Captains set their Friday morning four-ball pairings

U.S. Captain Roger Warren is wasting no time in throwing down the gauntlet. He's sending out Mike Small, who played in both the PGA Championship and U.S. Open this summer, in the opening match, which tees off at 8:00 a.m.

GREENSBORO, Ga. -- U.S. Captain Roger Warren is wasting no time in throwing down the gauntlet in the 23rd PGA Cup. He's sending out Mike Small, who played in both the U.S. Open and PGA Championship this summer, in the opening match, which tees off at 8:00 a.m.

The morning session will feature a quartet of four-ball matches. Here is the complete rundown of those matches:

8:00 a.m.
GB&I: Paul Wesselingh/James Whatley
USA: Mike Small/Alan Schulte

8:15 a.m.
GB&I: John Dwyer/Danny Taylor
USA: Ryan Benzel/Don Yrene

8:30 a.m.
GB&I: Craig Goodfellow/Michael Nesbit
USA: Chip Sullivan/Ron Philo Jr.

8:45 a.m.
GB&I: Jon Bevan/Duncan Muscroft
USA: Tim Thelen/Lee Rinker

The 23rd PGA Cup, the premier international event for PGA Golf Professionals, is a "cousin" of the Ryder Cup. The United States has not lost on home soil, and owns a 14-5-3 overall record, but it seeking to regain the Llandudno International Trophy, which Great Britain & Ireland won in 2005, by a 15-11 score at The K Club in Ireland.

If the U.S. fails to reclaim the Llandudno Trophy, it won't be due to a lack of experience.

The 10-member American unit is led by four PGA Professional National Champions: reigning titlist Chip Sullivan of Troutville, Va.; 2006 National Champion Ron Philo Jr. of Amelia Island, Fla., 2005 Champion Mike Small of Champaign, Ill., and two-time Champion (2000, 2003) Tim Thelen of College Station, Texas, who is making his fourth consecutive PGA Cup appearance.

"Making the PGA Cup Team and representing our 28,000 member professionals and our country is quite a burden," said Sullivan, 42, the PGA head professional at Ashley Plantation in Daleville, Va. "I hope that I can play well. It will be the biggest thrill of my life.

"I do feel good about our team. We have some very strong players. If they can play the way they are capable of playing, we can win."

Rounding out the U.S. Team are Ryan Benzel of Bothell, Wash., Lee Rinker of Jupiter, Fla., Alan Schulte of Fishers, Ind., Butch Sheehan of Rancho Mirage, Calif., Chris Starkjohann of Cardiff by the Sea, Calif., and Don Yrene of Scottsdale, Ariz. Rinker competed once in the PGA Cup, in a 1992 victory in England, while Philo and Small made their debuts on the 2005 U.S. Team.

The U.S. Team was determined following play June 24, in the 40th PGA Professional National Championship at Crosswater Golf Club in Sunriver, Ore. For the first time, the U.S. Team was determined through a two-year point system that included a player's performance in the 2006 and 2007 National Championships.

Small, the head men's golf coach at the University of Illinois, is the point leader for 2007 PGA Golf Professional Player of the Year honors. He won the Illinois Open a day before he competed in the 89th PGA Championship in Tulsa, Okla., and came away from the major with Low PGA Club Professional honors. He added the Illinois PGA Championship to his list of victories earlier this month.

Thelen, 46, is director of instruction at Traditions Club at Texas A&M in Bryan, Texas, and owns a glossy 10-3-0 match record.

"The loss we experienced two years ago in Ireland was a great wake-up call," said Thelen. "We won't need a locker room speech to motivate us this year."

"The PGA Cup is a one-of-a-kind event for a PGA Professional, and we are fortunate to be playing this event at a tremendous site that will test players on both teams," said U.S. Captain and PGA of America Honorary President Warren. "We face a talented GB&I Team, and we will focus all our efforts in bringing the Llandudno Trophy back to America."

The Americans will face a Great Britain & Ireland team captained by Gary Alliss of The Belfry in Sutton Coldfield, England. The GB&I Team was selected June 22, following the Glenmuir Club Professional Championship at Royal Porthcawl, England.

Veterans Paul Wesselingh of Derby, England, and reigning Glenmuir PGA Club Professional Champion John Dwyer of County Meath, Ireland, will guide the GB& I Team. Wesselingh, 45, is making his fifth Cup appearance and Dwyer, 34, has earned his third trip.

They are joined by eight rookies: Andrew Barnett, North Wales Golf Range, Clwyd, Wales; John Bevan, Wessex Golf Centre, Weymouth, England; Craig Goodfellow, Carlisle Driving Range, Cumbria, England; Duncan Muscroft, Montecchia Golf Club, Padova, Italy; Michael Nesbit, Westerhope Golf Club, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England; George Ryall, Players Club, Bristol, England; Danny Taylor, Swingers Golf Range, Lichfield, England; and James Whatley, Morley Hayes Golf Club, Ilkeston, England.

Oconee, which carries a double meaning by the Cherokee for "Water Eyes of the Hills" or "Place of the Springs," is aptly titled for a championship course that may extend to more than 7,100 yards. The famed lake comes into play on five holes, and additional water hazards affecting four other holes. The Oconee Course's distinguishing feature is its quartet of par-3 holes, ranging from 171 to 231 yards, which feature elevated tee shots and numerous water hazards.

The PGA of America is the world's largest working sports organization comprised of 28,000 men and women golf Professionals who are the recognized experts in growing, teaching and managing the game of golf while serving millions of people throughout its 41 PGA Sections nationwide. Since its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has enhanced its leadership position in a $62 billion-a-year industry by growing the game of golf through its premier spectator events, world-class education and training programs, significant philanthropic outreach initiatives, and award-winning golf promotions. Today's PGA Professional is the public's link to the game, serving an essential role in the operation of golf facilities throughout the country.