It’s happened again: The International team swept the Friday quartets for the second straight Presidents Cup, though this time it gives them a 7-3 lead going into the weekend at Medinah Country Club. How in the world did things go so badly for Team USA?
Sean Zak, Senior Writer: Anyone who has watched American team golf in the last five years has seen this happen many times. It starts slowly, just a drop of a hole here, a hole there, and then suddenly it’s a flow of yellow. (Or blue.) I think there is a certain anxiety that grows for Americans during this event, in particular, when they are considered such favorites. I hate to simplify the Internationals by putting better, but this is how many holes were won: made 10- to 20-footers by the boys in yellow. It can turn really fast in the other direction.
Josh Sens, Senior Writer: It’s match play. Anything can happen. But as Sean notes, this feels like a familiar script. Some putters get cold. Others get hot, which frees some guys and prompts others to press. Momentum swings, and on it goes. The smart money says the U.S. will close the gap Saturday and then pull away in singles, its historical strength. But I hope not. How can you not be drawn for the Internationals in this? What kind of event is it if the same team wins again and again? If I wanted that, I’d watch replays of the Globetrotters vs. the New Jersey Generals.
Josh Berhow, Managing Editor: Foursomes have never been the strength of the Americans and Friday was just a little strange. You’ve seen guys make physical and mental mistakes that they rarely do: Justin Thomas slips one into danger when he absolutely couldn’t, Xander fails to get out of a bunker; a ton of missed mid-range putts. It happens. I think it’s too easy to say that the Americans have won the last 10 of these and should be favored. It’s all true, but when it gets closer or when they start to take off, the pressure really increases. Because I don’t know supposed losses But what’s funny is that the International win could be the best thing to happen to the Presidents’ Cup.
