Presidents Cup match previews: Saturday morning Foursomes

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The International Team is behind and hopes for a big Saturday, when eight points – four in Foursomes, four in Four-ball – are up for grabs at the Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow Club.

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Momentum is everything in team golf, and the heavily favored U.S. Team has had most of it, but that could change. Although the climb back likely won’t be easy, International Team Captain Trevor Immelman and his squad at least know it’s possible. Sungjae Im and Sebastian Muñoz birdied six straight holes on the back nine Friday and salvaged a tie in their match against Sam Burns and Scottie Scheffler.

Christian Bezuidenhout and Mito Pereira also came from behind to produce a tie in their match against veteran match play specialist Kevin Kisner and rookie Cameron Young.

The U.S. duos of Patrick Cantlay/Xander Schauffele and Jordan Spieth/Justin Thomas have been unstoppable, though, each going 2-0-0 and mastering both Foursomes and Four-ball.

There have been few missteps so far for the U.S. Team, which will get back in action with its preferred Foursomes format on Saturday morning, hoping to extend the lead.

MATCH 11

Jordan Spieth/Justin Thomas (U.S.) vs. Sungjae Im/Corey Conners (International), 7:12 a.m. Eastern

The first match Saturday is a rematch, as Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, who are 2-0-0 as a team so far in this Presidents Cup, beat Sungjae Im and Corey Conners 2-and-1 in a first-round Foursomes match on The powerhouse U.S. duo of Spieth and Thomas beat Adam Scott and Cam Davis in a Four-ball match on Friday, and even beat Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele in a practice round match earlier this week. With Im and Conners, International Team Captain Trevor Immelman went with a pair of players who each showed flashes of form as they salvaged ties Friday, Im with Sebastian Muñoz and Conners with Taylor Pendrith.

Player records: Spieth (10-5-1 overall; 6-0-0 Foursomes); Thomas (8-2-2 overall; 3-0-2 Foursomes); Im (3-2-2 overall; 0-2-1 Foursomes); Conners (0-2-0 overall; 0-1-0 Foursomes).

MATCH 12

Cameron Young/Collin Morikawa (U.S.) vs. Adam Scott/Hideki Matsuyama (Intl.), 7:24 a.m. Eastern

Two teams from the opening round Foursomes get another chance in the format on Saturday morning with the winning rookie duo of Young and Morikawa looking to continue the misery for the International Team veterans.

The U.S. duo were 2 and 1 winners against Tom Kim and K.H. Lee in Foursomes on Thursday impressing Captain Davis Love III enough to be rewarded with Saturday's opening slot.

Morikawa sat out Friday Four-balls while Young joined Kevin Kisner in a tie against Mito Pereira and Christiaan Bezuidenhout to remain unbeaten.

The early match is a chance at some much-needed redemption for Scott and Matsuyama who combine for 14 of the 18 Cups of experience for the International Team. They have been soundly beaten in both rounds so far.

They went down 6 and 5 as a Foursomes team to Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, the same two Americans Matsuyama lost 3 and 2 against in Four-balls with new partner Tom Kim.

Scott fell 2 and 1 with fellow Australian Cam Davis to Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas in Four-balls meaning his unwanted Presidents Cup record of most losses continues to grow, and is now at 24. (16-24-6 overall).

Player records: Young (1-0-1 overall; 1-0-0 Foursomes); Morikawa (1-0-0 overall; 1-0-0 Foursomes); Scott (16-24-6 overall; 7-10-2 Foursomes); Matsuyama (6-9-4 overall; 1-5-1 Foursomes).

MATCH 13

Sam Burns/Scottie Scheffler (U.S.) vs. Tom Kim/K.H. Lee (Intl.), 7:36 a.m. Eastern

The best buds are back at it again after earning a half-point in their Friday Four-balls match against Sungjae Im and Sebastian Munoz.

Saturday’s match allows Scheffler and Burns, who won a combined seven times in this most recent TOUR season, to earn redemption in the Foursomes format, where they lost Thursday to Si Woo Kim and Cam Davis.

All four players in this match are making their Presidents Cup debut.

Lee and Tom Kim also were a team in Friday Foursomes, losing to Cameron Young and Collin Morikawa, 2 and 1. Kim, the 20-year-old who won the Wyndham Championship earlier this year, also lost a Four-balls match Friday while Lee sat out the session.

The statistics say Burns and Scheffler should make a dynamic pairing. Scheffler ranked fourth in Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green and Burns ranked 10th in Strokes Gained: Putting, but they lost the final four holes of their Friday match to allow the Internationals to win, 2up.

Kim is the International Team’s spark plug. He’s the second-youngest player to win on TOUR since World War II – only Jordan Spieth was younger – and hasn’t been afraid to throw fist pumps, even during a difficult week for his side.

Player records: Burns (0-1-1 overall; 0-1-0 Foursomes); Scheffler (0-1-1 overall; 0-1-0 Foursomes); Kim (0-2-0 overall; 0-1-0 Foursomes); Lee (0-1-0 overall; 0-1-0 Foursomes).

MATCH 14

Tony Finau/Max Homa (U.S.) vs. Si Woo Kim/Cam Davis (International), 7:48 a.m. Eastern

Something’s got to give as Match 14 is a clash of two winning Foursomes teams from the first round Thursday.

Kim and Davis shook off early nerves and found a good team rapport as they flipped their first-round match and beat Sam Burns/Scottie Scheffler 2-up. Kim sat out the second-round matches Friday, while Davis partnered Adam Scott and lost 2-and-1 to Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas.

Finau and Homa beat Taylor Pendrith and Mito Pereira in their opening-round Foursomes match, then were split up Friday. Finau sat it out as Homa and Billy Horschel beat Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith 1-up, Homa providing late fireworks with birdies on 17 and 18.

Homa had the Presidents Cup circled on his calendar and has delivered in a big way. Another win Saturday morning and he’ll be 3-0-0. David Duval in 1996 had the most points for a captain’s pick, with 4. Mark O’Meara (1996) and Shigeki Maruyama (1998) each went 5-0-0 as rookies, the record for a Presidents Cup first-timer.

Player records: Finau (1-1-3 overall; 1-0-1 Foursomes); Homa (2-0-0 overall; 1-0-0 Foursomes); Kim (2-2-0 overall; 1-1-0 Foursomes); Davis (1-1-0 overall; 1-0-0 Foursomes).