SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France – If the groups that went off the first tee Tuesday at Le Golf National are an indication of what’s to come, Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed have split.

And Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson could play together.

Spieth and Reed have formed a U.S. juggernaut in international play – the two are 4-1-2 in the Ryder Cup and 4-0-1 in the Presidents Cup – but they were not in the same pod as practice rounds began for the 42nd Ryder Cup.

Instead, Reed was grouped with Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau. Right behind them was the group of Spieth, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler and Dustin Johnson. The third group was Bubba Watson, Webb Simpson, Brooks Koepka and Tony Finau.

Sergio Garcia, Alex Noren, Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose led off the Europeans' practice rounds. They were followed by the group of Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Thorbjorn Olesen and Paul Casey. The third group was Tommy Fleetwood, Francesco Molinari, Ian Poulter and Tyrrell Hatton.

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U.S. captain Jim Furyk and Europe captain Thomas Bjorn have not specifically said they are using a pod system, so let the guessing games begin.

Paul Azinger introduced the pod system in 2008. Four players are grouped for each day of practice rounds. The players can bond and get used to each other’s golf ball ahead of play in foursomes (alternate shot). One vice-captain is assigned to each pod, forming a more coherent feel for each pod within the team. The system could give the captain three different teams for each pod – and each group Tuesday had a vice-captain.

Furyk downplayed the significance of the pods.

“Today is really about trying to learn the golf course and hit some solid golf shots. There may be some pairings out there and there's some groups there isn't,” Furyk said. “I just want them concentrating on their own game right now. They are very aware of who they will be playing with this week and they are very aware of some of the options they have, and they will work on that a lot in the team room and they will work on that a lot in the next couple days.

“There's always going to be a reaction to what you're seeing on the golf course, what you're feeling, options to branch off of, but I've got a really good idea of what I'd like to do for day one.”

Azinger’s method worked as the U.S. won in 2008. But the pod system was not used in the next three Ryder Cups and the U.S. lost. In 2016, captain Davis Love III brought back the pod system and the Americans were victorious.

Reed and Spieth have split before. After the two went 2-0-1 as rookies in the 2014 Ryder Cup, they were not paired in the first three sessions of the 2015 Presidents Cup. But in the fourth session against the Internationals, captain Jay Haas put Reed and Spieth back together and they won.

In the 2016 Ryder Cup, the two were 2-1-1 at Hazeltine.

If Furyk is using the pod system, it could make for some very interesting pairings, starting with Woods and Mickelson. The two best players of their generation have played together in only two matches in the Ryder Cup – both losses in 2004 as Europe crushed the U.S., 18½-9½.

When Mickelson was asked about a potential pairing with Woods, he said, “I think we’d both welcome it. I think we’d both welcome it.”

Or Woods could play with DeChambeau, a frequent practice round partner this year, which would put Mickelson with Reed. Spieth could play with Thomas with Fowler pairing with Johnson. Watson and Simpson are likely a team, with Finau and Koepka forming a big-hitting duo.