Presidents Cup 2019 Leaderboard: Day 2 Scores, Top Pairings and Twitter Reaction

Following a disastrous start by the United States, the international team maintained its three-point lead, 6.5-3.5, in the 2019 Presidents Cup on the second day of the event at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia.

The United States collected 2.5 points as it earned two wins and split the final matchup.

2019 Presidents Cup Results—Day 2 (Foursomes)

Adam Scott/Louis Oosthuizen (International) def. Matt Kuchar/Dustin Johnson (U.S.) 3 and 2

Patrick Cantlay/Xander Schauffele (U.S.) def. Joaquin Niemann/Adam Hadwin (International) 1-up

Abraham Ancer/Marc Leishman (International) def. Patrick Reed/Webb Simpson (U.S.) 3 and 2

Tiger Woods/Justin Thomas (U.S.) def. Hideki Matsuyama/Byeong Hun An (International), 1-up

Cameron Smith/Sungjae Im (International) tie Rickie Fowler/Gary Woodland (U.S.)

On Thursday (Wednesday in the U.S.), Tiger Woods and Justin Thomas got things started off well for the United States as they beat Joaquin Niemann and Marc Leishman in the opening match. The U.S. proceeded to drop the next four matches to fall into a 4-1 hole.

"This is a long four days," Woods, the team captain, told reporters after play wrapped up. "I mean, we have to go earn this Cup. Just because we lost the session doesn't mean the Cup's over."

Woods led by example once again as he partnered with Thomas again for a 1-up win over Hideki Matsuyama and Byeong Hun An.

With the score all square, Matsuyama and An looked poised to move ahead after Woods' drive on No. 15 went right and landed in the rough. Thomas did what he could with the approach but still left Woods with a difficult chip from the left side of the green. Somehow, the United States escaped with a birdie to remain tied.

If the U.S. digs itself out of its Day 1 hole to win the Presidents Cup, Thomas' birdie putt on No. 18 will likely be viewed as the turning point.

"I've made a lot of big putts and hit a lot of big shots," Thomas said of the putt, per The Action Network's Jason Sobel. "But to do it with my captain and unbelievable teammate, and win the match and hopefully turn the tide of this Presidents Cup, that was awesome."

Rickie Fowler and Gary Woodland could've provided another shot in the arm but halved the points with Cameron Smith and Sungjae Im to close out the day.

It looked like Friday would be more of the same for the United States after Matt Kuchar and Dustin Johnson dropped a point to Adam Scott and Louis Oosthuizen. The pair quickly went 2-up through five holes, but Scott and Oosthuizen squared things up as the four golfers made the turn to the back nine.

The internationals took control from there as a birdie on No. 14 put them 3-up. They took the lead on the 11th hole, showing off how well they worked together. Oosthuizen's approach landed well past the hole but rolled to within nine feet of the cup. Scott grabbed the putter and sealed the birdie.

They maintained their lead on the next two holes to give the international team its fifth point of the tournament.

Abraham Ancer and Leishman made it two-for-two after taking down Patrick Reed and Webb Simpson. Ancer in particular earned praise for his performance.

The 28-year-old took a page from Oosthuizen's book when stuck in a bunker on No. 11. He struck his chip toward the back of the green and waited for the ball to do the rest.

Leishman's birdie putt gave them a 3-up advantage, a lead that swelled to 4-up on the 14th hole. Reed and Simpson struck back with a birdie on No. 15, but it was too little too late.

Should the United States fall in the Presidents Cup, Reed is likely to receive a larger share of the blame than some of his teammates.

He picked an odd time to taunt the fans in Melbourne. After somebody in the gallery uttered the word "miss" during his putt, Reed held his hand to his ear and referenced his two-stroke penalty at the Hero World Challenge.

The 29-year-old is the 2018 Masters champion and the No. 12 golfer in the World Golf Ranking, yet his record in team settings leaves a lot to be desired.

Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele secured the United States' first win, going down to the wire against Niemann and Adam Hadwin.

The teams were all square heading to the 18th tee and nearly in the same position as they lined up their birdie putts. Whereas Niemann's putt came up well short of the cup, Cantlay connected.

Based on his reaction, Cantlay understood how important it was to get on the board in the second day.

The good news for Woods and the United States is that they didn't allow their deficit to widen. The bad news is they still have three points to make up over the next two days.

A hot start will be critical when play resumes Saturday in Australia. The U.S. can't afford to drop the first two matches like it did Friday.