01승부처가 될 금요일 포섬 대진표 발표
프레지던츠컵 대회 2일 차에 치러지는 금요일 포섬(Foursomes) 경기의 대진표가 마침내 공개됐다. 양 팀 단장은 승기를 잡기 위해 심사숙고 끝에 최적의 선수 조합을 완성해 출전 명단을 발표했다.
포섬 방식은 두 명의 선수가 한 조를 이루어 하나의 공을 번갈아 가며 치는 경기로, 선수 간의 긴밀한 호흡과 전략적 팀워크가 무엇보다 중요하다. 양 팀 단장은 선수들의 최근 컨디션과 코스 적응도를 종합적으로 고려해 대진을 구상했다.
이번 포섬 매치업 발표를 통해 양 팀의 초반 승부수가 드러난 가운데, 기선을 제압하고 주도권을 가져오기 위한 선수들의 치열한 맞대결이 본격적으로 펼쳐질 예정이다.
02Original (English) — PGA TOUR
MEDINAH, Ill. – After a back-and-forth battle in the opening session of the Presidents Cup, the U.S. Team is out to a narrow 3-2 lead. Each squad had moments of promise in the first set of matches at Medinah Country Club, but the Americans lead after the opening day for the ninth time in the last 10 editions of the tournament.
Now the attention turns to Foursomes, as captains Brandt Snedeker and Geoff Ogilvy have set another lineup of five matches in the more difficult alternate shot format. Here’s a look at how the matches will unfold Friday outside Chicago, where the Americans will look to build upon their slim advantage while the International Team hopes to turn the tide in their favor:
Match 6 (2:05 p.m. ET): Scottie Scheffler/Sam Burns (U.S.) vs. Corey Conners/Nick Taylor (International)
There was no hesitation from Snedeker as he rolled out the Scheffler/Burns pairing in the opening match for the second straight day. Having narrowly gotten a point on the board in Four-balls, they'll now face an all-Canadian duo to begin play Friday. Conners largely struggled alongside Nico Echavarria, losing to Justin Thomas and Jackson Koivun, but he'll now pair with his countryman as Taylor makes his Presidents Cup debut after sitting out the opening session. The Americans are clearly leading with strength and will be a considerable favorite to win this match, but it sets up an appetizing upset opportunity should the Canadians put a point on the board.
Match 7 (2:19 p.m. ET): Russell Henley/Jacob Bridgeman (U.S.) vs. Sungjae Im/Hideki Matsuyama (International)
Henley and Bridgeman were the two Americans who served as spectators for the opening matches, and they'll hit their first competitive shots of the week alongside each other. Matsuyama and Im paired in a Four-ball loss two years ago in Montreal, but this will be their first time together in Foursomes after they had divergent experiences in the opening session. Im couldn't close out Scheffler and Burns in the opening match, missing some critical putts down the stretch alongside Min Woo Lee, while Matsuyama got the first International point on the board with countryman Ryo Hisatsune. The ball-striking combo of Matsuyama and Im has the upside to shine brightly in this format, but the opportunity to pair Henley's iron play with Bridgeman's putter has plenty of appeal for the home team.
Match 8 (2:33 p.m. ET): Collin Morikawa/Wyndham Clark (U.S.) vs. Ryan Fox/Min Woo Lee (International)
Clark was one of the biggest bright spots for the Americans on Thursday, as he and Morikawa delivered a full point despite Morikawa lagging in several Strokes Gained categories. They're the second duo that Snedeker opted to run back in Foursomes, along with Scheffler and Burns, and they'll face a new International pairing after Fox and Lee both came up short in Four-balls with different partners. Fox and Lee were two of the bottom five players overall in SG: Total on Thursday, meaning their collective game will need to bounce back in a big way to have a chance to take down this American duo that will be riding plenty of momentum into the Foursomes session.
Match 9 (2:47 p.m. ET): Justin Thomas/Cameron Young (U.S.) vs. Adam Scott/Christiaan Bezuidenhout (International)
Thomas was arguably the MVP for the Americans on the opening day, getting the first point on the board alongside Koivun while doing most of the heavy lifting. Now he'll be joined by Young, who came up short in his Four-ball match with Xander Schauffele, in a pairing that played together at last year's Ryder Cup. Bezuidenhout will make his first appearance this week while joined by the most experienced player in Presidents Cup history, with Scott looking to bounce back from an opening Four-ball loss with Ryan Fox at the hands of Clark and Morikawa.
Match 10 (3:01 p.m. ET): Patrick Cantlay/Xander Schauffele (U.S.) vs. Tom Kim/Si Woo Kim (International)
This shapes up as the most anticipated match of the day, a rematch from two years ago when Si Woo Kim dropped the "Night night" celebration at Royal Montreal, but Cantlay and Schauffele ultimately won the memorable Foursomes match, 1-up. The Kims are clearly serving as a top pairing for Ogilvy, anchoring the session for the second straight day, and delivering another full point will be critical to any International hopes of a comeback. But defeating Cantlay and Schauffele in alternate shot won't come easily - the pair is 5-1 overall in Presidents Cup competition, including a 4-1 mark when playing Foursomes together.