ATLANTA, Nov 6 - European Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo has applauded the appointment of Paul Azinger as his opposite number for the 2008 matches in Louisville, Kentucky.

Faldo and American Azinger have met four times as Ryder Cup competitors and have worked together over the last two years as ABC television analysts on the PGA Tour.

"I think it's very good for both of us," six-times major winner Faldo told Reuters after the season-ending Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club.

"We've been able to build up a bit of a relationship over the last couple of years.

"I'm sure we will have our moments as Ryder Cup captains because we are both hotheads and we're going to have to lock horns over some issues to protect our teams.

"But I'm sure, in the big picture of the Ryder Cup, we will bring to it a bit of fun and a bit of entertainment as well," added Faldo, who was named as European captain in March last year.

"And why not? Clearly it's a very serious event and we all know what our goals are. But it's equally important that everybody has a great experience from being a Ryder Cup player."

U.S. BID

Azinger, who played in four Ryder Cups and won the 1993 PGA Championship, was appointed on Monday to lead the U.S. bid to wrest back the trophy from Europe at Valhalla Golf Club from September 19-21, 2008.

The Europeans have won the last three encounters in the biennial competition, and five of the last six.

Faldo knows he will face a tough task in trying to emulate the achievements of his two predecessors.

Bernhard Langer, in 2004, and Ian Woosnam, in September this year, guided Europe to record-equalling victories by the same margin of 18-1/2 points to 9-1/2.

"It won't be easy and playing America at Valhalla, the home of the American PGA, I'm sure they will be gunning for our boys," Faldo said.

"But I'm confident my team will have very much the backbone of this last team and obviously I want the guys to be as dominant as they were this time.

"America is going to regroup and they're going to come up with a new points system. They will have to go back to the drawing board and re-think about it."