Azinger agrees to Mickelson request

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Mickelson and Anthony Kim will take on Padraig Harrington and Robert Karlsson in the first foursome match, meaning the all-Kentucky pairing of JB Holmes and Kenny Perry has been put on hold for now.

Azinger said: "Mickelson called me personally and said he'd love to play with him but so did about six other guys. I said 'Way to go out on a limb, Phil, you want Anthony Kim, really?' So I granted his wish for this first go-around."

The United States captain had hinted at sending out hometown duo Holmes and Perry early to bring the crowd alive, but the latter will instead anchor the morning session alongside Jim Furyk for the Americans against Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia.

Azinger continued: "I think Kenny and JB together is a fantastic idea. Just the way I decided to do it for alternate shot to put Kenny Perry with Jim Furyk. I thought both of those guys have alternate-shot experience and it just made sense to me that that would be a really solid pairing."

Kim insisted he felt under no pressure leading off in his first Ryder Cup, saying: "It's going to be exciting, something that I dreamed about, playing in The Ryder Cup, and it's finally coming true. We've got nothing to lose. We are going to go out there and free wheel it and have some fun."

Justin Leonard and Hunter Mahan make up Azinger's second group and will face Henrik Stenson and Paul Casey. Stewart Cink and Chad Campbell then meet Justin Rose and Ian Poulter before Perry and Furyk take on Westwood and Garcia.

Leonard said: "We are both excited. You know, we've been practising together this week, and knowing that we would be playing together, it will be fun to get out there and get started."

Holmes, Steve Stricker, Ben Curtis and Boo Weekley - all Ryder Cup rookies - will sit out the first session, but Azinger insisted the quartet are still very much in his thinking.

He said: "My intention is to get 12 players out on the first day and I'm going to stick to that. Experience wasn't a factor in the way I put them out. I put them out based on what I felt is quality alternate-shot scenarios."