"Ole! Ole, Ole, Ole! Eu-rope, Eu-rope!"
It's become the refrain of the Ryder Cup as Europe's won five of the past seven — and lost only three of the past 12 — matches in a competition dominated for decades by the United States.
So what makes Corey Pavin, who leads the underdog Americans this week into the Welsh lowlands — into a country famous for its fondness of song — think he can keep the home fans quiet?
"The key is to not give them anything to sing about," says Pavin.
Easier said than done given that the U.S. hasn't won on the road since 1993.
But Pavin's got faith in his team, even if the experts — 29 out of 31 golf writers polled here Thursday picked a European victory — and bookmakers don't.
"I've got a pretty feisty group, which I like," he says.
"Everyone says that we're the underdogs but I don't see it that way. I think if you look at both teams, we're pretty even."
It's not quite Ben Crenshaw at Brookline in 1999, wagging his index finger on Saturday evening and predicting Joe Namath-like that he had "a good feeling about this," but that‘s not Pavin‘s style.
He'd rather let his players' sticks do the talking.
But the truth is that the Americans will be up against it at Celtic Manor, facing arguably the strongest-ever European team.
If the U.S. is to pull off the upset, it'll hinge on the opening day, when eight matches will be played: four-ball in the morning followed by foursomes, or alternate shot.
In five of the past six Ryder Cups, the team that's led after the first day has gone on to win. The lone exception was Crenshaw's Miracle in Massachusetts in 1999, when Europe imploded during the Sunday singles.
"A lot of it's about getting the momentum," says Steve Stricker. "At the Presidents Cup, we seem to always be able to get it and even if the Internationals (win a session), we kind of bounce right back and get it back."
It's telling that two years ago, when the U.S. won at Valhalla, Paul Azinger's team led 5 1/2 to 2 1/2 after Friday's matches. It was the biggest first day lead the U.S. had enjoyed since 1979.
Getting off to a good start and riding that momentum is also the stated goal of European captain Colin Montgomerie.
"I put a very big importance on (the opening) session," he said Thursday after he and Pavin announced the first session's pairings.
"Momentum has to be gained and then continued through the afternoon to gain the lead on Friday evening. That's my goal.
"To give ourselves the lead going into Saturday, that's the plan of attack here."
Montgomerie's plan of attack seems a little more mischievous than just that, however.
After the Friday morning pairings were announced, he half-jokingly said Europe was already 1-up because Pavin forgot to acknowledge Stewart Cink during the opening ceremony.
Then, more devilishly, he questioned Pavin's positioning of Stricker and Tiger Woods — who went undefeated as a team at last year's Presidents Cup in San Francisco — in the third slot for the morning.
Woods has gone off in first in his last three Ryder Cups. Pavin denied the assertion of a British reporter that Woods was being "snubbed," but Monty gave the theory a thorough airing.
"I was expecting Tiger to go first or fourth (in the anchor match). I think Tiger, being hidden, is a different move," Montgomerie said.
Hidden?
Perhaps Pavin slotted Woods and Stricker third because he thought Montgomerie might put the Northern Irish duo of Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell there?
Monty later admitted that he wanted to avoid McIlroy facing Woods on the first morning after the brewing feud between the two. The Irish pair will instead face Stewart Cink and Matt Kuchar, the Georgia Tech connection, in the second match.
Woods and Stricker will go up against another confident pairing, Englishmen Ian Poulter — whose teammates said he was salivating at the chance of playing Woods — and rookie Ross Fisher.
"We are really pumped," said Fisher, "We want to really get out there and give it to them."
As Woods said to McIlroy when the Irish tyro suggested that no one on the European team would mind facing the slumping world No. 1, be careful what you wish for.
Pavin chose to send two bombers, Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, out first against Lee Westwood and Germany's Martin Kaymer.
"If we can get the early point on the board, it will be a huge lift for the team," said Kaymer, who won the PGA Championship in August.
The real surprise was that Pavin chose to pair rookies Bubba Watson and Jeff Overton in the anchor match, against the imposing European pairing of Luke Donald and Padraig Harrington.
No American rookies have been teamed in the first session since 1981, when Bruce Lietzke and Phil Rogers were beaten.
"I wanted them to go off last because I wanted them to see and experience some things that were happening with the first few matches," said Pavin.
He said the two were "itching" to get out and play and he wanted to play them in the better-ball format rather than alternate shot, which puts a premium on steadier play.
"I think if me and Jeff make a lot of birdies, we'll have a great chance of winning the match," said Watson.
Monty weighed in again on that choice, however, second-guessing Pavin again.
"I can honestly say to you that Luke and Padraig were not expecting that last game, which is an important game, say we are 2-1 down to go back to 2-all or 2-1 up to get to 3-1 ... to be playing two rookies," he said.
"We'll see what comes of that."
Both captains have indicated that they plan — especially given the foul weather expected on Friday — to play all 12 players in their team.
So the Molinari brothers, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Peter Hanson will probably enter the fray in the foursomes on Friday afternoon, along with Hunter Mahan — controversially left out in the fourball given his 2-0-3 record two years ago — Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson and Rickie Fowler.
Pavin's hoping it all adds up to something that his Americans can sing about.
