Monty leaves Irish pair alone

Golf : Colin Montgomerie tinkered with his European team’s pairings this morning but declined to meddle with the Irish duo of…

Rory McIlroy of Europe smiles as he wears a wig during a practice round prior to the 2010 Ryder Cup at the Celtic Manor Resort. - (Photograph: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy of Europe smiles as he wears a wig during a practice round prior to the 2010 Ryder Cup at the Celtic Manor Resort. - (Photograph: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

Golf: Colin Montgomerie tinkered with his European team's pairings this morning but declined to meddle with the Irish duo of Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy and the Molinari brothers - Franceso and Edoardo. The two pairings were seen as his most obvious selections ahead of Friday's opening rounds of foursomes and fourballs and Montgomerie looks to have settled on that now too.

However, it appears he still has to make his mind up on the remainder of his selections. Lee Westwood had Ross Fisher as his partner this morning after playing with Martin Kaymer yesterday, while Pádraig Harrington was with Peter Hanson rather than Luke Donald.

Donald became Kaymer's partner and Ian Poulter was with Miguel Angel Jimenez.

The team decided to delay its second round of practice for the Ryder Cup after heavy overnight rain and further downpours this morning. They decided to wait until 10.30am in the hope of the weather improving, the Americans were out on schedule at 8.45am - presumably to get used to conditions they may encounter when the contest starts.

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There was more evidence this morning that Tiger Woods will be partnering Steve Stricker on his return to Ryder Cup competition. The pair won four points out of four together in the Presidents Cup last year and were in the same group for the second day running.

World number two Phil Mickelson, meanwhile, was with uncapped duo Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson again and was this time joined by another rookie in Jeff Overton.

Georgia pair Stewart Cink and Matt Kuchar were together once more and were playing with Zach Johnson and Hunter Mahan, while 21-year-old Rickie Fowler teamed up with Jim Furyk alongside Woods and Stricker. That was the first time Fowler - a member of the amateur Walker Cup team only last year - had played a round with Woods.

"Once I found out the pairing (with Woods, Stricker and Furyk) last night I told my caddie and we were both pretty pumped to be able to hang out with those guys," Fowler said.

Asked if he would be playing with or against Woods, he replied: "I don't know. I would love to have him as a partner, but I'd also love to beat him in a match."

Fowler was nine when the world number one won his first major at the 1997 Masters.

"I never really singled out anyone on the PGA Tour that I really looked up to, but Tiger definitely was one of the top guys," Fowler said. "Obviously he was winning probably the most and was probably the guy that was shown on television the most."

As for who he might partner when the match starts - or whether he will have to wait for the afternoon foursomes - Fowler added: "I might have a clue, but nothing is set in stone and until it goes in (before the opening ceremony tomorrow afternoon) anything can change."

Pairings for second practice session

EUROPE

1030McDowell and McIlroy, Kaymer and Donald

1045Hanson and Harrington, Fisher and Westwood

1100Edoardo Molinari and Francesco Molinari, Poulter and Jimenez

UNITED STATES

0845Dustin Johnson and Mickelson, Overton and Watson

0900Stricker and Woods, Fowler and Furyk

0915Cink and Kuchar, Zach Johnson and Mahan.