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Pavin keeps options open

Skipper - any pairing is possible

Last updated: 9th September 2010

  • Woods and Mickelson

United States Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin has not ruled out pairing Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson together at Celtic Manor.

The world's top two players have been team-mates in five Ryder Cups and six Presidents Cups, yet they have been actual partners for only one day - the Friday at Oakland Hills in 2004.

They lost both matches to set the tone for the United States' record defeat.

But after naming Woods as one of his four wildcards, Pavin said: "I'm not afraid to put anybody with anybody.

"I think there's a lot of combinations and permutations out there and there's nothing set in stone, that's for sure, yet."

Pavin also said: "Tiger and Phil? Can I see it? I see any pairing is possible. Do I rule it out for this match? No.

"It's the same thing that would make me put any pair together - if they wanted to do that.

"I will certainly be asking the players who they want to play with and hopefully it will all work out.

"What did they do in 2004? They lost one on the last hole and the other 2&1 - they played pretty well. There's nothing that's ruled out."

But Woods and Mickelson are far from close friends and it seems unlikely that Pavin would risk asking them to play together at Celtic Manor.

He is far more likely to ask Woods to partner Steve Stricker, with whom he won four points out of four at last year's Presidents Cup.

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