The Internationals took the early control of the Presidents Cup on Thursday and they will be looking to maintain their advantage when the competition resumes with a session of foursomes at Royal Melbourne on Friday.
Internationals hold a 4-1 lead after their best ever first session in the competition, and with five points available on Friday they have the chance to really ram home their advantage. USA will want to win this session and get themselves back into the tournament.
Match 6: Louis Oosthuizen & Adam Scott vs Dustin Johnson & Matt Kuchar
Match tees off at 00.02 GMT
The big match on the second day of the tournament comes in the first game as the two most experienced International players in Adam Scott and Louis Oosthuizen face a Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar pairing that were extremely effective in this discipline two years ago.
It is something of a surprise that Els has chosen to put his two strongest players together and they will be given the task of going out and picking up a significant point in their quest but they face a couple of players who are clearly very familiar alongside each other. The big question here is how Johnson will play. If he has none of the rust we feared he could have coming into the tournament then this could be a close match. I’m expecting high quality, pure ball striking and not much between these two and I wouldn’t be surprised if they have not been separated after the 18 holes are done.
Prediction: Halved match
Match 7: Adam Hadwin & Joaquin Niemann vs Xander Schauffele & Patrick Cantlay
Match tees off at 00.15 GMT
The second foursomes match out onto the golf course will be a familiar one for three of the men involved in it as Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay pair up for the second day in a row when they go up against Adam Hadwin, who has a change of partner in Joaquin Niemann.
This is an interesting International pairing because either of them ranked particularly high in strokes gained around the greens over the course of 2019 and if there was one thing we saw on Thursday it is that a short game is essential. I think the Americans have the edge their and their pure ball striking ability gives them a significant advantage in my eyes. I like the Americans to pick up the point for their team here.
Prediction: USA win
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Match 8: Marc Leishman & Abraham Ancer vs Webb Simpson & Patrick Reed
Match tees off at 00.28 GMT
The middle match of the five on Friday is another juicy looking clash as the classy Internationals pair of Marc Leishman and Abraham Ancer go up against a Webb Simpson and Patrick Reed who were surprisingly beaten on the opening day and will be out to make up for that over the course of Friday.
I like the Leishman and Ancer pairing I must admit. If there is a weakness of Leishman it is length off the tee and if there is a weakness of the Mexican it comes in the short game so the drivable holes should suit them nicely with Ancer driving and Leishman setting up the birdie chance. Simpson and Reed were expected to blend nicely together but that wasn’t really the case on Thursday. I think the Internationals could edge this but I’m always wary of taking on Reed in these events.
Prediction: International win
Match 9: Hideki Matsuyama & Byeong-Hun An vs Tiger Woods & Justin Thomas
Match tees off at 00.41 GMT
The penultimate match of what is an important session of play sees the Asian pair of Hideki Matsuyama and Byeong-Hun An teaming up against to play Tiger Woods and Justin Thomas in a clash between two pairs who won their fourball matches on the opening day of the event, albeit in a different line up where the Internationals are concerned.
Matsuyama and C-T Pan took care of Patrick Reed and Webb Simpson on Thursday while An partnered Adam Scott to a win over Bryson DeChambeau and Tony Finau but you would think this pair are going to have to go some to see off Woods and Thomas given the way they gelled and played together on Thursday. Once again the significant edge in the short game department goes to the Americans and there is no getting away from how big an advantage it is, and how necessary it is on this course. Matsuyama and An might be brilliant from tee to green but we saw how firm this course is on Thursday and if you have no control on and around the greens it is a recipe for disaster. This is an American win for me.
Prediction: USA win
Match 10: Cameron Smith & Sungjae Im vs Rickie Fowler & Gary Woodland
Match tees off at 00.54 GMT
The final match of the session sees two of the men who sat out the play on Thursday getting their competition underway with two men who had very different performances on the opening day completing the group of players on the course.
Cameron Smith will be partnering Sungjae Im for the Internationals with the former having a point to prove having not been included in the first round in his home Presidents Cup. He teams up with arguably the star of the opening day in Im. Gary Woodland had a day to forget in the fourballs, failing to make a single birdie, which even on a course of this toughness takes some doing. He will need to improve or Rickie Fowler will need to be exceptional on his first appearance. Both could happen but I like the solidity of the Internationals pair here and will take them for the win.
Prediction: International win
Tips
Back C.Smith & S.Im to beat R.Fowler & G.Woodland for a 4/10 stake at 2.15 with Betfred
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