8:05am/2:05pm: Jimmy Walker and Zach Johnson vs Sergio Garcia and Martin Kaymer

8:20am/2:20pm: Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar vs Lee Westwood and Thomas Pieters

What the captains said:

Davis Love III: "Well, it's an incredible session really overall. I kept looking at this lineup and every time and now instead of us writing it down on a yellow legal pad like my dad did, which Jim Furyk had a pile of those, it's on cell phones, it's on pictures, it's on notes.

"And we kept looking at it on the phone; I need to destroy a lot of stuff, actually. I need to go back and delete, delete, delete. Every time I looked at this lineup, I just got more and more excited about all four matches. Obviously not knowing who they were going to put out, but guessing a little bit. Again, that first match is going to be exciting."

Darren Clarke: "There is no point in me trying to second guess what Davis is going to do. Davis is going to do what he thinks is best, and I'm going to try and do what I think is best.
If you go down that road of trying to guess where Davis is going to put certain pairing, it's a never-ending story.

"The one thing I would have said, if somebody would have asked me, I could have almost given you the first match whenever we arrived here or before we got here. I would have had a good guess; Davis probably would have had a good guess, and I think we would have both come up with the same conclusion. But after that, I'm just trying to do what I feel, with the help of the vice captains, is best from the European point of view."