Tag: 2019 Presidents Cup

Justin Thomas’ Presidents Cup pep talk to Tiger Woods will give you goosebumps

On the walk to the first tee at the 2019 Presidents Cup, Justin Thomas delivers a pep talk to partner Tiger Woods that is “all the feels.”

Justin Thomas grew up idolizing Tiger Woods. He’s often told a great story about how at age 7 he watched the 2000 PGA Championship duel between Tiger Woods and Bob May from the sanctity of the Valhalla Golf Club clubhouse in Louisville, Kentucky.

“Tiger hits the putt on camera, and before it can fall in on TV, I can just hear the roar outside. I’ll never forget that,” Thomas said. “I mean, that week was the reason that I was like, ‘OK, this is really what I want to do.'”

Fast-forward to December at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia, where Thomas, now 26, was handpicked by Woods, his Presidents Cup captain, to be his partner in the opening match of the biennial competition. This time Thomas, who has also used his COVID-19 induced downtime to play golf lefty, submit video of his hair grooming to Fox’s Joe Buck and join the No Laying Up podcast to reveal a different type of hair-raising moment.

On the long walk to the first tee on Thursday, Woods broke the silence by saying, “Are you ready to go get ’em?”

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“I’m like, ‘Yeah,’ ” Thomas recounted. “I don’t know why — I didn’t even think about saying this the night before, the week before. It just kind of hit me and I put my arm on his shoulder and I was like, ‘Hey dude,’ and he’s like, ‘What’s up?” I’m like, ‘I want to see that player I looked up to my entire life growing up.’ I was like, ‘That’s the Tiger I want to see this week.’ He kind of smiled and winked at me and said, ‘Let’s go.’ I don’t know why I said it, I don’t know why it came to my mind, but it was a pretty cool moment and one that I will remember, for sure.”

“Woo,” NLU interviewer Chris Solomon said. “That kind of got me in the feels there.”

You are not alone, Solly. Goosebumps moment.

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Where will we see Tiger Woods play next?

He’s coming off back-to-back weeks of competition at the Hero World Challenge and the Presidents Cup. So where will Tiger Woods play next?

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He matched Sam Snead with his 82nd victory at the PGA Tour’s Zozo Championship in late October.

He’s coming off back-to-back weeks of competition at the Hero World Challenge and the Presidents Cup, where the U.S. won and he set the team’s all-time record for wins with a singles match defeat of Abraham Ancer.

Now he’s going to take some time off. So where will Tiger Woods play next?

That remains a mystery.

Woods is eligible for the winners-only Tournament of Champions in Maui, but he skipped it last year even after gaining eligibility as winner of the Tour Championship and hasn’t appeared at Kapalua since 2005 despite a memorable victory there in 2000.

PRESIDENTS CUP: Special podcast | Sunday results | Gallery
GRADES: Captains, Royal Melbourne earn high marks
MORE: When Captain America is hurting the USA

More likely, Woods will make his 2020 debut at his usual starting spot, the Farmers Insurance Open (Jan. 23-26) in San Diego, where he’s won eight times at Torrey Pines, including the 2008 U.S. Open. Woods has yet to commit there, but he’s already done so for the Genesis Invitational, Feb. 13-16. He’s still never won at Riviera Country Club.

Given his myriad injuries, Woods will likely continue with a less is more schedule. So, it will be surprising to see him sign up to the Waste Management Phoenix Open, where he once made the whole state of Arizona shake with a hole-in-one at TPC Scottsdale’s 16th, but also couldn’t break 80 with the chipping yips during his last appearance in 2015. Nor is he likely to be in the mood for the six-hour rounds, potentially cold weather and bumpy greens of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

After his hosting duties at the Genesis Invitational, Woods has been a loyal attendee of WGC’s and could test his stamina by teeing it up two weeks in a row with a start at the WGC-Mexico Championship in Mexico City. If his body cooperates, the Honda Classic, despite being a home game for Woods and the start of the Florida Swing, will be a scheduling casualty as it is doubtful he will choose to play three in a row. That’s too much golf for his back and knee at this stage in his career.

Woods missed the Arnold Palmer Invitational last year. That has been a favorite hunting ground for him and site of eight of his victories. It’s a safe bet that if the body is willing this time, he’ll be there, and the week after is The Players Championship, where Woods is a two-time champion.

In 2018, Woods finished second at the Valspar Championship at Innisbrook. The course fits his eye, but don’t count on Woods showing up unless he’s had to alter his schedule for health reasons or feels the sudden urge to add a start in his run up to the Masters if he’s missed a bunch of cuts and looking for reps.

Last year, Woods made his final tuneup for Augusta at the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin, Texas. There’s the potential to have to play a lot of golf should Woods go far in the competition, including 36 on Saturday, so his participation here could be subject to change.

All of this leads up to April 9, and Tiger’s defense of the green jacket. That can’t come soon enough, but there should be a respectable number of early-season starts to see Woods and his chase for Tour title No. 83.

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Presidents Cup is real winner as Ernie Els’ Internationals breathe life into event

Captivating drama descended on the Royal Melbourne stage over four days and the ending wasn’t determined until the last half hour of play.

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MELBOURNE, Australia – The Presidents Cup was on life support.

Through the first 12 editions of the biennial tussle, the Americans were the Harlem Globetrotters and the Internationals the Washington Generals. The beatings were so numerous and thorough that those in golf circles were left to hope the Internationals would put up a fight now and then.

The lopsided nature was so disheartening that there have been numerous calls for drastic changes, with some suggesting LPGA stars be included to pump in some much needed medication.

Seeing as the Internationals had yet to win the Cup this century and that the U.S. team was loaded, the general feeling heading into the 13th edition was another rout was in the offing at Royal Melbourne Golf Club.

On paper, the USA’s superiority – its dozen players ranked in the top 25 in the official world rankings and the mighty headliner Tiger Woods was leading the way as both player and captain – screamed an early KO was coming once the bell rang. Especially with seven rookies standing in the other corner from the Americans.

PRESIDENTS CUP: Special podcast | Sunday results | Photo gallery
GRADES: Captains, Royal Melbourne earn high marks

But no R.I.P. is needed for the Presidents Cup, there’s no funeral to be held.

Captivating drama descended on the immaculate Royal Melbourne stage over four days and the ending wasn’t determined until the last half hour of play. The Internationals, buoyed by boisterous galleries and inspired by the leadership of captain Ernie Els, controlled the narrative the first two days and pushed the Americans into an unfamiliar role where they had to call on some heroics to pull out victory.

Trailing 6-1 at one point, the Americans won 15 of the last 23 points available to capture the Cup for the 11th time in 13 attempts. But the Americans were on edge throughout, and their 16-14 triumph Sunday wasn’t secure until the second-to-last match when Matt Kuchar tied Louis Oosthuizen.

It was a thriller, a page turner, a life saver for the Cup.

Ernie Els celebrates with Trevor Immelman, Mike Weir, Byeong Hun An and K.J.Choi as another putt goes in for his team during Day 1 of the 2019 Presidents Cup. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)

“Great strides were made, especially in our team play,” Els said. “I really felt that our team play was really the core of our team, and that never was (before). We never felt like we could play foursomes or fourball together as a team. We did that well.

“The people around the world will look at these guys in a different way. I think you guys have seen what can happen. If you compare our team on paper with other teams in other sports, you would have laughed us out of the building. But we gave it a hell of a go and we came mightily close to winning and upsetting one of the greatest golf teams of all time.”

In doing so, despite losing eight of 12 possible points on Sunday, the Internationals gave the Presidents Cup a pulse, for there was victory in defeat. Calls for radical changes need not be answered. There is life in this event and it will carry on until 2021, when the two meet again at Quail Hollow in Charlotte.

“I’m very optimistic about things going forward here,” said Australian Adam Scott, who has not won the Cup in 10 tries. “I’m disappointed. That’s all I can say. But I like what’s happening in the future. I can’t wait for another crack at it.”

Woods’ first crack at captaincy left him wanting for more, whether as a captain or a player or both. He relishes pressurized confrontation on the golf course and he got all he and his team could handle in the land Down Under.

“The whole team played extremely well today on a very difficult golf course against a very formidable International team,” he said. “They were up big and the guys went in and got it done. It came down to the very end. We knew that was going to happen. We were excited about our chances going into singles and we did it as a team.”

Woods, who was 3-0-0 and became the all-time leader in matches won in the event with 27, was moved to tears after his charges wrapped up victory. While some have said otherwise over the years, these team events mean something to him.

“I’ve cried in pretty much every Cup we’ve won,” he said. “I’ve been doing this a long time. Any time you have moments where you’re able to do something that is bigger than us as an individual, is so much more meaningful and so much more special.”

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QBE Shootout golfers stayed up late to watch the Presidents Cup, too

Kevin Kisner said he enjoyed the late-night TV. In fact, reactions to a U.S. Presidents Cup win around Tiburon were all positive on Sunday.

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NAPLES, Fla. – Kevin Kisner was one of the players rumored to be a possible captain’s pick for the U.S. Presidents Cup team. Instead, he spent the past week at the QBE Shootout at Tiburon Golf Club, where he partnered with Charley Hoffman to finish T-8 among the 12 teams in the field.

Kisner said he enjoyed watching the late-night Presidents Cup broadcast on TV. In fact, reactions to a U.S. win around Tiburon were all positive on Sunday.

“I stayed up and watched all of it and it was great,” Kisner said. “I couldn’t ask for it to go any better.”

QBE Shootout: Tway, Sabbatini run away with it | Prize money

“I watched all of it Saturday night and it was thrilling, a big win for players and especially Tiger,” Billy Horschel said. “But remember the Internationals lost one or two matches they should have won and that made a difference.”

Former European Ryder Cupper Graeme McDowell watched most of the singles matches.

“This week raised the health and sponsorship value of the Presidents Cup. The week was very interesting,” McDowell said. “It was fun watching and usually I watch like 10 shots in a day, and last night I watched probably 110 shots.”

“I went to sleep and watched the highlights this morning,” Bubba Watson said.

Greg Norman, who played for the Internationals in that side’s lone Presidents Cup victory back in 1998 (when the matches were also played at Royal Melbourne), didn’t watch, but wasn’t too surprised the Americans rallied in singles.

“You wouldn’t put it past them,” Norman said.

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Presidents Cup TV viewership soars for Golf Channel’s drama-filled singles broadcast

Golf Channel reports that the final day of singles became the most-watched cable telecast in Presidents Cup history.

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If it seemed like all of Twitter was glued to late-night Presidents Cup broadcasts this past week – living, dying and Tweeting with every putt – it’s because it was. Stellar play, a close score, plenty of drama and a spectacular venue all contributed to a Golf Channel broadcast that culminated with a peak viewership of 2.15 million viewers per minute during the high point (11:15-11:30 p.m. ET) in Saturday night’s singles matches.

In fact, Golf Channel reports that the final day of singles – played Sunday in Australia but broadcast Saturday night in North America – became the most-watched cable telecast in Presidents Cup history, according to Nielsen Fast Nationals.

PRESIDENTS CUP: Special podcast | Sunday results | Photos
GRADES: Captains, Royal Melbourne earn high marks
MORE: When Captain America is hurting the USA

The time difference certainly helped the popularity of the broadcast. Singles coverage aired live on Golf Channel from 6 p.m. to 12:05 a.m. ET.

According to Golf Channel, that final day posted a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 1.742 million viewers per minute (up 141 percent compared to the final day coverage of the 2015 Presidents Cup, played at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon, South Korea), including 1.705 million viewers per minute tuning in to the linear telecast.

Saturday also became the most-streamed final day in Presidents Cup history.

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Australian PGA Championship field boasts President Cup, PGA Tour players

The Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne has come and gone, but the action in Australia isn’t over thanks to the Australian PGA Championship.

The Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne has come and gone, but the action in Australia is far from over.

On the heels of Tiger Woods and Team USA’s epic comeback to win their eighth straight Cup is the 2019 Australian PGA Championship at RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast.

The tournament, which has a $1.5 million purse, will begin Thursday, Dec. 19 and end Sunday, Dec. 22, and features a field of some of golf’s best, including a handful of Presidents Cup competitors.

A pair of Australian members of Ernie Els’ International team, Adam Scott and two-time defending champion Cameron Smith, are the biggest names in the field, alongside heavy-hitting youngster Cameron Champ and his fellow Americans Stewart Cink and Smylie Kaufman.

PRESIDENTS CUP: Special podcast | Sunday results | Photos
GRADES: Captains, Royal Melbourne earn high marks
MORE: When Captain America is hurting the USA

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Did Team International squander its last, best chance to end its Presidents Cup losing streak?

The International Team squandered an opportunity to end its Presidents Cup losing streak and the challenge may get even tougher from here.

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MELBOURNE, Australia – The eyes of Liezl Els told the result of the Presidents Cup.

The wife of Ernie wiped away fresh tears and tried to hide her disappointment behind a pair of oversized sunglasses. Only she really knows the countless hours that her husband invested as captain of Team International. The pain of a 16-14 defeat will linger because victory was there for the taking.

And it begs the question: if not this time, when will the Internationals end one of the longer losing streaks in sports – now at 21 years and counting?

The lopsided nature of the matches had some observers suggesting that it was time to scrap the biennial competition. They tried tweaking the format and having fewer points at stake to make the match close, but that made little difference in 2017, when the final score was 19-11.

What transpired this time was one of the most spirited competitions to date. Credit to Els for devising a way to neutralize the so-called American advantage. He threw himself head-long into his captaincy, and he turned over every stone in search of the slightest edge. He became convinced that the pairings mattered, and he developed a strategy using advanced analytics.

PRESIDENTS CUP: Sunday results | Photo gallery
GRADES: Captains, Royal Melbourne earn high marks
MORE: When Captain America is hurting the USA

“If you compare our team on paper with other teams in other sport, you would have laughed us out of the building,” Els said. “But we gave it a hell of a go and we came mightily close to winning and upsetting one of the greatest golf teams of all time. … It didn’t quite work out, but we came damn close.”

Els also created a new team culture that went far beyond a unifying team logo.

“Sometimes you met the guy for the first time on Tuesday afternoon of the competition,” International team assistant captain Geoff Ogilvy said. “I didn’t know K.T. Kim. By Saturday we’re great friends but it took until Saturday. We’re ahead of that curve.”

“I do believe he has created a different culture and created some continuity on this International squad,” former Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger said.

Has Els set the wheels in motion to end the U.S. domination by nearly pulling off an improbable upset? Will another loss diminish the team’s competitive spirit or ignite an intense rivalry?

International Team Captain Ernie Els gives a thumbs at the Presidents Cup. (Photo by Keyur Khamar/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)

This set up as the best chance for International victory.

Royal Melbourne was a great equalizer that took several rounds for the Americans to learn to play and their players had more experience and understanding of how to play the Australian Sandbelt style of golf. There isn’t another venue where that edge will exist.

Also, the Americans had to travel 26 hours and suffered from jet lag, which surely contributed to its slow start. And let’s not forget, the U.S. was playing without World No. 1 Brooks Koepka, who was sidelined with injury, and with a rusty Dustin Johnson (coming of knee surgery) and Rickie Fowler. Els’s squad took advantage and jumped to a 6½-3½ lead.

But Els will be left thinking about what could have been if the Americans hadn’t flipped a few late matches. It could’ve owned a commanding 9-1 lead.

“That was probably the difference,” Els conceded. “You know, we had so much momentum. We had so much going for us, and you know, at the end there, they won that 18th hole twice and halved it. That’s almost 2½ points, and where we are, we are at 2½ points – well, 1½ points, … I felt it was a bit of a blow.”

Australia’s Adam Scott lost his singles match 2 and 1 to Xander Schauffele and looked like a man who was told his dog had been run over by a car. He’s still winless in nine Presidents Cups. No one has suffered more defeat at the hands of the Americans. All he could muster this time was to say, “I like what’s happening in the future. … I can’t wait for another crack at it.”

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But this was an opportunity lost.

In two years, when these foes meet again, the Americans will be back on home soil at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, a course most of the players have played at the Wells Fargo Championship or the 2017 PGA Championship. Koepka and Justin Thomas will be even more polished as players and young guns Collin Morikawa and Matthew Wolff likely will be in the mix for the team. Jordan Spieth may be back on top of the world.

Hopefully, Jason Day’s back will have healed and allow him to regain his form and the International side is starting to produce new blood, too. (Sungjae Im and Joaquin Niemann weren’t on the radar yet, and likely will be team members for the foreseeable future.) But there’s a chance Team USA may be an even bigger favorite.

Good luck to whomever takes the baton as International team captain in 2021. The job may leave you in tears.

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Justin Thomas responds to trolls, defends showing emotion at Presidents Cup

Justin Thomas shared a celebratory photo of himself, Rickie Fowler and the Presidents Cup, but the trolls took it from there.

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Justin Thomas is done with the trolls, and they’re not letting up after a couple of memorable moments at the Presidents Cup.

After the Americans rallied from two points down to win the Cup and the celebration looked to be fully under way in Melbourne, Thomas posted a photo of himself and Rickie Fowler (who appears to be wearing a USA onesie and ski goggles) posing with the Cup and the caption, “Remember that time we blew a 5 up lead? Yeah, neither do we.”

In Saturday’s foursomes, JT and Fowler were 5 up through seven holes against Abraham Ancer and Marc Leishman. And as we all know by now, that big lead was erased over the last eight holes and they finished in a tie.

But Twitter wouldn’t let Thomas off the hook, with some responding to him with references to Patrick Reed and others pointing to an incident that occurred in an earlier match against Leishman and Haotong Li.

“If you feel you can knock it from 3 feet you should not mind having to tidy it up!! Move on to the next and show some class!!
@JustinThomas34,” wrote one commenter, @HartleyGolfShop.

In the match against Li and Leishman, after making a 3-foot putt on the 11th hole, Thomas made a ‘gimme’ gesture that showed he didn’t appreciate that the Internationals didn’t concede the putt. Some saw it as JT just messing around, others took offense.

Thomas responded, “Just having fun with my partner was all I was doing. Totally understand it didn’t come off as a good look I’m sorry for that. But Rick and I like to have fun and I show some emotion to pump us up 🇺🇸”

It was the heat of the moment and in the department of bad looks, not the worst by any means. So let him have his day or don’t follow him on Twitter.

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Presidents Cup grades: Captains, Royal Melbourne score high marks

Royal Melbourne gets an A+ in hosting Presidents Cup, and it’s too bad American golf fans don’t get to see action on this course each year.

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Colleges and universities across the country are in the midst of finals, and with the 2019 Presidents Cup now in the books, it’s time for Golfweek to hand out a few grades.

Royal Melbourne: A+

The course was a treat for the eyes and provided a great setting for the Presidents Cup. Alister MacKenzie’s gem featured a blend of short par 4s, challenging par 3s and devilish greens. In other words, it was perfect for match play and it’s a pity that American fans do not see the game’s best golfers play it every year.

The captains

Ernie Els: A-

The Big Easy did a great job of taking players from nine countries and five different continents, uniting them and then getting them to play as a team. He was organized, provided leadership and used analytics to create pairings that gave the Internationals a two-point lead heading into the singles. If he wants to captain again in two years, the job should be his.

Tiger Woods: B+

You could see in his smile how much winning as a captain meant to Tiger, who certainly inspired his players. Sitting out both sessions was a risky move, but the team gained ground and saved him from tough second-guessing. Benching Bryson DeChambeau for three sessions was smart, but keeping Patrick Reed and Webb Simpson in after the pair went 0-2 Thursday and Friday was a mistake.

Forward Press podcast: Presidents Cup special edition

U.S. players

Patrick Cantlay: 3-2, B+

Paired with Xander Schauffele in the first three sessions, Cantlay, playing in his first team competition since the 2011 Walker Cup, showed he’s a gamer and that we can expect him to be a fixture on United States teams for the next decade. His birdie on the 18th on Friday to beat Joaquin Niemann and Adam Hadwin was massive and his emotional response was fantastic. His singles win over Niemann was also impressive.

Bryson DeChambeau: 0-1-1, C

He may have gained about 10 pounds of muscle and 15 yards off the tee, but DeChambeau was a dud during Thursday’s opening matches and was rightly benched because Woods clearly didn’t have faith that he could turn things around. A bad shot from the fairway on 17 led to a bogey and a halved match against Adam Hadwin in a match the U.S. could have used.

Tony Finau: 0-1-3, B-

Benched after a 2-and-1 loss Thursday alongside DeChambeau, Finau redeemed himself with three halved matches to earn 1.5 points. Getting a half-point after walking to the 11th tee down by four in singles against Hideki Matsuyama showed guts.

Rickie Fowler: 1-0-3, B

The late addition to the team after Brooks Koepka was forced to withdraw due to injury, Fowler hit some solid iron shots and clutch putts to grab a half-point with Gary Woodland Friday. Paired with Justin Thomas, he earned 1.5 points, but he missed some makeable putts against Marc Leishman on Sunday and should have won his singles match.

Dustin Johnson: 2-2, C

D.J. is too good to ever follow up a 4-and-3 loss with 3-and-2 loss, regardless of the format. His putting was so off that he switched putters before his Sunday singles match against Haotong Li. He won Sunday, but Li was a deer in the headlights on the front nine, letting Johnson win three holes with pars.

Matt Kuchar: 0-1-3, B-

The veteran putted nicely in a 3-and-2 loss paired with Johnson on Friday before pairing with Finau for a pair of halves. He was winless in Australia, but battled back from 3 down against Louis Oosthuizen Sunday and made the Cup-clinching putt on 17.

Patrick Reed: 1-3, C-

For three days, Reed talked the talk but couldn’t walk the walk. His shovel antics after making a birdie putt on the 11th hole Friday were embarrassing and made worse after Leishman made birdie on top of him to halve the hole. Still, Reed’s me-against-the-world attitude helped him get a 4-up lead through four holes on C.T. Pan.

Xander Schauffele: 3-2, B+

Paired with Cantlay, Schauffele earned two points in two foursomes matches before taking on Adam Scott on his home turf Sunday. Schauffele got up early on the 2013 Masters champion and never let up, withstanding Scott’s late charge to win 2 and 1. He’s a stud in the making.

Webb Simpson: 1-3, C+

Playing in a tough environment paired with Reed, Simpson got off to a slow start at the Presidents Cup and never really got going until Sunday. His experience, and some timely approach shots, helped him earn a point against Byeong Hun An.

Justin Thomas: 3-1-1, A

The next leader of America’s cup teams, Thomas was everything captain Woods could have wanted. His putt on 18 Friday to win a big point was massive, and he paired with Fowler to take down Li and Leishman 3 and 2. In defeat Sunday against Cameron Smith, he battled. He’s 26, so the U.S. team is hoping for at least another decade of J.T.

Tiger Woods (The Player): 3-0, A+

Paired with Thomas, Tiger, who turns 44 on Dec. 30, was 2-0 before benching himself on Saturday. His performance in the opening singles match against Abraham Ancer was vintage Tiger. He knocked the ball down, made it climb and bent shots like Eric Clapton bends a chord on his Stratocaster. Bravo.

Gary Woodland: 1-2-1, C-

Woodland was a disappointment Thursday and Friday, failing to win a point when paired with Johnson, and he got blitzed by Sungjae Im in singles 4 and 3. Woodland and Johnson did get a point in Saturday’s foursomes, but you expect the defending U.S. Open to contribute more than just a point in four sessions.

Internationals

Byeong Hun An: 1-2-2, B-

The 28-year-old Presidents Cup rookie played with three different partners (Scott, Matsuyama and Niemann) in foursomes and fourballs before falling 2 and 1 to Simpson on Sunday. He can play, but failed to make enough birdies under pressure.

Abraham Ancer: 3-1-1, A

The breakout star for the International team, Ancer showed a deft shortgame and lethal putter to go along with nerves of steel. He wanted Tiger in singles and put up a great fight in a losing effort. Get ready to see his birdie putt on the third hole Saturday morning in Presidents Cup highlight reels for the next 100 years. Exelente senor.

Adam Hadwin: 1-1-1, C

Paired with Im on Thursday morning, Hadwin’s foursomes win over Cantlay and Schauffele was impressive, but he was benched for both sessions Saturday and halved with DeChambeau on Sunday when the International team needed a full point.

Sungjae Im: 3-1-1, A-

Ranked No. 36 in the world coming into the Presidents Cup, Im scored one of only two singles wins for the International team on Sunday by beating Woodland 4 and 3. He showed a deft touch with his wedges and made some key putts.

Marc Leishman: 1-2-2, C

Ernie Els needed a big week from the big Aussie who was playing in his fourth consecutive Presidents Cup, but he didn’t get it. A win in foursomes with Ancer was the highlight for Leishman, whose halve with Fowler in singles Sunday came after the Americans had already clinched.

Haotong Li: 0-2, D

After sitting out the first two sessions, Li was so nervous that he played out of turn on the second hole in Saturday’s foursomes match, forcing him to re-play his shot. He’s talented but was 4 over through 15 holes when Dustin Johnson closed him out 4 and 3 in singles.

Hideki Matsuyama: 2-1-1, C+

The Japanese star teamed with C.T. Pan to beat Reed and Simpson, twice, but blowing a 4-up lead after 10 holes against Finau in singles was deflating and felt like a loss. Sure, he won 2½ points in four sessions, but the tie on Sunday is going to sting for a long time.

Joaquin Niemann: 0-3-1, C

Expectations for the 21-year-old winner at the Greenbrier this fall were high. Maybe too high. He teamed with Byeong Hun An to come back for a halve against Finau and Kuchar, but he was outclassed by Cantlay on Sunday.

Louis Oosthuizen: 2-1-1, B-

King Louis started red hot, winning two points on Thursday and Friday, but his putting was erratic and he blew a 3-up lead against Kuchar and wound up halving the match that gave the Americans the cup.

C.T. Pan: 2-1, B+

Another Presidents Cup rookie, Pan earned two points paired with Matsuyama and then ran into a buzzsaw in the form of a motivated and hot putting Patrick Reed. Down six through seven holes, he won four of the next six to get within two before falling 4 and 2.

Adam Scott: 2-2-1, B

Playing in his ninth Presidents Cup, and on home soil, it was the perfect setting for Adam Scott, and he made some great shots and a few sweet putts, but losing to Schauffele was a blow to the International team’s hopes. Scott had to carry a big load for Els and he was good, but the Aussie needed to be great.

Cameron Smith: 1-1-1, B

A thorn in the American team’s side, Smith’s boyish looks belie his competitiveness and fire. He made big putts, worked the crowd and was one of only two singles winners on Sunday, beating Justin Thomas.

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Abraham Ancer wasn’t cocky when he said he wanted Tiger Woods at Presidents Cup

Ancer, a rookie for captain Ernie Els’ team, said his tone when talking about playing Tiger Woods was never meant to be challenging.

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“Abe wanted it, he got it.”

The above quote from U.S. playing captain Tiger Woods has made the rounds on social media after the 15-time major champion propelled his team to victory after winning the first match of the day against Abraham Ancer during Sunday’s Presidents Cup singles matches at Royal Melbourne.

Golf fans have mocked the 28-year-old for poking the bear at last month’s Mayakoba Golf Classic, where Ancer said: “I would like to play against Tiger (Woods), but the truth is that our objective is to do everything we can to win. Winning a match in the singles would be very special, so we need to try to get the cup.”

That quote led to the jab from Woods in the victory press conference, but Ancer has added some context to the situation after losing to Woods, 3 and 2.

“When they asked me that at Mayakoba first of all, that question was in Spanish, so the tone when I said it, it was never like cocky or challenging or anything like that,” said Ancer. “At the moment I thought it would be a great experience, which it was. No matter what, with the outcome of the match, I would have gained a lot. I would have become a better player just from being in that situation.”

He added Sunday after the Internationals defeat, “I’ve got a lot of grief from people, like, are you kidding me, I never like said it in a competitive way or talky way. I just thought the situation would make me a better player.”

Ancer, a rookie this week for International captain Ernie Els, had a stellar debut in the biennial competition, earning a 3-1-1 record. The rising star may just be a thorn in the side of U.S. teams for years to come.

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