President Cup: Team USA determined to ‘not be complacent’ vs. International team after learning from Ryder Cup 2012 | Golf News
U.S. vice-captain Steve Stricker insists the harsh lessons learned from the Ryder Cup mean there will be no complacency when the favorites overwhelmingly tee off in the Presidents Cup on Thursday.
The hosts have dominated the biennial event since the start, winning nine and finishing one of the last 10 meetings since 2000 and are on paper by far the strongest team, with 5 of the top 10 players in the world.
However, Stricker was a member of the team that was at the end of Europe’s ‘Miracle at Medinah’ in 2012 – when the US needed just 4 points from 12 singles games to win but were overwhelmed by the surge. by Jose Maria Olazabal on Sunday.
“We learned from the 2012 Ryder Cup team and how we have this chance to win the Ryder Cup at Medinah, taking a four-point lead on Sunday, and we didn’t lose enough time, really or do. the right things,” said the 55-year-old, who warded off those demons as captain in last year’s record 19-9 win.
“Maybe we didn’t think it was enough so when we worked on last Saturday of the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits we spent a lot of time and we made sure we got it right. .
“We put the boys where we thought they should go, knowing the kind of past history of what the Europeans did.
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“There’s no complacency here. These guys know that on an 18-hole course anyone can beat anyone at this level.
“Our boys are ready. None of them don’t take this seriously.”
US team captain Davis Love III added: “I don’t think we’re going to have to send a lot of messages or motivation. And we knew we were going to be up against it. Trevor [Immelman, International captain] there will be a team with a chip on the shoulder.
“These people won’t take it lying down.”
The same is true for the International team, especially Adam Scott, who appeared in the event for the 10th time – second only to Phil Mickelson on the all-time list – but has yet to taste victory.
Vice-captain Geoff Ogilvy admits his compatriot is desperate to end that winless streak.
“He really, really wants this. Can you imagine?” his Australian friend said.
“It sucks to lose these things. You’ve seen us come in here and come out here, and you see how happy the team is when they win.
“It’s not fun to lose these things, and he’s done it nine times. It’s cruel. You’re just accumulating frustration.”
Presidents Cup Warm-Up Quartet: Matches
Former Masters Champions Scott and Hideki Matsuyama will lead an inexperienced International team into battle after they were paired together for the opening quartet of the Presidents Cup against the United States partnership with Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele.
With a record eight Presidents Cup debutants in his squad, International captain Trevor Immelman will rely on his two most tested players, Scott Australia and Matsuyama of Japan, to provide a his steady debut at the Quail Hollow Club on Thursday against the American favorites.
Scott, 42, who has played 44 Presidential Cup games, second only to Phil Mickelson, said: “I’m looking forward to it.
“I don’t know how many more of these I’m going to play, so I always take every opportunity, whether it’s good, bad, lethargic or tough.”
Scott and Matsuyama will face famous American pairing Cantlay and No. 5 Schauffele, who teamed up to win the Zurich Classic in New Orleans in April and play all of their matches together at Presidents Cup 2019.
Schauffele and Cantlay are drawing 4-0-0 in the quarter-finals, or alternately, at the 2019 Presidents Cup and 2021 Ryder Cup events.
“Our style of play is very similar,” explains Schauffele. “Throw it to the fat part of the greens, try to take advantage of the par-fives, low stress.”
Matchday two will see USA captain Davis Love III play against multiple big winners Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomaswho grew up playing golf together in the match against Korea Im Sung-jae and Canadians Corey Conners.
Two 20-year-old Korean Presidential Cup rookies Tom Kimyoungest player in this year’s competition, and KH Lee will face the duo of Cameron Young and Collin Morikawa.
The fourth match will feature the world’s number one best friends and the Masters champion Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burnsthree-time winner of this season’s PGA Tour, against Korea Kim Si-woo and of Australia Cam Davis.
The last match of Day One will be on Tony Finau and Max Homa against two more Presidents Cup newcomers in Canada Taylor Pendrith and of Chile Mito Pereira.
“There’s a lot of obvious pairings and there’s a lot of guys who really get along,” Love said.
“So people who obviously made it a little harder for everyone else because everyone got along well, and there’s really no one that you say, well, that person is hard to match.
“It’s hard to pick two out. That’s our problem.”
Sebastian Munoz of Colombia and Christiaan Bezuidenhout of South Africa will sit out the opening of the International while Billy Horschel and Kevin Kisner watch on the sidelines for the Americans.
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