6 takeaways from Day 1 Presidents Cup pairings
Now that pairings and matchups for Day 1 of the 2019 Presidents Cup have been decided, it's time to dissect the decisions made by U.S. captain Tiger Woods and Internationals boss Ernie Els.
Here are the pairings and takeaways for Day 1:
U.S. team | Time (ET) | International team |
---|---|---|
Justin Thomas Tiger Woods |
5:32 p.m. | Marc Leishman Joaquin Niemann |
Xander Schauffele Patrick Cantlay |
5:47 p.m. | Adam Hadwin Sungjae Im |
Bryson DeChambeau Tony Finau |
6:02 p.m. | Adam Scott Byeong Hun An |
Webb Simpson Patrick Reed |
6:17 p.m. | Hideki Matsuyama C.T. Pan |
Dustin Johnson Gary Woodland |
6:32 p.m. | Abraham Ancer Louis Oosthuizen |
Tiger isn't messing around
Perhaps Woods was little thrown off by Els going with Marc Leishman and Joaquin Niemann right off the top, but the American captain stuck to his guns and put himself and Justin Thomas in the first match regardless of their opponent.
Tiger was likely anticipating a match against one of the International team's top players - someone like Adam Scott or Louis Oosthuizen - but he and Thomas will have a great opportunity to claim the first point of the event and set an early tone for the American side.
Surprising Patrick split
Despite being paired in both practice sessions and Round 1 of the Hero World Challenge - and having competed in the Zurich Classic together - Patrick Reed and Patrick Cantlay were split up for Day 1.
The Patricks could end up rejoining for foursomes, but for now, they'll be tasked with earning points separately. Reed and Webb Simpson should have no problem handling Hideki Matsuyama and C.T. Pan, while Cantlay and Xander Schauffele create a formidable second pairing that should be heavily favored to beat Sungjae Im and Adam Hadwin.
Young and old
Instead of stacking veterans together to match up against the United States' best teams, Els took a different - and much riskier - approach by pairing each vet with a rookie.
While this strategy may raise eyebrows, it also makes some sense. Giving each rookie a calming presence should ease their nerves, especially if they get off to shaky starts. Additionally, rolling out these tandems in four-ball will allow the debutants to play their own balls and get into the groove.
Ancer strikes gold
Mexico's Abraham Ancer drew Louis Oosthuizen as his partner for Day 1 four-ball and instantly became the dark-horse rookie to watch out for. Going up against Dustin Johnson and Gary Woodland won't be easy, but at least the International pair will be facing Johnson during his first competitive round in 16 weeks.
Els will be less inclined to split up Ancer and Oosthuizen if they pick up a big point on Day 1, which makes this pairing a potential catalyst for an International upset.
Scott's must-win
If Scott wants to end his winless drought in his ninth Presidents Cup, he must emerge victorious from Thursday's match with Byeong Hun An against Tony Finau and Bryson DeChambeau. Based on the betting market, Scott and An are the Internationals' best chance at collecting a point on Day 1. They must deliver because getting swept on Thursday would be an early nail in the coffin.
Benchwarmers
Two surprising names will be on the bench during Day 1. Rickie Fowler won't play on Thursday, but he could very well see action in the remaining four sessions due to his versatility.
The big shock is that Cam Smith is sitting. This feels like a missed opportunity by Els to capitalize on the main storyline leading into the event. Smith didn't necessarily have to go head to head with Reed to create buzz, but his presence would have reminded fans in Australia which side they should be supporting.
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