RETIEF GOOSEN
CAMILO VILLEGAS |
PHIL MICKELSON
SEAN O'HAIR |
Match time: 10:45 a.m. ET; 7:45 a.m. (local)
Presidents Cup records: Retief Goosen(11-8-3 overall, 2-5-2 Foursomes); Camilo Villegas (0-2-0, 0-1-0 Foursomes); Phil Mickelson (13-13-9 overall, 6-6-2 Foursomes); Sean O'Hair (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Foursomes).
International analysis: Neither of the two have won a match during this year's Presidents Cup -- although Goosen and Y.E. Yang eeked out a halve in Foursomes on Thursday when Justin Leonard misfired on a 3-foot putt. Hitting fairways is neither player's forte this year, but Villegas has been dependable with his irons. Their statistics in Friday's Four-ball were remarkably similar (12 greens for both and Villegas' seven fairways was one more than Goosen) so the two could be a good match. Not to mention, the rookie is intense and the veteran as collected as they come.
U.S. analysis: Mickelson is back in his familar leadoff position but playing with his third partner of this Presidents Cup. He's got two wins to show for it, though, so Lefty must be doing something right. O'Hair is Mickelson's new project -- he partnered Anthony Kim so well at the Ryder Cup and in Foursomes on Thursday, then helped Justin Leonard forget that gaffe at the 18th hole on Friday in Four-balls. Here Mickelson partners the other American rookie, who is coming off top-10s in his last two starts but hasn't tasted victory yet this week. Both are big-hitters and potentially explosive players so maybe Mickelson can help O'Hair turn things on. |
|
ERNIE ELS
ADAM SCOTT |
JIM FURYK
JUSTIN LEONARD |
Match time: 10:55 a.m. ET; 7:55 a.m. (local)
Presidents Cup records: Ernie Els (15-10-2 overall, 5-5-1 Foursomes); Adam Scott (8-7-2 overall, 4-2-1 Foursomes); Jim Furyk (13-9-3 overall, 4-4-2 Foursomes); Justin Leonard (7-10-3, 3-3-3).
International analysis: Both teams have history together but the International duo can boast of a 1-up victory over the Americans in 2003. Not to mention, Els and Scott won their opener this week and have a 3-1-0 mark in Foursomes overall. The Aussie, who was feared by many to be a liability as a Captain's Pick, has rewarded Greg Norman's faith in him so far. Granted, Scott didn't win in Four-ball -- he and Retief Goosen ran into a buzz-saw in Phil Mickelson and Justin Leonard -- but he twice squared the match with clutch birdies. Els didn't have his best stuff on Friday but he's still 2-0 and is tied with Vijay Singh as the leading point-getter on the International Team.
U.S. analysis: Even though there originally was some confusion over whether the putt had been conceded, Leonard knew he made a bad swipe at the 3-footer for par on the 18th hole of his opening Foursome match that enabled the Internationals to pick up a tie. He came right back out in Four-balls on Friday with Phil Mickelson, though, and birdied the first hole, then closed out that match with an 11-footer at the 16th hole. So that Foursomes gaffe is all in the past, and he and Furyk return for the U.S. looking to improve on a 1-1-1 record overall. The dependable Furyk, playing with a struggling Anthony Kim on Friday, had a 26-footer on the 18th hole to halve his Four-ball match but the ball slid inches left of the cup. He and Leonard are nothing if not plodders who won't go down without a fight. |
|
ROBERT ALLENBY
VIJAY SINGH |
STEWART CINK
HUNTER MAHAN |
Match time: 11:05 a.m. ET; 8:05 a.m. (local)
Presidents Cup records: Robert Allenby (7-12-2 overall, 3-5-1 Foursomes); Vijay Singh (16-15-6 overall, 6-6-3 Foursomes); Stewart Cink (8-6-1 overall, 4-2-0 Foursomes); Hunter Mahan (3-4-0 overall, 2-1-0 Foursomes)
International analysis: In four previous Presidents Cups, Allenby and Singh had never played a match together. Pity, since the two proved to be a good fit on Thursday as they beat Lucas Glover and Stewart Cink in Foursomes. The International duo held the lead for 15 of 18 holes that day and proved resilient when the Americans won the 15th and 16th to square the match -- answering with a birdie at the 17th on the way to the win. Allenby is as good as anyone tee-to-green and Singh was equally steady Friday, hitting all but five fairways and five greens in his Foursomes win with Tim Clark.
U.S. analysis: These two Americans have never played together. Cink partnered Lucas Glover in the first two matches this year and they lost both, so Couples elected to sit the reigning U.S. Open champ during Saturday morning's session. Singh was on the winning end of both those matches, too, so Cink, who won the British Open in July, should have extra incentive. Mahan, one of Fred Couples' two Captain's Picks, was unbeaten in Foursomes during the last two Cups until Thursday but should find Cink a compatible partner. He and Zach Johnson, one of Cink's best friends, picked up a Four-ball victory on Friday over Allenby, so again, there is history there. |
|
TIM CLARK
MIKE WEIR |
STEVE STRICKER
TIGER WOODS |
Match time: 11:15 a.m. ET; 8:15 a.m. (local)
Presidents Cup records: Tim Clark (5-6-1 overall, 1-4-0 Foursomes); Mike Weir (12-8-1 overall, 3-5-1 Foursomes); Steve Stricker (7-5-0 overall, 3-2-0 Foursomes); Tiger Woods (15-11-1 overall, 8-2-1 Foursomes)
International analysis: Weir and Clark were paired in Thursday's Foursomes and lost to Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim 3 and 2. They failed to record a birdie, but the two players are probably feeling better about things after their performances in Friday's Four-balls, in which both players recorded wins playing with different partners. Clark produced the key shot of the day when his second shot at the par-5 18th landed 14 feet from the pin, setting up an eagle that allowed him and Vijay Singh to rally for a win against Lucas Glover and Stewart Cink. Weir and Ernie Els, meanwhile, beat Jim Furyk and Anthony Kim. But despite the good vibes from Friday, Weir and Clark know they're facing the toughest duo at Harding Park in Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker. Interesting, though, that Weir and Clark have each beaten Woods heads-up in match play. Weir defeated Woods in singles at the 2007 Presidents Cup in Montreal, while Clark eliminated Woods earlier this year in the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship. Beating Woods and Stricker will be a tall order, but what Weir and Clark lack in stature, they more than make up for it with their tenacious attitudes. This may be closer than you think.
U.S. analysis: Captain Fred Couples must feel like he can just go ahead and count on a point from Woods and Stricker. After all, they've yet to be tested at Harding Park, beating Geoff Ogilvy and Ryo Ishikawa 6 and 4 in Thursday's Foursomes, then whipping Ogilvy and Angel Cabrera 5 and 3 in Friday's Four-balls. On Thursday, Woods and Stricker combined to miss just two greens and one fairway, and Woods' eight wins in Foursomes is the most by any player in Presidents Cup history. Considering how well each one played during the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup as well as this week, it's hard to imagine that they won't be on the top of their games Saturday morning. |
|
RYO ISHIKAWA
Y.E. YANG |
ZACH JOHNSON
KENNY PERRY |
Match time: 11:25 a.m. ET; 8:25 a.m. (local)
Presidents Cup records: Ryo Ishikawa (1-1-0 overall, 0-1-0 Foursomes); Y.E. Yang (1-0-1 overall, 0-0-1 Foursomes); Zach Johnson (4-2-0 overall, 3-0-0 Foursomes); Kenny Perry (8-7-0 overall, 4-2-0 Foursomes)
International analysis: The Asian duo of Japan's Ryo Ishikawa and Korea's Y.E. Yang clicked in Four-balls. Now can they do it in Foursomes? Alternate shot requires a much different mindset, as Ishikawa learned Thursday when he and Geoff Ogilvy were trounced by Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker, 6 and 4. But the teenager settled in much better with Yang on Friday, as they teamed to beat Kenny Perry and Sean O'Hair 4 and 3. It was a no-brainer for Greg Norman to keep this pair together for the Foursomes session. "I think Ryo and I have some good chemistry," said Yang, who partnered with Retief Goosen on Thursday as they halved their match against Justin Leonard and Jim Furyk.
U.S. analysis: Kenny Perry and Zach Johnson will try to repeat their effort of Thursday, when they beat Camilo Villegas and Angel Cabrera 2 up in Foursomes. Johnson has won all three of his Foursomes matches in his brief Presidents Cup career, and he was solid in Friday's Four-balls with Hunter Mahan, as they beat Villegas and Robert Allenby 2 and 1. Perry has already dropped one match to the Asian pairing, so you know he'll be determined to avoid a second straight loss. But he'll need to hit more fairways than he did Friday, when he found just five of 11 fairways. |
|
|
PGATOUR.com is part of the Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network