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Team USA swept the International Team 5-0 on Thursday of the Presidents Cup. The Americans denied every attempt the Internationals gave them.
Today, we will look at the foursome pairings and some of the best quotes from Thursday’s matches.
Day 1 gave the fans plenty of energy for Team USA, as Keegan Bradley and Scottie Scheffler delivered some of the most passionate moments. However, all five matches provided fantastic golf and kicked off what could be a popular Presidents Cup.
First, let’s examine the Friday foursome pairings and see who the two captains matched.
Presidents Cup Friday foursome pairings (ET):
Match 6
1:05 p.m. ET — Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele vs. Hideki Matsuyama, Sungjae Im
Match 7
1:19 p.m. ET — Sahith Theegala, Collin Morikawa vs. Adam Scott, Taylor Pendrith
Match 8
1:33 p.m. ET — Max Homa, Brian Harman vs. Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Jason Day
Match 9
1:47 p.m. ET — Wyndham Clark, Tony Finau vs. Corey Conners, Mackenzie Hughes
Match 10
2:01 p.m. ET — Scottie Scheffler, Russell Henley vs. Si Woo Kim, Byeong Hun An
Team USA captain Jim Furyk reunited good friends Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele after separating them for Thursday’s four-ball session. This duo is a formidable force for the Americans, and it seems Furyk trusts them to do well in the opening match.
He also chose to keep Sahith Theegala and Collin Morikawa together after winning their match on Thursday. However, International Captain Mike Weir picked a new playing partner for Adam Scott as he chose to sit Min Woo Lee and replaced him with Taylor Pendrith.
There is finally an all-Canadian pairing in Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes. Will it be good luck for the International Team?
The newest pairing is Max Homa and Brian Harman, who sat out Thursday for the Americans. These two played together at the Ryder Cup last year and were one of the bright spots on that team.
After seeing their dynamic on Thursday, Furyk also chose to keep Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley paired. They played well together and quickly formed a bond. This duo will be the anchor match for Friday’s session, and I love that choice from Furyk.
Sam Burns and Keegan Bradley are sitting for the Americans. I do not think Bradley should sit because he putted so well. Overall, the pairings are strong for Team USA, and they could easily extend their lead.
Weir chose to sit Lee and Tom Kim for Friday, which is surprising given they brought a lot of energy.
Best Presidents Cup quotes from Thursday
“I knew Collin was a baller, but just his presence and calming presence and how he goes about his process, he’s just a silent killer, man. That fired me up and settled me down, too, knowing that all these guys on this team are beasts, and just to be up close and personal with Collin, I’ve known him forever. We’ve never been able to play a team match together — it was awesome.”
— Sahith Theegala on playing with Collin Morikawa
“It was 10 years of pent-up energy, it looks like, of not playing these. I just had such a blast out there today. It’s really fun for me to be out here with these guys. I told Wyndham on 17 or 18 just how much I missed being out here and doing this. What a great day for the USA.”
— Keegan Bradley on the emotions of being on Team USA again
“I don’t shy away from him. He’s a good friend. But at the same time, this week I don’t like him. I want to beat him so bad, and I’m sure he feels the same way.”
— Tom Kim on playing his best friend Scottie Scheffler this week
“I have a feeling the matches were closer than what the score indicates. Our guys are just going to have to lift a little bit. We’re going to have to find another gear to beat a tough American team.”
— Adam Scott on Thursday’s matches.
“I know one thing: Patrick Cantlay is a dog. Patrick Cantlay is really good at golf, and I love playing golf with him.”
— Sam Burns on Patrick Cantlay
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Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @golf_girl_sl.
