An old familiar Luke to things

September 15, 2004

Luke Donald might be a rookie in terms of The Ryder Cup but he might well have a familiar sight by his side when he eventually gets the nod from European Captain Bernhard Langer to tee up at Oakland Hills Country Club.

The Englishman was a stand-out in Great Britain and Ireland's memorable Walker Cup victory over the United States at Nairn in Scotland in 1999, in particular in his partnership with Paul Casey, and the two could find themselves in tandem again this week in Detroit.

Donald and Casey both emerged with four points out of four from that victory so it was little surprise that Donald, a two time winner on The European Tour in the last two months, admitted he would not mind standing shoulder to shoulder with his fellow countryman again.

"To be honest we haven't talked about the pairings yet but I would think me and Paul would be a good partnership," he said. "We've had success in the past and when you're confident with a pairing, it's probably good to stick with that one."

Donald, whose base in the United States is in nearby Chicago, admitted he was also impressed by the layout and set-up of the Oakland Hills course.

"I think it is set-up up very fairly right now," he said. "When I first got here I thought the course was going to be very tight. There are a few tight holes out there but in general there's a decent amount of room on the fairways.

"The greens are going to be a big key this week because they are very severely sloped. But saying that, they are reasonably softish and not too fast, so they are manageable. It will make for some fun golf - I think there will be some birdies out there."

• Team U.S.A. (9/19/04)
• Team Europe (9/19/04)
• McGinley & Harrington (9/18/04)
• Clarke, Garcia, Westwood, & Donald (9/18/04)
• Bernhard Langer - Afternoon (9/18/04)
• Hal Sutton - Afternoon (9/18/04)
• Toms & Mickelson (9/18/04)
• Chris DiMarco (9/18/04)
• Bernhard Langer (9/18/04)
• Hal Sutton (9/18/04)
• Casey & Howell (9/18/04)
• Stewart Cink (9/18/04)
• Garcia & Westwood (9/18/04)
• Haas & DiMarco (9/18/04)
• Chad Campbell (9/18/04)
• Colin Montgomerie (9/17/04)
• Chris Riley (9/18/04)
• Woods & Riley (9/18/04)
• Clarke & Poulter (9/18/04)

• Europe Secure Ryder Cup After Singles Success
• EUROPE WIN THE RYDER CUP
• All the Drama from the Final Afternoon
• Europe Take Record Lead into Singles
• Langer's men set for singles showdown

Check out our exclusive video collection of the greatest moments in Ryder Cup history.

Today's Memorable Moment: September 1969- In a memorable display of sportsmanship, Jack Nicklaus concedes ... more

Everything you need to know about attending the Ryder Cup Matches is right here in the spectator guide.

Take a hole-by-hole tour of Oakland Hills Country Club, site of the 35th Ryder Cup Matches.

Nearly eighty years ago, English seed merchant and entrepreneur Samuel Ryder founded the Ryder Cup. Learn how it all began.