Wednesday 2 December 2015 16:36, UK
Sir Nick Faldo believes the United States will be favourites for next year's Ryder Cup, with half of the European team likely to be making their debuts.
While Faldo welcomes the prospect of having as many as six rookies in Darren Clarke's side, he feels it could hinder Europe's chances of winning the contest for the fourth time in succession.
The six-time major champion was captain of the last European team to taste defeat, when Paul Azinger inspired the Americans to a convincing victory at Valhalla in 2008 with a side containing six debutants.
Faldo predicts there will be a "changing of the guard" in Europe's team at Hazeltine in September, while he expects Davis Love's line-up to be similar to the last Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in 2014.
"I think America could be the favourites this time because the backbone of their team will be similar to the last one," Faldo told Reuters. "Europe's backbone could be very different. We could easily have six rookies.
"There are a lot of names America won't know a lot about if we get the likes of Tommy Fleetwood, Andy Sullivan and Danny Willett making the team.
"That could be a bad thing but it could also be a good thing because sometimes it can be quite nice to be a little bit of an unknown. I think that's going to happen and we'll probably have a fresh half of our team."
British Masters champion Matt Fitzpatrick and Ireland's Shane Lowry, winner of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in August, are also widely tipped to make the team, with the likes of Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter facing a tough task to qualify.
"There is going to be a changing of the guard, a few of our guys are getting a little older," added Faldo, the all-time record points scorer in the Ryder Cup, having collected 25 points in his 11 appearances.
"America need to get a couple of good partnerships. That has always been the strength of Europe, we have had Ballesteros and Olazabal, me with Ian Woosnam or Colin Montgomerie and Bernhard Langer.
"The Americans have struggled with that recently. Their strongest pair has been Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley; even that one gets broken up at the wrong time. They have got to find a couple of good pairings but the bottom line is they must find a way to win."
