KOHLER: Tokyo Olympic champion Xander Schauffele and US compatriot Patrick Cantlay will face Europe's Ian Poulter and Rory McIlroy in Friday's opening foursomes session of the 43rd Ryder Cup.

Pairings revealed at Thursday's opening ceremony unveiled the lineup for Friday morning's start to the biennial match play showdown between holders Europe and the United States at Whistling Straits.

Spaniards Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia will open for Europe in the first match against Americans Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth at 7:05 p.m. (1205 GMT).

The next match, teeing off 16 minutes later, sends Americans Dustin Johnson and Collin Morikawa against England's Paul Casey and Norway's Viktor Hovland.

Match three finds Englishmen Lee Westwood and Matt Fitzpatrick facing Americans Brooks Koepka and Daniel Berger with the McIlroy-Poulter and Schauffele-Cantlay encounter anchoring the session.

Friday's foursomes matches will be followed by four afternoon four-balls matches and Saturday will also have foursomes followed by four-balls ahead of Sunday's 12 concluding singles matches.

The United States will need 14.5 points to win the Ryder Cup while Europe need only 14 to retain the trophy.

The Europeans have won nine of the past 12 Ryder Cups and four of the past five.