With four points from a possible four so far in this 42nd Ryder Cup, no pair has ever contributed more to a European cause at any of the previous biennial battles than close pals Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood.
After US captain Jim Furyk went through the first 11 members of Team USA to polite cheers from those in attendance at Le Golf National, Woods was announced. And to say the crowd went wild would be an understatement.
There won’t be any 63s in this US Open. The winning score will NOT be 16-under par. Which, whether they admit it or not, is a relief to officials at the USGA.
The contenders from the 2017 US PGA – Justin Thomas, Patrick Reed, Hideki Matsuyama and Louis Oosthuizen – are among the favourites this week, and one of them will likely flourish. But, on the whole, history paints an ominous forecast.