Photo of US Ryder Cup team's wives and girlfriends

Ever wonder how the boys from the US of A roll. Wonder no more. Here an exclusive picture of the wives and girlfriends of the boys in blue and red.

Friday Fourball pairings announced

The U.S Ryder Cup defense starts on Friday, and the Americans are turning to Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson to start things off.

The pairings for the Celtic Manor tournament have been released. "Lefty" and Johnson play Lee Westwood and PGA champion Martin Kaymer, representing Europe.

For the first time since 1999, Tiger Woods is not in the leadoff match, but is paired with Steve Stricker, with opposition from Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher.

The other two match-ups sees Stewart Cink and Matt Kuchar playing Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell - and Bubba Watson and Jeff Overton face Luke Donald and Padraig Harrington.

Pavin keeping quiet on a Tiger/Rory duel...But would like to see it

Corey Pavin says it would violate the spirit of the Ryder Cup to make a deal ensuring Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy would meet in a singles final.

That doesn't mean the American captain wouldn't like to see the match that has been the buzz of the event ever since the young Northern Irish sensation said he would like a shot at Woods.

"We'll just have to see where the cards fall, but I think it would be fun for me to watch," Pavin said Wednesday. "I'd enjoy it."

The singles matches are made in a blind draw, but Pavin was asked whether he and European captain Colin Montgomerie might make a side agreement to match Woods and McIlroy in the singles finals scheduled for Sunday.

"I don't think it's in the spirit of what the Ryder Cup is all about and the way pairings are supposed to happen," he said. "But it would be by chance, or if either of us wanted to guess and guess right."

Woods welcomed the challenge a day earlier, answering "Me, too" when asked about McIlroy's comments that he would like to go up against the best player in the world. McIlroy made the comments in August at a time Woods was struggling to avoid finishing last at the Bridgestone Invitational.

Pavin noted that others who have challenged Woods in the past haven't fared too well.

"I think other people have said things like that to Tiger in the past and have maybe regretted it," he said. "I think anything that gets players fired up is always a positive thing for that player who is getting fired up."

McIlroy said a day earlier that he respected Woods and thought he would return to being a dominant player. But he also said the days of other players being intimidated by Woods may be over.

"I suppose a little bit of that aura is probably gone," McIlroy said.

Pavin's remarks came on a rainy day that cut practice short for both teams at Celtic Manor. Most players were only playing nine holes.

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Holy payday Batman...Furyk banks mad money @ the Tour Championship

Bored @ work watch Furyk's entire press conference following his FedEx Cup W

The Ryder Cup facts & figures @ a glance

Facts and figures for the Ryder Cup, at a glance:

Event: 38th Ryder Cup matches

Date: Oct. 1-3.

Course: The Twenty Ten Course at the Celtic Manor Resort is the first golf course designed specifically for the Ryder Cup. The course combines nine new holes created by European Golf Design and nine renovated holes from the Wentwood Hills course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. Water comes into play on half of the holes. It plays 7,378 yards at par 71.

Format: Four matches of fourballs (better ball) and foursomes (alternate shot) on Friday and Saturday, 12 singles matches on Sunday.

Points: The United States needs 14 points to retain the cup. Europe needs 14½ points to win the cup.

Series: United States leads 25-10-2.

Last time: The United States ended a three-match losing streak behind rookies Hunter Mahan and Anthony Kim, and the homegrown Kentucky duo of Kenny Perry and J.B. Holmes. The 16½-11½ margin was the largest for the Americans since 1981. Mahan became the first American captain's pick to go unbeaten (2-0-3) while playing all five matches. They won without Tiger Woods, who was recovering from knee surgery.

Captains:Corey Pavin (United States), Colin Montgomerie (Europe).

U.S. roster:Stewart Cink, Rickie Fowler, Jim Furyk, Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Hunter Mahan, Phil Mickelson, Jeff Overton, Steve Stricker, Bubba Watson, Tiger Woods.

European roster:Luke Donald, Ross Fisher, Peter Hanson, Padraig Harrington, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy, Edoardo Molinari, Francesco Molinari, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood.

Tiger tales: Tiger Woods has played on only one winning Ryder Cup team in his career.

Key statistic: The United State has not won on European soil since 1993 at The Belfry.

Noteworthy: The European team has 17 wins and two majors this year, compared with 12 wins and one major for the American team.

Quoteworthy: "There is no complacency. We are under no illusion here at all how difficult the task this will be attempt to regain this Ryder Cup." — European captain Colin Montgomerie.

Television (Times Eastern): Friday, 3 a.m.-1 p.m., ESPN. Saturday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., NBC. Sunday, 7 a.m.-1 p.m., NBC.