RETIEF GOOSEN
ADAM SCOTT |
PHIL MICKELSON
JUSTIN LEONARD |
| Match time: 1:55 p.m. ET; 10:55 a.m. PT |
| Presidents Cup records: Retief Goosen (11-7-3 overall, 6-1-1 Four-ball); Adam Scott (8-6-2 overall, 3-2-1 Four-ball); Phil Mickelson (11-14-6 overall, 5-6-2 Four-ball); Justin Leonard (2-4-7 overall; 1-1-2 Four-ball). |
| International analysis: This could be one of International Captain Greg Norman's go-to teams. Goosen and Scott have played five matches together, including three in Four-ball where they are 2-0-1, and have never been beaten. Granted, Scott hasn't been at the top of his game, but he did manage to break par in three of the four rounds he played last week at the Turning Stone Resort Championship. He didn't putt particularly well in his Foursomes match with Ernie Els, but that's why the practice green comes in handy. Neither player is a birdie machine, but Goosen, a two-time U.S. Open champion, has made his share in the clutch. |
| U.S analysis: These two have played on seven Cup teams together but interestingly have never been partners. Mickelson is at the top of his game after winning THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola, his third victory of the season. Most importantly, he has confidence in the flat stick again after working with Dave Stockton several times in the last three weeks. He's aggressive and could go low while the steady Leonard is hitting fairways and greens. That missed 3-footer on the 18th hole Thursday notwithstanding, Leonard ranks 19th in birdies while Mickelson is 22nd. This could be a match made in heaven. |
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ERNIE ELS
MIKE WEIR |
JIM FURYK
ANTHONY KIM |
| Match time: 2:07 p.m. ET; 11:07 a.m. PT |
| Presidents Cup records: Ernie Els (14-10-2, 6-3-1 Four-ball); Mike Weir (11-8-1 overall, 5-2-0 Four-ball); Jim Furyk (8-13-3 overall, 1-7-0 Four-ball); Anthony Kim (1-0-0 overall, 0-0-0 Four-ball). |
| International analysis: Again, Norman went with two players who have previously partnered with success. The Big Easy and the diminutive Canadian won both their Four-ball matches at the 2007 Presidents Cup. Els should be confident after his Foursomes victory and three top-10 finishes in his last eight starts as an individual. The gritty Weir has struggled a bit tee-to-green but once he gets there, he's solid -- ranking 39th in putting and 35th in scoring. |
| U.S. analysis: Kim is a relative Cup newbie, and he'll be playing with just his second partner in Furyk after three Ryder Cup matches and one Presidents Cup match, all with Mickelson. Kim is as exciteable as Furyk is outwardly mellow, but both want to win badly. Furyk is playing extremely well with top-10s in his last three starts. He ranks third in scoring and 44th in birdies made, too. Kim may not have played as well as he'd like overall this year, but he is nothing if not a competitor, and he ranks second in both putting and birdies. |
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RYO ISHIKAWA
Y.E. YANG |
KENNY PERRY
SEAN O'HAIR |
| Match time: 2:19 p.m. ET; 11:19 a.m. PT |
| Presidents Cup records: Ryo Ishikawa (0-1-0 overall, 0-0-0 Four-ball); Y.E. Yang (0-0-1 overall, 0-0-0 Four-ball); Kenny Perry (8-6-0 overall, 2-3-0 Four-ball); Sean O'Hair (0-1-0 overall; 0-0-0 Four-ball). |
| International analysis: Ishikawa has to be glad to be out of the glare of the spotlight after that lopsided opening loss to Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker on Thursday. Norman may be taking a bit of a chance in pairing the two rookies, but the 37-year-old Yang was steady in his debut as he and Retief Goosen halved in Foursomes. Yang, who won the PGA Championship and The Honda Classic this year, ranks 29th on TOUR in eagles and 44th in birdies. Both are big hitters and should be able to get into a comfortable rhythm. |
| U.S. analysis: This pairing matches the oldest player on Team USA with the second youngest in the rookie O'Hair. This could be a formidable team -- Perry ranks eighth in scoring average on TOUR and O'Hair is 10th. The 27-year-old ranks 16th in birdies while Perry has shown he can sustain the momentum when he gets on a roll. Both are coming off solid seasons, too, with two wins for Perry and one for O'Hair. Not to mention, O'Hair was third at THE TOUR Championship two weeks ago while Perry finished fourth. |
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VIJAY SINGH
TIM CLARK |
LUCAS GLOVER
STEWART CINK |
| Match time: 2:31 p.m. ET; 11:31 a.m. PT |
| Presidents Cup records: Vijay Singh (15-15-6 overall, 8-5-1 Four-ball); Tim Clark (4-6-1 overall, 3-0-1 Four-ball); Lucas Glover (2-4-0 overall, 0-2-0 Four-ball); Stewart Cink (8-5-1 overall; 2-2-1 Four-ball). |
| International analysis: Clark has never lost in four previous Four-ball matches. Singh's record is better in Four-ball than Foursomes. The two were paired together in the 2005 Presidents Cup when they halved a match against Fred Funk and Stewart Cink. Clark is one of the most accurate drivers on the PGA TOUR but can be streaky; if he gets hot Friday, the Americans will have their work cut out for them. |
| U.S. analysis: The Americans' two major winners this year will be paired for a second consecutive day. They didn't fare well against Singh and Robert Allenby in Foursomes, and their Four-ball records in the Presidents Cup are not impressive -- a combined 2-4-1. During the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, the two played all four events and were a combined 28 over (mostly due to Glover's high scores). One of the two will need to find the touch that won a major this summer. |
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ROBERT ALLENBY
CAMILO VILLEGAS |
ZACH JOHNSON
HUNTER MAHAN |
| Match time: 2:43 p.m. ET; 11:43 a.m. PT |
| Presidents Cup records: Robert Allenby (7-11-2 overall, 3-4-0 Four-ball); Camilo Villegas (0-1-0 overall, 0-0-0 Four-ball); Zach Johnson (3-2-0 overall, 0-1-0 Four-ball); Hunter Mahan (2-4-0 overall; 0-2-0 Four-ball). |
| International analysis: Allenby teamed with Mike Weir two years ago in Canada to win two Four-ball matches, but Greg Norman opted to split up that pairing. Allenby, who's playing in his fifth Presidents Cup, should provide a nice calming influence for Villegas, one of three Presidents Cup rookies on the International side. Neither has exactly been a birdie machine this year, but Allenby is accurate, and his game may be a good fit for Harding Park. |
| U.S. analysis: Neither player won a Four-ball match in their previous Presidents Cup appearances, but this pairing could produce fireworks. Mahan ranks third on the PGA TOUR in total birdies; Johnson ranks 17th. Each player has the ability to produced extended birdie streaks; if they both get on hot streaks Friday, the Internationals will be hard-pressed to counter. Johnson, in particular, seems to be on his game -- he finished fifth at the BMW Championship during the Playoffs. |
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GEOFF OGILVY
ANGEL CABRERA |
TIGER WOODS
STEVE STRICKER |
| Match time: 2:55 p.m. ET; 11:55 a.m. PT |
| Presidents Cup records: Geoff Ogilvy (2-4-0 overall, 1-1-0 Four-ball); Angel Cabrera (3-4-3 overall, 1-1-2 Four-ball); Tiger Woods (14-11-1 overall, 3-7-0 Four-ball); Steve Stricker (6-5-0 overall; 2-2-0 Four-ball). |
| International analysis: Neither player had much success during Thursday's Foursomes and this will be their first pairing together in the Presidents Cup. Ogilvy will look to bounce back from the big loss he suffered with teenager Ryo Ishikawa against Woods and Stricker on Thursday, and Greg Norman obviously feels confident in sticking him back in there against the Americans' most formidable duo. If they can pull the upset, it'd be a huge bonus for the Internationals. |
| U.S. analysis: Anybody can be beaten, but right now it's difficult to imagine a twosome on the International team being able to stop the Americans' two-headed monster. Woods and Stricker made quick work of Ogilvy and Ishikawa, and Woods obviously feels comfortable with the laid-back Stricker next to him. Still, Woods' record in Four-ball is well below average; he's 7-13-0 combined in Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup competititions. |
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