Presidents Cup 2015 Schedule: Tee Times, Pairings and Predictions for Friday
After a dominant first day of foursomes play that saw the Americans seize a commanding 4-1 lead over the Internationals in the Presidents Cup, the two sides will do battle once again Friday in the form of five four-ball matchups.
Although the International team should have the home-course advantage over the United States at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon, South Korea, there was no sign of that being the case Thursday as captain Jay Haas' squad was locked in.
The winning team must reach 15.5 points in order to take the Presidents Cup, which means the International team in particular should have a sense of urgency entering Friday's portion of the competition.
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With the Internationals itching to mount a comeback, here is a look at how the matchups will shake out for Day 2 at the Presidents Cup.
Friday's Tee Times and Pairings
| 8:35 p.m. | Dustin Johnson / Jordan Spieth | Louis Oosthuizen / Branden Grace | Johnson / Spieth |
| 8:50 p.m. | Rickie Fowler / Jimmy Walker | Danny Lee / Sangmoon Bae | Fowler / Walker |
| 9:05 p.m. | Zach Johnson / Phil Mickelson | Adam Scott / Jason Day | Scott / Day |
| 9:20 p.m. | J.B. Holmes / Bubba Watson | Marc Leishman / Steven Bowditch | Holmes / Watson |
| 9:35 p.m. | Bill Haas / Chris Kirk | Thongchai Jaidee / Charl Schwartzel | Jaidee / Schwartzel |
Predictions for Friday
Johnson and Spieth Will Continue Dominance
There is something to be said for spreading out the talent in competitions like the Presidents Cup, but Haas has so much of it that he decided to build a super team consisting of Dustin Johnson and reigning PGA Player of the Year Jordan Spieth.
The American duo has done battle against each other many times in big tournaments, but they are working toward one common cause in South Korea.
According to Steve DiMeglio of USA Today, the 2015 Masters and U.S. Open winner was hopeful that he and DJ would have the opportunity to team up at this year's Presidents Cup:
"Jay reached out to pretty much everybody on the team and asked what you're thinking, and there's a few players that we talked about that would be really good options in alternate-shot, as well as in best-ball. And we both felt like we'd be a good alternate-shot team. We felt like it sets up really nicely on this golf course specifically for odds and evens. We wanted to try it.
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The decision turned out to be a great one as Johnson and Spieth defeated Marc Leishman and Danny Lee on Day 1. They were so good, in fact, that they will join forces again on Day 2 to take on Louis Oosthuizen and Branden Grace.
Per The Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com), Johnson believes there is an intimidation factor of sorts regarding his partnership with Spieth since their skills mesh so well together: "That's the whole point," Johnson said. "Me hitting bomb drives, Jordan holing putts. That's what you want to get in their heads."
As seen in this video courtesy of the PGA Tour on Twitter, Johnson made it easy for Spieth at times during Thursday's round:
Johnson and Spieth would be viewed as the top guy if paired with anyone else on Team USA, but together they have an equal partnership, which takes a lot of the pressure away.
That is a scary prospect for the International team, and since Johnson and Spieth will be the first pairing out on Day 2, a 5-1 deficit looks to be on the horizon.
Scott and Day Will Give Internationals Hope
After International captain Nick Price's plan to spread the wealth didn't work out particularly well on Day 1, he has decided to put together perhaps his best possible team for Day 2 in the form of Aussie tandem Jason Day and Adam Scott.
Both Day and Scott came out on the losing side Thursday with Steven Bowditch and Hideki Matsuyama as their partners, respectively. Teaming up Day and Scott could potentially hurt the International team's chances in other matchups, but it should give it a leg up in at least one of them.
Scott and Day didn't play poorly by any means on Day 1, especially the latter as he made big shots that very nearly allowed his team to avoid a loss to Phil Mickelson and Zach Johnson, according to ESPN.com's Jason Sobel:
Day and Bowditch ultimately fell on the final hole, but the reigning PGA Championship winner will have a chance at retribution against Mickelson and Johnson on Day 2 with Scott by his side this time.
All four players in that match are major champions, so Mickelson and Johnson certainly won't go down easily. With that said, Scott and Day know a good result is crucial in their match since it can be argued that Team USA has the upper hand in all the others.
Look for the Aussies to pull off a win on Day 2, which could give the Internationals the boost they need, much like Johnson and Spieth have for the Americans thus far.
Holmes and Watson Will Bring the Excitement
J.B. Holmes and Bubba Watson are two of the biggest hitters off the tee that the PGA Tour has to offer, and their combined power will certainly make for some entertaining golf on Day 2.
Holmes and Watson combined to beat Scott and Matsuyama in 16 holes Thursday, and while their length off the tee was certainly a contributing factor, their short game was excellent as well.
According to Alex Miceli of GolfWeek.com, Watson believed putting is what helped set himself and Holmes apart from their International opponents:
"If you look, we started off hot, we started off making the putts and then we ended up making the putts. Right in the middle both teams were not making putts. They looked good, but they didn't go in, so it was all about putting, and this golf course is going to be about putting and controlling the speed and making the 10-footers.
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Holmes and Watson made it look so easy at times that Sobel pointed out the inevitable link between them and literary characters Sherlock Holmes and John Watson:
Holmes and Watson will be favored to take down Leishman and Bowditch on Day 2, and there is little doubt that they'll provide plenty of excitement in doing so.
There generally isn't a ton of finesse involved with their respective games, but after showing their touch on and around the greens Thursday, it is difficult to imagine anyone slowing the pairing down moving forward.
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