News and notes: Here’s who will play together on Day 3 of Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow
For sure the famed Green Mile at Quail Hollow was tough on everyone Friday, and has been all week. But that stretch of holes — playing at Nos. 13-14-15 this week on the redrawn layout — and indeed the entire back nine, has been particularly tough for the U.S. team at this year’s Presidents Cup.
In Thursday’s foursomes matches and again in Friday’s four-ball play, the United State squad posted big early leads, and at one time the whole scoreboard showed red numbers, indicative of an American advantage.
Friday more so that Thursday, the back nine gave the International team a chance.
At 2:15 Friday afternoon, all five matches showed a U.S. lead, and the International side had won only three holes of 35 total played.
By the end of the day, the statistics had nearly evened out. Starting with Hole 9, International golfers won 11 holes across five matches to rally and earn a pair of ties. American golfers won only six holes during that stretch, but still won three matches on the strength of the early leads they’d built up.
Presidents Cup draws former US Presidents, North Carolina politicians
As Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele approached the eighth green, they probably didn’t know who was watching them.
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, wearing a white Presidents Cup cap atop his white hair, smiled big. He was quietly enrapt in a story with Erskine Bowles — Clinton’s former chief of staff and a famed political and business voice from North Carolina — when Fred Couples approached the two men.
“Thank you for visiting us today, Mr. President,” Couples, a fan and player favorite at any PGA Tour event, told Clinton with a smile.
The Presidents Cup is one of those events that tend to draw national and local dignitaries. President George W. Busch was at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte on Friday. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper made his appearance Thursday — and so did N.C. sports legends Roy Williams (UNC basketball coach), Gerald Henderson (Duke basketball player) and Jimmie Johnson (Hall of Fame NASCAR driver).
Will President Joe Biden descend on Charlotte later this weekend?
Justin Thomas thankful for ‘a nice little ham and egg out there’
Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth led off for the US, and they exited with a win after being two up with one hole left.
Thomas is now 5-0 in his Presidents Cup career in four-ball matches. What’s the reason behind his success?
“A great partner,” Thomas said. “A really great partner. No, I’m glad I put some ham in my omelet this morning for a nice little ham and egg out there. Jordan is starting to feel it with the putter, and it’s a fun sight to see.”
Pairing up
Saturday, the U.S. and International teams will square off in two different sessions, competing in four “foursomes” matches in the morning, followed by four “four-ball matches in the afternoon.
Team captains announced the pairings for the morning session Friday evening. They will announce the afternoon session pairings later Saturday morning.
Here are the pairings for Saturday morning’s rounds:
7:12 a.m. - Jordan Spieth/Justin Thomas (U.S.) vs. Sungjae Im/Corey Conners (Int’l)
7:24 a.m. - Cameron Young/Collin Morikawa (U.S.) vs. Adam Scott/Hideki Matsuyama (Int’l)
7:36 a.m. - Scottie Scheffler/Sam Burns (U.S.) vs. K.H. Lee/Tom Kim (Int’l)
7:48 a.m. - Tony Finau/Max Homa (U.S.) vs. Si Woo Kim/Cam Davis (Int’l)
What is foursomes?
Traditional golf tournaments are an every-golfer-for-themselves proposition, and on the PGA Tour, rarely does the format differ.
In international events like the Ryder Cup and the Presidents Cup, to foster a team atmosphere, not only do players from opposing sides compete directly against one another individually, but there are formats in which teams of players will concurrently battle.
Such will be the case on Day 3 at the Presidents Cup. In the first session of two on Saturday, golfers from the United States will take on players from around the world — except Europe — in the “foursomes” format.
In foursomes, a pair of golfers from the same team play one ball on each hole, alternating which golfer hits the shot each time. Intuitively, the format is also known as “alternate shot.”
Teammates decide which of them will tee off on the even-numbered holes and which on the odd-numbered ones. The players then play alternate shots throughout the play of that hole. Either of the players is allowed to take any action for their side, such as to mark the ball, or to lift and replace it, regardless of which partner’s turn it is to play next for the side.
A player and the player’s caddie may also help the partner in the same way that the partner’s own caddie would be allowed to do.
While this format can be used in both stroke play and match play, the Presidents Cup (and Ryder Cup) are match play events, meaning the raw score only matters to determine who wins each hole, and not for an overall total.
So, what is four-ball?
In the second session Saturday (officially Session 4), golfers will square off in the “four-ball” format.
In a match play competition, a four-ball consists of two teams of two players competing directly against each other. All four golfers play their own balls throughout the round. Each hole is won by the team whose member has the lowest score. Typically this can allow for more aggressive play based on who hits first, and from which position.
This story was originally published September 23, 2022 at 6:02 PM with the headline "News and notes: Here’s who will play together on Day 3 of Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow."
