A Ryder Cup rarity: Mind if we play through?

NEWPORT, Wales -- Corey Pavin and Colin Montgomerie faced an unprecedented challenge in devising their pairings for this Ryder Cup's third session, with a revised format forcing the two captains to designate two teams for foursomes play and the other four for four-ball.

The full slate is below, although once again, the completion of one session is wreaking havoc on the start of a new one. With three of the four European players for the foursomes session still on the golf course, the slower four-ball groups will go off first. Should a situation arise where the foursomes teams catch up to a four-ball group -- a likely scenario since foursomes teams are playing two balls while four-balls are playing four -- captains have agreed those groups can play through. We wish we were making this stuff up.

Also note that Pavin is again keeping his successful teams intact while abandoning some losing tandems. Most notably for the U.S. it means Phil Mickelson will now play with Rickie Fowler and Jm Furyk will play with Dustin Johnson. Mickelson and Johnson went 0-2.

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Foursomes

Luke Donald/Lee Westwood (Europe) vs. Steve Stricker/Tiger Woods (USA)

Graeme McDowell/Rory McIlroy (Europe) vs. Zach Johnson/Hunter Mahan (USA)

Four-Ball

Padraig Harrington/Ross Fisher (Europe) vs. Jim Furyk/Dustin Johnson (USA)

Peter Hanson/Miguel Angel Jimenez (Europe) vs. Bubba Watson/Jeff Overton (USA)

Edoardo Molinari/Francesco Molinari (Europe) vs. Stewart Cink/Matt Kuchar (USA)

Ian Poulter/Martin Kaymer (Europe) vs. Phil Mickelson/Rickie Fowler (USA)__

*-- Sam Weinman *