WALKER CUP MATCH

August 10, 2001

Peter McEvoy

PETER MCEVOY: Well, I haven't got any huge observations on any of the match-ups because, to be absolutely frank, I have relatively limited knowledge on many of the United States team just short of reading their career records and the program and things like that. Yes, as you say, the most noticeable thing is that Danny seems to have taken the same view as me; it's important that everyone has a game the first day. I think that's partially a factor of the weather. I think it's also very difficult, if you don't play someone in the first day to suddenly throw them in in the second day is quite unfair, I think. Couple of good games, Graeme McDowell against Bryce Molder; that should be a pretty good one. And then you get a nice contrast like Marc Warren against John Harris, a young Scot in his first match playing against the old happened. It's a nice contrast there. Nick Dougherty and James Driscoll is another one that jumps out at me a little bit there.

PETER MCEVOY: Yeah, now, these pairings do tend to evolve. I mean as long as ago as about two weeks ago, I was starting to scribble down just some rough ideas, and then loads of crossings out and changes and somebody coming into form and somebody losing a bit of form and different things change and they evolve and they evolve further. Having said that, there's actually three of my four pairings that would have been the first ones I wrote down; that's Graeme McDowell and Michael Hoey; and Jamie Elson and Richard McEvoy and Luke Donald and Nick Dougherty. I think with foursomes pairings, there's an element of putting people who are good friend together for people who get on well with each other well, playing with complimentary games, complimentary styles, in a way that they match. The other one, Stephen O'Hara and Gary Wolstenholme; that's one that has evolved over the last week or so. Gary is a particular -- I've played quite a lot of international golf with Gary as a foursomes partner. When he first started his career, he was my foursomes partner and I always maintained if somebody hits it down the middle and keeps holding putts, he's a good foursomes partner. So he's not a difficult man to place. Four good, strong pairs. I'm very happy, very happy with the way it has come out.

PETER MCEVOY: The strongest player I suppose, the longest hitter would be Graeme McDowell. Although, Marc Warren is a particularly long hitter, as well. None of them -- then the rest are all in a bunch, really, much together with the exception of Gary, he would be a little bit shorter than the balance. But Graeme would be the strong hitter there. The man with the best touch, difficult to say. Jamie Elson has got a very good touch. He was runner-up in the NCAA. He is particularly good around the greens, particularly good putter.

PETER MCEVOY: Not really. You have to be careful with these things sometimes, that you don't have the last foursome and then somebody go out on top of singles. You tend to have to look at the two orders slightly together in order to keep that gap. As it looks as though Danny has done, you tend to put a bit of strength down at the bottom just to have a little bit of fire in your belly at the end, and I think we have both done that, really.