Bloomfield Township, Mich. ? Always rivals, barely friends, finally partners.

U.S. captain Hal Sutton made sure this Ryder Cup will get off to a dynamic start by pairing Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson — America’s best two players — for the first time in the opening match at Oakland Hills.

“We came here to win,” Sutton said Thursday, determined as ever.

So did Europe, which has captured the Ryder Cup six of the last nine times and showed that it wasn’t about to back down. Sensing a Woods-Mickelson pairing was inevitable, European captain Bernhard Langer decided to send out Colin Montgomerie and Padraig Harrington to stop them.

Harrington is Europe’s best player. Montgomerie has the best Ryder Cup record.

“We can beat them,” Monty said. “We will go to bed with that view, and we will wake up tomorrow morning with that view. And it will be dramatic.”

Not even Thursday’s glitzy opening ceremony that featured plenty of star power — from Olympic swimming champion Michael Phelps to Detroit Pistons coach Larry Brown to Donald Trump — could set the stage any better for the most intense three days in golf.

Woods and Mickelson, who have combined to win 63 times on the PGA Tour, sat side-by-side at opening ceremonies as the leading points-earners on the U.S. team.

For the first time in seven team events — four Ryder Cups, three Presidents Cups — they will be side-by-side on the tee box Friday morning for the first of four better-ball matches.

The decision is risky.

The last time America’s best two players were paired was in the second set of matches at Brookline five years ago, and it gave Europe a huge lift when Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood beat Woods and David Duval.

“If we do win that game, it will have a dramatic effect on the day,” Montgomerie said. “It would be huge for the European team — and everybody here — to see that we can cope with their top two.”

Sutton sees it a differently.

“I felt like history needed it. I felt like the fans needed it,” Sutton said at opening ceremonies. “And most of all, I felt like Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods needed it.”

They never have been particularly close off the course. Woods played in the World Cup three straight years until the rules were changed in 2002 requiring the highest-ranked players to represent the U.S. team. With Mickelson the next-ranked player, Woods chose not to play. Even so, Sutton said the pairing sent a strong message about U.S. unity.

Mickelson gave Woods a gentle tap on the back as they were introduced at opening ceremonies, and they returned to their seats with a firm handshake.

“We’re fine with it,” Woods said. “We’re totally excited about it. We’re geared up. Can’t wait to get out there and play.”