Ballesteros Rides Ryder Cup Bench Alternate-Stroke Competition Starts Golf Series Between Europe, U.S.

More than anyone, Seve Ballesteros represents the rise of European golf and its success in the Ryder Cup, the emotional core of a team that achieved hard-earned parity with the Americans.

But when the 31st Ryder Cup starts with alternate-shot play this morning, Ballesteros will be on the sidelines, benched in the first match for the first time in his eight Ryder Cups.

Maybe because his longtime partner Jose Maria Olazabal, who has a foot problem, is not playing or maybe because his game is not going well, Ballesteros will be watching the format in which his career record is 10-3-1.

“The captain has to play the people he thinks are in the best form,” Ballesteros said Thursday after Bernard Gallacher announced his pairings. “That’s all I have to say.”

The 38-year-old Spaniard didn’t finish better than 40th in any of the four major championships this year and had been struggling in practice. He started his final tune-up round with a drive that wildly missed the fairway to the left.

“He must not be hitting it straight,” U.S. team member Tom Lehman. “I’m sure he’ll be a huge factor in best ball, but maybe he’s not playing well enough for alternate shot.”

The question had been whether the European team is very experienced or simply very old. With Ballesteros and Ian Woosnam, playing in his seventh Ryder Cup, both sitting out the morning matches it’s looking like old might be the answer.

However, the Europeans may find real depth in their bid to reclaim the Cup from the U.S. team if Sam Torrance and Costantino Rocca play up to their recent form and if Per-Ulrik Johansson plays as well as he has in practice.

The United States had no shocks for the opening matches. Captain Lanny Wadkins went with experience and paired long hitters with short hitters.

“We’ve got strong players with guys that are probably medium length,” Wadkins said. “It’s going to help the other players and just make things simpler.”

He hopes his strategy will produce easier approach shots on the long Oak Hill Country Club for shorter hitters like Corey Pavin, Jay Haas and Jeff Maggert.

The first match of the day, at 8 a.m., has Lehman and Pavin taking on Nick Faldo and Colin Montgomerie. Fred Couples and Haas follow against Torrance and Rocca. Davis Love and Maggert play Howard Clark and Mark James.

The morning matches conclude with America’s two most experienced players, Ben Crenshaw and Curtis Strange, taking on Bernhard Langer and Johansson.