(CNN) -- World number one Tiger Woods and his partner Steve Stricker will take on English duo Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher in the opening fourballs of the 38th Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor, Wales, on Friday.
United States captain Corey Pavin named Woods and world number four Stricker as his third pairing for the first round of matches in the biennial contest against Europe.
The duo won all five of their matches at the Presidents Cup last year.
Europe captain Colin Montgomerie said Poulter would "relish" his dual with Woods. The Englishman, ranked 16th in the world, is known for his colorful dress on the course and once claimed he would emerge as the main rival to the American's status as the game's top player.
The first match on Friday morning will feature world number two Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson for the U.S. against a strong European pairing of third-ranked Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer, who won the US PGA Championship last month.
CNN
