Everything you need to know about marathon day at the Presidents Cup
The United States lost some ground to the International side during the first session of Day 3 at the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne in Australia. With four more matches to go in the afternoon alternate-shot format Saturday, the U.S. has work to do.
Here is what has happened and what’s to come on Day 3:
Clearly there is a lesson to be learned in this: Don’t mess with Justin Thomas in these competitions. He is 3-0 in this Presidents Cup — two outings with Tiger Woods and now this one with Fowler — to raise his record between the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup to 10-2-1. What was just as clear Saturday was that Li seemed overwhelmed by the moment. He made a mess at the second hole — playing out of turn, then forced to hit again, a shot that hit a tree. Li sat the first two days, the only player to do so. Once the U.S. took the lead at the fifth thanks to a Fowler birdie, the Americans never let the Internationals back in.
We might be calling Justin Thomas “The Postman” (sorry, Poults) by the end of this Presidents Cup.
Ancer could be having his star turn. In his first Presidents Cup appearance — he’s also the first player from Mexico to compete in the event — he is now 3-0 in three matches. He’s won each match with a different partner: Louis Oosthuizen, then Leishman, then Im. In putting away this victory, Ancer made birdies on the final three holes. Not to be overshadowed, Im has not lost in his first Presidents Cup; he is 2-0-1 through three matches. Cantlay and Schauffele, in their third consecutive match together, never had a lead and didn’t win a hole until the 12th. It was the only one the two Americans won.
Abraham Ancer is a rolled gold star for the Internationals, while Sungjae Im isn’t bad either.
If it wasn’t evident before this session, it’s obvious now: The Reed/Simpson pairing at this Presidents Cup did not work. If the U.S. team fails to win the Cup for just the second time in the history of the event, putting Reed/Simpson out there three times could be the decision that haunts captain Woods the most. Reed, the lightning rod entering this event after a rules fiasco a week ago at the Hero World Challenge, and Simpson never really threatened in any of the three losses they suffered in three matches. They lost the first one 4 and 3, the second 3 and 2 and the third 5 and 3.
After missing missing a big 10-footer on 15 that cost his team the hole, Finau made huge putts at the 17th and 18th to salvage a half-point. Given how much the U.S. side has struggled, the Americans need whatever they can get. It looked dire after the 15th, when An was all over the place for most of the par-5 but made a huge birdie putt while Finau missed from 10 feet and Kuchar whiffed from 3 feet. But Finau responded when the U.S. really, really needed it.
A quick turnaround for Scott, who was in the final pairing in the first session and then out in the first match of the second. He has already been out once with Oosthuizen this week, a 3 and 2 win over Johnson and Matt Kuchar in Day 2’s alternate-shot format. Woodland and Johnson paired together once this week in the first session on Day 1. It did not go well: They got pummeled by Oosthuizen and Abraham Ancer.
Prediction: Oosthuizen/Scott 2 up.
With Woods deciding he was taking the full day off, that meant Thomas and Fowler were headed back out together after a successful first session on Day 3. This match pits perhaps the two best players (well, best players not named Woods) in the competition. Thomas has been unbeatable for the U.S. Ancer has put on a show for the Internationals, matching Thomas’ 3-0 mark so far.
Prediction: Thomas/Fowler 1 up.
Despite so-so results, Woods is sticking with Cantlay and Schauffele again. In their first Presidents Cup, they are playing their fourth consecutive match together; they’ve gone 1-2 so far. If the Americans are going to dent the International side’s big lead, Cantlay and Schauffele need to improve. They won only one hole in the first session on Day 3 in a 3 and 2 loss. Smith has played just one match so far, and it was alongside Im. The two scratched out an alternate-shot tie against Fowler and Woodland on Day 2.
Prediction: Tie.
Kuchar and Finau serve as the anchor match in both sessions on Day 3. They went all 18 holes in the first session — and lost. While Niemann saw the first session, this will be An’s fourth match and his second of the day against Kuchar and Finau. Niemann, the youngest player in the event, is searching for his first contribution; he’s 0-2 so far.
Prediction: Tie.