The final pairings for Sunday’s singles matches have been announced for the 2012 Ryder Cup, and U.S. captain Davis Love III has placed his two winless players in the final two matches of the day. Let’s take a look at how Sunday’s matches will unfold.
Ryder Cup 2012: Singles matches announced, Tiger Woods in anchor position
Sunday’s singles matches for the 2012 Ryder Cup have been announced, and assuming things go as planned, the Americans should win the trophy by the time the last groups finish.
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Match 1: Bubba Watson vs. Luke Donald
No surprise here from the U.S. as Watson will likely set the stage once again by having the American fans cheering loudly during his opening tee-shot. Both Watson and Donald have a 2-1 record thus far in the tournament, so the day’s first match promises to be a close one. Prediction: Donald holds off the wild Watson and secures Europe’s first point of the day. U.S. 10, Europe 7
Match 2: Webb Simpson vs. Ian Poulter
Fans would have loved to see a Keegan Bradley/Ian Poulter singles match, but we’ll settle for another match between two players at 2-1 going into Sunday. Poulter played out of his mind Saturday afternoon, recording five consecutive birdies in leading his team past Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker. Simpson also had his flashes of brilliance Saturday, so this will likely be a vital match for both teams. Simpson holds off Poulter in 18 holes. U.S. 11, Europe 7
Match 3: Keegan Bradley vs. Rory McIlroy
Here we go folks; the world number one pitted against the hottest player on the planet right now. Keegan Bradley has electrified the crowds of Chicago for two consecutive days, going undefeated in his three matches. McIlroy has struggled slightly, however he’s still the top-ranked player in the world. There is no way this match isn’t exciting. Bradley wins in 16. U.S. 12, Europe 7
Match 4: Phil Mickelson vs. Justin Rose
Two crowd favorites in this match-up. Mickelson is also undefeated this tournament; Rose has two wins. Mickelson plays aggressively; Rose is rock-solid. This match is literally a toss-up, but I’ll go with Mickelson in 17 holes. U.S. 13, Europe 7.
Match 5: Brendt Snedeker vs. Paul Lawrie
Who cares? Nobody. Match halved. U.S. 13.5, Europe 7.5
Match 6: Dustin Johnson vs. Nicolas Colsaerts
THANK YOU! The two longest hitters in the field will face off in what has to be one of the day’s most exciting matches. These guys will go at each other with aggressive tee-shots, gutsy approaches and stellar putting. After all the smoke clears, however, we will likely see another halved match. U.S. 14, Europe 8
Match 7: Zach Johnson vs. Graeme McDowell
Two very similar players face off next, but Europe has the advantage in McDowell. Despite struggling throughout the first two days of the tournament, McDowell is undefeated in singles play (2-0-0) and won’t lose to a timid Zach Johnson. U.S. 14, Europe 9
Match 8: Jim Furyk vs. Sergio Garcia
Both players are Ryder Cup veterans, but Garcia is the better player historically and will prove the better player Sunday. U.S. 14, Europe 10
Match 9: Jason Dufner vs. Peter Hansen
Jason Dufner played exceptionally well on Saturday and will continue this trend Sunday afternoon. Peter Hansen simply isn’t Ryder Cup material, at least when it comes to preventing the Americans from winning their final point... and the Ryder Cup. Dufner closes the deal. U.S. 15, Europe 10; U.S. wins the Ryder Cup
The other matches left to play include: Matt Kuchar vs. Lee Westwood, Steve Stricker vs. Martin Kaymer, and Tiger Woods vs. Francesco Molinari.
With any luck, the Americans won’t even have to mess with the Stricker or Woods matches, as both players are winless this weekend.
