2017 Presidents Cup scoreboard/ pairings https://www.presidentscup.com/leaderboard.html
Well the Friday fourballs looked so promising for a while in mid afternoon at this version of the Presidents Cup with Nick Price's International squad leading in 3 of 5 matches, and close in another however.....
In the end they couldn't hold on and this powerful USA team won 4 of the 5 matches and halved the other and now hold a commanding 8-2 lead, just a disaster in the big picture of this event.
Only Adam Hadwin and Hideki Matsuyama who led by 2 holes for most of the day, could manage a very creditable half with Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth.
Charl Schwarzel and Anirban Lahiri were just embarrassed playing Charlie Hoffman and Kevin Chappell 6&5. Lahiri snap hooked is opening drive into the water, was penalized a hole for practising out of a bunker after a flubbed shot, just had a miserable day and Charl wasn't a whole lot better, both missing those crucial 10 footers which would have kept them in the match. Neither are playing this morning.
Now it's just about saving face and making a decent showing over this weekend for the Internationals, and later I will outline the changes I think the Presidents Cup will have to make, because right now it's like the Ryder Cup before Seve Ballesteros arrived, when the US would just hammer the old GB and Ireland teams, an nobody in the US paid any attention.
Today there are foursomes in the morning and fourballs in the afternoon.
Morning foursomes
Match 1: Marc Leishman/ Jason Day vs Jordan Spieth/ Patrick Reed
Analysis: If you wanted a fairy tale story this morning, the International team rallies and wins all their matches....sorry... just woke up... Leishman and Day were just pipped 1 up by Mickleson and Kisner, there wasn't much in it, but they have Spieth and Reed today. They start at 7.02am, which is earlier than any of these guys have played in years. It's easy to pick the US, but I really feel this is going right to the 18th
Match halved
Match 2 : Adam Hadwin/ Adam Scott vs Matt Kuchar/ Dustin Johnson
Analysis: Kuchar and Johnson won their fourball match on Thursday at the last hole, the two Adams are paired together for the first time so you'd think it's advantage USA.
However in my time, when a team of good professionals are being embarrassed in any sport, no matter how wealthy it stings their pride and they respond. I have a feeling this will be the case here, and for no other reason I say..
Point Internationals..
Match 3 : Emiliano Grillo/ Jhonattan Vegas vs Phil Mickelson/ Kevin Kisner
Analysis: I just have no form to give you on this International pairing, and I believe that Phil Mickelson as the elder statesman continues to have a stirring effect on this US team and will continue to do so as their captain in years to come.
Point USA
Match 4: Branden Grace / Louis Oosthuizen vs Justin Thomas / Rickie Fowler
Analysis: The South Africans lost their first match yesterday, still played well, but look who they have to play in the anchor match, Thomas and Fowler! Still I will take the desperate pairing who are so strong together to come up clutch, let's hope for the sake of the matches, it's not already a blow out by the time they tee off..
Point Internationals
Bryan's scorecard : Internationals 2 1/2 USA 1 1/2
Bryan Angus
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