Category: Golf

Presidents Cup: Final day schedule and how to watch

Can Team USA stage a comeback in Australia?

Team USA cut its deficit at the 2019 Presidents Cup on Saturday while Tiger Woods kept himself on the bench for both sessions, but the Americans will have to stage a Sunday comeback in singles play at Royal Melbourne Golf Club if they hope to retain the cup.

For the final day, every member of each team will face off in singles matches. Winning a match will earn a point, while a match that ends in a tie after 18 holes will earn each team a half point. The International team needs 5.5 points from the 12 singles matches to win.

Team International leads Team USA 10-8. 

Either team needs 15.5 points to clinch the Presidents Cup.

Televised coverage of the Presidents Cup final day will begin Saturday at 6:00 p.m. ET on Golf Channel. You can stream the Golf Channel online via NBC Sports Live, or via fuboTV.

6:02 p.m. ET: Tiger Woods vs. Abraham Ancer
6:13 p.m. ET: Tony Finau vs. Hideki Matsuyama
6:24 p.m. ET: Patrick Reed vs. C.T. Pan
6:35 p.m. ET: Dustin Johnson vs. Haotong Li
6:46 p.m. ET: Bryson DeChambeau vs. Adam Hadwin
6:57 p.m. ET: Gary Woodland vs. Sungjae Im
7:08 p.m. ET: Patrick Cantlay vs. Joaquin Niemann
7:19 p.m. ET: Xander Schauffele vs. Adam Scott
7:30 p.m. ET: Webb Simpson vs. Byeong Hun An
7:41 p.m. ET: Justin Thomas vs. Cameron Smith
7:52 p.m. ET: Matt Kuchar vs. Louis Oosthuizen
8:03 p.m. ET: Rickie Fowler vs. Marc Leishman

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Junior golf: Ranking the top boys by graduating class

Using the Golfweek Junior Rankings, we broke down the top players according to graduating class.

Many of the top players in the graduating class of 2020 have committed to a college, and made it known by signing a letter of intent last month.

As for who’s coming up? Using the Golfweek Junior Rankings, we broke down the top players according to graduating class. It provides a clear look at who separated himself in his respective class throughout the 2019 junior golf season.

Golfweek Junior Rankings
Top girls by graduating class

Players are listed according to their filtered class ranking, with their overall Golfweek Junior Ranking listed in the far right column.

Seniors (Class of 2020)

Rank Name Residence Rating Overall rank
1 Karl Vilips International 67.52 1
2 Joseph Pagdin Florida 67.73 2
3 Michael Brennan Virginia 67.89 3
4 Canon Claycomb Kentucky 67.98 4
5 Maxwell Moldovan Ohio 68.51 5
6 Tyler Wilkes Florida 69.03 7
7 Jin Bo California 69.19 9
8 George Duangmanee Virginia 69.22 10
9 Brett Roberts Florida 69.42 14
10 Jimmy Zheng International 69.48 15

Juniors (Class of 2021)

Rank Name Residence Rating Overall rank
1 Andrew Goodman Oklahoma 69.12 8
2 Preston Summerhays Arizona 69.23 11
3 Gordan Sargent Alabama 69.24 12
4 Maxwell Ford Georgia 69.36 13
5 Kelly Chinn Virginia 69.58 18
6 David Ford Georgia 69.64 20
7 Jackson Van Paris North Carolina 69.65 21
8 Brendan Valdes Florida 70.13 25
9 Andrew Yong. H Jung Florida 70.2 27
10 Ian Maspat California 70.41 32

Sophomores (Class of 2022)

Rank Name Residence Rating Overall rank
1 Benjamin James Connecticut 68.84 6
2 Luke Clanton Florida 69.54 17
3 Luke Potter California 69.69 22
4 Jacob Sosa Texas 70.4 31
5 Nicholas Dunlap South Carolina 70.65 36
6 Wit Pitipat International 70.81 42
7 Piercen Hunt Wisconsin 70.87 45
8 Wells Williams Mississippi 71.54 69
9 Keaton Vo Texas 71.6 72
10 William Love Georgia 71.69 75

Freshmen (Class of 2023)

Rank Name Residence Rating Overall rank
1 You Seong Choi California 71.64 73
2 Thomas Morrison Texas 71.79 77
3 Gaven Lane Texas 71.81 79
4 Ethan Gao Georgia 72.1 90
5 Sihao Cong California 72.28 98
6 Connor Williams California 72.3 99
7 Luke Coyle Kentucky 72.79 128
8 Jackson Koivun California 73.03 148
9 Allan Kournikova Florida 73.08 152
10 Abhay Gupta North Carolina 73.16 156

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Patrick Reed’s caddie was involved in an altercation with a fan at the Presidents Cup

Patrick Reed will be without his regular caddie on Sunday after he was involved in a fight with a fan.

Patrick Reed is unquestionably the most polarizing member of Team USA at the Presidents Cup and was always going to draw the ire of international fans, but after Reed was caught cheating last weekend at the Hero World Challenge, crowds in Australia have been ruthless.

One fan at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club apparently crossed the line on Saturday, at least according to Reed’s caddie and brother-in-law Kessler Karain. In a statement shared with ESPN, Karain said he got off of a golf cart to confront a fan who had “taken it too far.” The incident occurred after Reed’s morning match, which he lost alongside Webb Simpson. Reed has gone 0-3 at the Presidents Cup, and did not play in the Saturday afternoon session.

Via ESPN:

“We have been known for having fun with some good banter, but after hearing several fans in Australia for 3 days some had taken it too far, I had enough. And this gentleman was one of them. I got off the cart and shoved him, said a couple things, probably a few expletives. Security came and I got back in [the] cart and left. I don’t think there’s one caddie I know that could blame me.”

The PGA Tour later announced that Karain will not be Reed’s caddie for his singles match on Sunday.

Reed will face C.T. Pan in singles play, where he has previously excelled at the Ryder Cup.

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QBE Shootout: Bubba Watson says his game is just fine

Bubba Watson: “People forget I won three times in 2018 and was ranked just out of the top 10 in the World Ranking at the end of the year.”

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Bubba Watson is not finished nor is he wallowing in golf purgatory, or even remotely disturbed about the status of his game.

The reports from the critics or golf nerds on social media, noticing he is nowhere near Australia and the Presidents Cup this week, are running the gamut on what and why is wrong with the popular Watson.

Watson, while being besieged for autographs at Tiburón Golf Club after the QBE Shootout pro-am, delivered what amounted to a stern “state of Bubba’s golf game” message.

“The critics and social media are very premature with my situation and they just continue to make up stories,” said Watson, who lives near Pensacola and is involved with numerous business ventures in the Florida Panhandle.

“I didn’t win a tournament this past year so everyone says that’s it for a 41-year-old. I plan on winning again as soon as next year.”

QBE SHOOTOUT: Round 2 tee times, TV info

What prompted the growing chorus of concern about the two-time Masters winner was a year when he missed six cuts, had only three top-10 finishes, saw him drop to his current World Ranking of 41, and 81st in the FedEx Cup standings.

“People forget I won three times in 2018 and was ranked just out of the top 10 in the World Ranking at the end of the year,” said Watson, making his fifth appearance in the QBE Shootout.

Fueling additional speculation on his status was Watson not being a captain’s pick for the Presidents Cup team or even a vice-captain, a position he served at the 2016 Ryder Cup.

“I told Tiger at his tournament in the Bahamas last week that I’m probably way down the alternate’s or vice-captain’s list and I joked with him that I might hole up on the plane and show up at Royal Melbourne,” he said. “I do have a lot of confidence that I have the leadership skills to be helpful with team events.

“I enjoy helping, even if it’s just getting a team member a sandwich or a bottle of water. I still view being selected as a captain for a team event a Hall of Fame moment, an honor and privilege. Now other considerations have come into the selection process like trying to get the right people for TV ratings.”

While Watson is focused on getting back closer to the top or into a team event, he has a good reason to be happy when he comes home.

“In the old days there was a special feel when they selected you, but today the only thing I feel special about is having a wonderful wife and two great kids,” he said. “I would give up my two green jackets for their happiness.”

Watson joked that he would be a different captain, especially with a player like Tiger Woods.

“I would tell Tiger ‘You’ve won 82 times, just sit here and eat ice cream,’” he said.

Watson is teamed up with Charles Howell III. They shot a first-round 13-under 59. They are four back of Harold Varner III and Ryan Palmer, who tied the tournament mark with a 55.

Ace for Hoffman

Charley Hoffman was planning on an expensive post round cocktail hour after making a hole on the 207-yard par-3 12th hole with a 6-iron.

“I played the shot high in the air to the right and then let it come back in,” Hoffman said. “It landed soft and Kevin told me it rolled right in.”
Partner Kevin Kisner was waiting to start the celebration.

“He owes me some drinks starting right now upstairs,” Kisner said.

Hoffman’s partner last year, Gary Woodland, made a hole in one on the eighth hole.

“Neither one of us won a car,” Hoffman said. The ace was his fifth in PGA Tour competition and the 15th overall.

OSU coach watches Hovland, Wolff

Oklahoma State coach Alan Bratton followed former players Viktor Hovland and Matthew Wolff during the first round on Friday.

“You never know how you’re going to do out here,” Bratton said in an interview with Golf Channel’s Billy Ray Brown. “I know they would end up out here eventually, but I’m just really proud of the performance that they’ve had so far. Hopefully their career looks like this and just keeps taking off.

“We had Viktor for three years prepping him, whether it was Coach (Donnie) Darr and I, and all of our former players. It’s nice, OSU has four of the 24 players this week. They’ve had plenty of mentoring. They’ve been set free now, and they’re ready to take on the world. And hopefully they keep doing what they’re doing.”

The proteges didn’t do something they’d like to keep doing Friday, shooting a 7-under 65 and sitting in last place.

“We hit it good today but made no putts,” Wolff said. “This was my first scramble ever in competition but we’ve got two days left so we need to put up some low numbers.”

Greg Hardwig contributed to this article.

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Presidents Cup: Picks for every singles match as U.S. makes final push

With Tiger Woods sitting out, the U.S. has cut the deficit to 10-8 heading into singles action at the Presidents Cup.

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MELBOURNE, Australia – The Americans won the first match of the Presidents Cup on Thursday.

The Americans will win the last match to win the Cup on Sunday.

After Tiger Woods and Justin Thomas teamed to give the Americans a 1-0 lead in the first session, they have been staring at a deficit as the Internationals won the next six matches.

But the U.S. has cut the deficit to 10-8 heading into singles action on Sunday. The heavily favored red, white and blue, which has all 12 players ranked in the top 25 in the world and hasn’t lost in this matchup since 1998, will unleash its firepower to pull out a narrow victory.

PRESIDENTS CUP: Scores | Best photos | Tee times

This is how it will work out in the final 12 matches.

Match 19: Tiger Woods (USA) vs. Abraham Ancer (INT)

Ancer has been THE answer for the Internationals with his remarkable play despite being a rookie, but this is Tiger Woods we’re talking about. He’s 2-0-0 this week, so make it 3-0-0. After his win, he’ll go and captain his charges until the end. Woods wins 3 and 2.

Match 20: Tony Finau (USA) vs. Hideki Matsuyama (INT)

Finau has played well and is capable of going on birdie binges to whip opponents. But Matsuyama also is world class and is playing well. Matsuyama wins 2 and 1.

Match 21: Patrick Reed (USA) vs. C.T. Pan (INT)

Reed will be without his regular caddie, Kessler Karain. He hasn’t won in three matches. He’s been heckled throughout the proceedings. But he’s a raging bull who will channel his anger and deliver a big point against the rookie. Reed wins 3 and 2.

Match 22: Dustin Johnson (USA) vs. Haotong Li (INT)

Johnson is battling his putter. Li, a rookie, has played just once. Johnson’s firepower will prove too much to handle. Johnson wins 4 and 3.

Match 23: Bryson DeChambeau (USA) vs. Adam Hadwin (INT)

DeChambeau bulked up heading into the matches and his swing hasn’t caught up. Hadwin dealt with a bit of food poisoning and sat out Saturday. Both won’t fire their best. The match will end in a tie.

Match 24: Gary Woodland (USA) vs. Sungjae Im (INT)

Woodland, the reigning U.S. Open champion, has played well in his last two matches. Im has played well in all his matches. But Im missed a 10-footer on the last hole of the last match on Saturday that cost his team a full point. That might linger. The match will end in a tie.

Match 25: Patrick Cantlay (USA) vs. Joaquin Niemann (INT)

Cantlay will have too much firepower – he’s one of the best, longest drivers of the golf ball – and will topple the young, spirited rookie who has played well. Cantlay wins 2 and 1.

Match 26: Xander Schauffele (USA) vs. Adam Scott (INT)

This will be one of the day’s best matches. Both have come up big throughout the week. Both have, at times, struggled with the putter. Scott, however, hasn’t won the Cup and that urgency will prove the difference. Scott wins 1 up.

Match 27: Webb Simpson (USA) vs. Ben An (INT)

Simpson hasn’t won this week in three matches. An has played well and made a bunch of birdies. An wins 2 and 1.

Match 28: Justin Thomas (USA) vs. Cameron Smith (INT)

Forget Thomas and Rickie Fowler squandering a 5-up lead with eight to play Saturday afternoon. Thomas won’t remember it when he steps to the first tee. He has become a leader for the USA and is one of the best in the world. He makes amends. Thomas wins 3 and 2.

Match 29: Matt Kuchar (USA) vs. Louis Oosthuizen (INT)

Kuchar is steady and rarely makes mistakes. Oosthuizen is the team’s best player. Neither will panic as the pressure amps up late on Sunday. The match will end in a tie.

Match 30: Rickie Fowler (USA) vs. Marc Leishman (INT)

The score will be 14½-14½ with one match still in progress. Fowler was the last addition to the American squad and he’ll deliver the winning point in the last match of the day. He’s one of the game’s best putters, one of the game’s best when it comes to imagination, which you need around Royal Melbourne. Leishman is playing all five matches. At times he looked spent on Saturday. The putter that Fowler is will win the Cup for the Americans. Fowler wins 2 and 1.

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Jon Rahm marries college sweetheart Kelley Cahill

Jon Rahm had an incredible year on the golf course in 2019, and he capped it off by marrying his college sweetheart, Kelley Cahill.

Jon Rahm had an incredible year on the golf course in 2019.

In 20 events on the PGA Tour, Rahm earned 12 finishes inside the top 10, including a win at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with Ryan Palmer, a T-9 finish at the Masters and T-3 at the U.S. Open. Across the pond, Rahm earned European Tour player of the year honors thanks to wins at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, Spanish Open and then the final event of the 2019 season, the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, finishing the season as the European No. 1.

The 25 year-old-Spaniard is doing even better off the course.

Rahm proposed to his college sweetheart, Kelley Cahill, in June 2018 before the U.S. Open while on a hike in La Jolla, California. On Friday, Rahm and Cahill officially tied the knot in Spain.

Earlier this month at the Hero World Challenge, Rahm painted a picture of a lovely Catholic wedding at the church he grew up going to in Bilbao, Spain, and explained what he was looking forward to most about the big day.

“I think when I see those doors open and see her walking down the aisle for the first time, I think it’s going to be what I’m looking forward to the most, that first moment of seeing her walk down the aisle,” Rahm said of the day. “But there’s so many possible parts of the day I could mention, but I think that’s the single moment probably that I’m looking forward to the most.”

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Unlikely pairing of Harold Varner III, Ryan Palmer lead by two at QBE Shootout

Ryan Palmer and Harold Varner III closed with an eagle by Palmer on No. 17 and a 20-footer for birdie on No. 18 by Varner.

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NAPLES, Fla. — Ryan Palmer and Harold Varner III were an unlikely pairing.

But the two did something Friday that’s never been bettered in 31 years of the QBE Shootout.

Palmer and Varner shot a 17-under-par 55 to tie the record for the scramble format, and take a two-shot lead at Tiburón Golf Club at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort.

Some of the 12 two-person teams are set up ahead of time. Maybe they’re close friends, or have the same agent, or something like that. Then others are simply matching together two of the remaining players.

“Ryan was in and I was the odd ball out and I talked to Taylor (Ives of management company Wasserman Sports) and it worked out,” Varner said.

“He’s got a 66 scoring average for the weekend, so I’ll take him,” Palmer said.

QBE SHOOTOUT: Saturday’s Round 2 tee times

Varner hadn’t played since the Mayakoba Classic in Mexico a month ago, and had spent that time moving into a new house.

“I like playing golf, but the best thing that happened was when I got here, Ryan was like, ‘I want to have a chance to win,’ and I’m like, ‘All right, bro. I haven’t touched a club in a while,'” Varner said.

Nevertheless, Palmer and Varner paired together fantastically. They closed with an eagle on No. 17 by Palmer, and Varner drained a 20-footer on No. 18 to tie a record held by four other teams.

“(Palmer) almost made it, so I just tried to hit it close to where he hit it, just a little firmer, and lucky enough for it to go in,” Varner said.

“They played incredible golf,” said Jason Kokrak.

So did Kokrak and J.T. Poston, just not as good. They shot 15 under and are two back. Kevin Tway and Rory Sabbatini and Kevin Kisner and Charley Hoffman — who had a hole-in-one — are tied for third at 14 under.

Former Oklahoma State teammates Matthew Wolff and Viktor Hovland struggled to a 7-under 65 and are in last. LPGA Tour star Lexi Thompson and two-time winner Sean O’Hair shot a 64. Defending champions Brian Harman and Patton Kizzire are 10th at 10 under.

Teams will play modified alternate shot on Saturday, with each golfer teeing off, one drive being chosen, and then players alternating the rest of the hole.

Palmer and Varner birdied every hole but No. 5 and No. 16.

“Yeah we’re going to go back and talk about those two holes,” Palmer joked. “We had a little mental lapse.

“We brought it back hard. I told Harold ‘Take 17 off, hitting driver, 5-wood and making the putts.'”

Palmer credited Varner for making most of the 15 birdies, many times, just like on No. 18, after he had come close.

“I was fortunate enough to hit some good putts that didn’t go in and he just rolled them right in,” Palmer said. “The putts he made, I’m curious how many feet of putts he made today, which was pretty good. We hit a lot of close ones, too.”

Correspondent Dave Kempton contributed to this article.

Round 1 scores

Players Score
Ryan Palmer-Harold Varner III -17
Jason Kokrak-J.T. Poston -15
Rory Sabbatini-Kevin Tway -14
Charley Hoffman-Kevin Kisner -14
Billy Horschel-Brendon Todd -13
Charles Howell III-Bubba Watson -13
Kevin Chappell-Chez Reavie -12
Corey Conners-Andrew Putnam -11
Graeme McDowell-Ian Poulter -11
Brian Harman-Patton Kizzire -10
Sean O’Hair-Lexi Thompson -8
Viktor Hovland-Matthew Wolff -7

QBE Shootout

Where: Tiburón Golf Club at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort

When: Through Sunday

Info: qbeshootout.com

TV: Saturday, Golf Channel, Noon-4 p.m.; Sunday, Golf Channel, Noon-4 p.m.

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QBE Shootout Round 2 tee times, TV information

The 54-hole event features 12 two-player teams competing for $3.5 million in prize money.

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The 2019 QBE Shootout is underway at the Tiburón Golf Club at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Florida.

The 54-hole event started Friday. There are 12 two-player teams competing for $3.5 million in prize money. The duo of Harold Varner III and Ryan Palmer hold the first-round lead by two shots over J.T. Poston and Jason Kokrak.

LPGA star Lexi Thompson is playing for the fourth year in a row. She’s paired with Sean O’Hair, who has won the QBE with two different partners, Steve Stricker and Kenny Perry.

Patton Kizzire and Brian Harman won in 2019. Greg Norman is the tournament host.

All times listed below are ET.

TV info

Saturday, Golf Channel, Noon-4 p.m.

Sunday, Golf Channel, Noon-4 p.m.

Round 2 tee times

Tee time Players
10:20 a.m. Sean O’Hair-Lexi Thompson, Viktor Hovland-Matthew Wolff
10:32 a.m. Graeme McDowell-Ian Poulter, Brian Harman-Patton Kizzire
10:44 a.m. Kevin Chappell-Chez Reavie, Corey Conners-Andrew Putnam
10:56 a.m. Billy Horschel-Brendon Todd, Charles Howell III-Bubba Watson
11:08 a.m. Rory Sabbatini-Kevin Tway, Charley Hoffman-Kevin Kisner
11:20 a.m. Ryan Palmer-Harold Varner III, Jason Kokrak-J.T. Poston

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Patrick Reed continues to embrace being golf’s biggest villain

He’s at it again.

You would think Patrick Reed might be distracted by all the hoopla surrounding his blatant rule-breaking at the 2019 Hero World Challenge, improving his lie out of the bunker for all the world to see.

At the Presidents Cup in Australia, the crowd is relentless, taunting him with all kinds of heckling about using a shovel in his golf bag and a new nickname, The Excavator.

So what does Reed do? As usual, he leans into it.

On Thursday, while playing fouresomes with Webb Simpson, he knocked in a birdie and gave a hand-to-ear move to the crowd and then used his putter to pretend to shovel.

That’s a move straight out of the WWE:

There’s also this report from Australian Golf Digest about a moment on Thursday between Reed and International team member Cameron Smith, who had said earlier in the week that he doesn’t “have any sympathy for anyone that cheats”:

Left disappointed that a fiery showdown between the two hadn’t eventuated, fans greenside got what they paid for when they spotted Reed, after draining a crucial birdie putt to halve the hole, making a beeline straight to the sixth tee via Smith. While no words were exchanged between the two players, they were seen “deliberately” bumping into each other in a clash of shoulders, with one witness referring to it as a “love tap” that drew a wry grin from Smith.

Everyone wants to see Smith and Reed play each other in singles, and that’s exactly what I’d bet Reed would want.

This is what he does — he embraces the villain role and doesn’t flinch when criticism comes his way. He wore his Masters green jacket everywhere and didn’t seem to care if anyone called him out for it. During the Ryder Cup, he screams and taunts and shushes the gallery. It’s true that some golf fans hate it, but look at the entertainment that comes with his act.

It’s rare to see someone thrive under that kind of pressure, but Reed seems to feed off of it. We’ll see if that’s true the rest of the way at Royal Melbourne.

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Greg Norman talks Tiger Woods, bad backs, surgeries, more at QBE Shootout

“I think it’s great what he’s done coming back,” Greg Norman said of Tiger Woods. “It’s not that easy when you go through surgeries.”

QBE Shootout founder and host Greg Norman is a World Golf Hall of Famer and held the No. 1 ranking for 331 weeks, bested only by Tiger Woods.

Norman, 64, and Woods are having a different kind of “competition” with a number of surgeries. Norman said he’s had 12 golf-related ones, and Woods has finally recaptured his game to quite the degree after another surgery, this one a spinal fusion in April 2017 for his fourth back surgery and ninth overall.

Woods came back to win the Masters this year, and won in Japan this fall to tie Sam Snead with 82 tour victories.

“I think it’s great what he’s done coming back,” Norman said. “You know, it’s not that easy when you go through surgeries to get back to where you were. He’s not — he’s swinging great, but he’s swinging within himself, which is much better to see.

“So therefore, he’s learned a lot about what the old swing did and what damage it did on his body because speed and power is going to break down somewhere sooner or later.”

Woods isn’t alone as far as surgeries for top players go. Brooks Koepka withdrew from the Presidents Cup due to a knee injury, and Dustin Johnson is just returning from knee surgery in Australia this week.

“Everybody only has so much in their joints to deliver and if you have that constant wear and tear on it,” Norman said. “I mean, you look at all the power players in the world, (Jack) Nicklaus has got a bad back, I’ve had a bad back, bad knees. I’ve had 13 surgeries because of golf. Actually, 12 because of golf.

“It’s because we put so much load on our body. You’re swinging the clubhead at 126, 127 miles an hour like I used to do with those old heavy pieces of equipment we used to play with, it tells us something’s going on in your body when you’re doing it thousands and thousands of time on a repetitive basis, no matter how fit and strong you are.”

While players are hitting it longer partly due to equipment, they’re also using a refining another technology — training — to allow them to generate that power.

“I think the technology with health and wellness with the players has really elevated,” Norman said. “I think they listen to their coaches, they listen to their trainers, they listen to their physiotherapists, so they build their own physical program around their own body, because that’s the right way to do it because your body’s your fingerprint.

“I wouldn’t work out like (Dustin Johnson) works out and I wouldn’t work out like (Justin Thomas) works out. I work out because I know what works for me. So everybody’s independent on that and I think the longevity’s there.”

Norman was part of the International team when it won its only Presidents Cup, back in 1998. That was at Royal Melbourne, where this week’s is being held. Prior to Thursday night’s matches, the Internationals had taken a 4-1 lead following Wednesday’s play.

“I think what (captain) Ernie (Els) did,” Norman said. “I think he had the decision of making it the four-ball instead of the foursomes first up was great. Probably a few lingering things with the American team, whether it’s jet lag or not knowing Royal Melbourne as well as some of the International players, would have messaged down to the guys who hadn’t played Royal Melbourne.

“They had been there probably over the weekend before so they would have got to know the golf course a little bit better. But it’s an information highway about that golf course. You need to know it and you need to know the little nuances of what it’s all about.”

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