Round Two Notes – 2019 Presidents Cup

Overall Score – International 6.5, United States 3.5

Round 2 – Foursomes – International 2.5, United States 2.5
Round 1 – Four-Ball – International 4, United States 1

The Royal Melbourne Golf Club, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Things to Know

This week marks the first time the International Team has carried the lead into round three since 2005
This week represents the first time the International Team led after each of the first two rounds since 2005
Tiger Woods’ 26th victory moves him into a tie with Phil Mickelson for most in Presidents Cup history
Adam Scott moves into a tie with Vijay Singh for second-most wins in International Team history (16), trailing only Ernie Els (20)
Rickie Fowler celebrated his 31st birthday by teaming with Gary Woodland for a tie against Sungjae Im and Cameron Smith
The International Team is seeking its first Presidents Cup victory since winning at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club in 1998
The Internationals hope to maintain their lead after the third round for the first time since 1998

Third Round (Saturday) – Pairings – Four-Ball
Match 11 (7:02 a.m.) – Marc Leishman/Haotong Li (INT) vs. Justin Thomas/Rickie Fowler (U.S.)
Match 12 (7:16 a.m.) – Sungjae Im/Abraham Ancer (INT) vs. Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay (U.S.)
Match 13 (7:30 a.m.) – Hideki Matsuyama/C.T. Pan (INT) vs. Patrick Reed/Webb Simpson (U.S.)
Match 14 (7:44 a.m.) – Adam Scott/Byeong Hun An (INT) vs. Matt Kuchar/Tony Finau (U.S.)
Note: Followed by four Foursomes matches in the afternoon. Pairings will be made approximately 10 a.m. local.

Second Round (Friday) – Foursomes – International 2.5, United States 2.5
Match 6 – Louis Oosthuizen/Adam Scott (INT) def. Dustin Johnson/Matt Kuchar (U.S.), 3 and 2
Match 7 – Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay (U.S.) def. Adam Hadwin/Joaquin Niemann (INT), 1-up
Match 8 – Marc Leishman/Abraham Ancer (INT) def. Webb Simpson/Patrick Reed (U.S.), 3 and 2
Match 9 – Justin Thomas/Tiger Woods (U.S.) def. Byeong Hun An/Hideki Matsuyama (INT), 1-up
Match 10 – Sungjae Im/Cameron Smith (INT) vs. Gary Woodland/Rickie Fowler (U.S.), tied

Round Two Notes: This week marks the first time the International Team has carried the lead into round three since 2005; Tiger Woods’ 26th victory moves him into a tie with Phil Mickelson for most in Presidents Cup history; Adam Scott moves into a tie for second-most wins in International Team history; Rickie Fowler celebrated his 31st birthday by teaming with Gary Woodland for a tie against Sungjae Im and Cameron Smith.

First Round (Thursday) – Four-Ball – International 4, United States 1
Match 1 – Tiger Woods/Justin Thomas (U.S.) def. Marc Leishman/Joaquin Niemann (INT), 4 and 3
Match 2 – Adam Hadwin/Sungjae Im (INT) def. Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay (U.S.), 1-up
Match 3 – Adam Scott/Byeong Hun An (INT) def. Bryson DeChambeau/Tony Finau (U.S.), 2 and 1
Match 4 – Hideki Matsuyama/C.T. Pan (INT) def. Webb Simpson/Patrick Reed (U.S.), 1-up
Match 5 – Abraham Ancer/Louis Oosthuizen (INT) def. Dustin Johnson/Gary Woodland (U.S.), 4 and 3

Round One Notes: Prior to Thursday’s three-point lead, the largest first-round lead for the International Team came in their lone victory in 1998, also at Royal Melbourne, when they led 3.5 to 1.5 following opening-day Foursomes; The International Team has never lost a Four-ball session at Royal Melbourne (4-0-1).

Second Round Match-by-Match Recaps
Match 6 – Louis Oosthuizen/Adam Scott (INT) def. Dustin Johnson/Matt Kuchar (U.S.), 3 and 2
Despite sitting 2-down to the United States through seven holes, Adam Scott and Louis Oosthuizen rallied with victories on Nos. 8, 9, 11, 13 and 14 en route to a 3 and 2 win over Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar.

One of three Australians on the team, Scott’s ninth appearance is the most of any player on the International side in Presidents Cup history. Scott moves into a tie with Vijay Singh for second-most wins in International Team history (16), trailing only Ernie Els (20).
Oosthuizen, Scott’s 15th different playing partner at the Presidents Cup, now owns nine wins in four Cup appearances.

Oosthuizen’s Presidents Cup record: 9-5-3
Oosthuizen’s Foursomes record: 4-2-1
Scott’s Presidents Cup record: 16-20-5
Scott’s Foursomes record: 7-8-2
Johnson’s Presidents Cup record: 8-6-2
Johnson’s Foursomes record: 5-1-1
Kuchar’s Presidents Cup record: 6-9-2
Kuchar’s Foursomes record: 3-4-2

Match 7 – Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay (U.S.) def. Adam Hadwin/Joaquin Niemann (INT), 1-up
With neither team holding more than a 1-up lead throughout the match, Patrick Cantlay drained a 13’9” birdie putt on the final hole for a 1-up win (along with teammate Xander Schauffele) over Adam Hadwin and Joaquin Niemann. The U.S. Team sat 1-down through 14 holes before closing with birdies on Nos. 15 and 18 for the victory.
Schauffele’s Presidents Cup record: 1-1-0
Schauffele’s Foursomes record: 1-0-0
Cantlay’s Presidents Cup record: 1-1-0
Cantlay’s Foursomes record: 1-0-0
Hadwin’s Presidents Cup record: 1-3-1
Hadwin’s Foursomes record: 0-2-0
Niemann’s Presidents Cup record: 0-2-0
Niemann’s Foursomes record: 0-1-0

Match 8 – Marc Leishman/Abraham Ancer (INT) def. Webb Simpson/Patrick Reed (U.S.), 3 and 2
Abraham Ancer, the first player from Mexico to qualify for the International Presidents Cup Team, improved to 2-0 in his debut after teaming with Aussie Marc Leishman for a 3 and 2 win over Webb Simpson and Patrick Reed.

The two teams went back and forth through the first four holes with the U.S. winning Nos. 1 and 4 and the International Team taking Nos. 2 and 3. The Internationals broke the tie with a birdie on the par-3 fifth hole and never relinquished the lead, winning 3 and 2.
Leishman’s Presidents Cup record: 4-8-3
Leishman’s Foursomes record: 2-3-2
Ancer Presidents Cup record: 2-0-0
Ancer’s Foursomes record: 1-0-0
Reed’s Presidents Cup record: 4-5-2
Reed’s Foursomes record: 2-3-0
Simpson’s Presidents Cup record: 5-5-2
Simpson’s Foursomes record: 3-2-0

Match 9 – Justin Thomas/Tiger Woods (U.S.) def. Byeong Hun An/Hideki Matsuyama (INT), 1-up
Playing alongside U.S. Team Captain Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas made a 17’3” birdie putt on the final hole for a 1-up victory over the International Team of Byeong Hun An and Hideki Matsuyama.

Most matches played in tournament history: Phil Mickelson (55), Tiger Woods (42), Adam Scott (41).

Woods (26-15-1) moves into a tie with Phil Mickelson (26-16-13) for most matches won in Presidents Cup history.
Thomas is the 11th playing partner in Woods’ Presidents Cup career.

Woods’ playing partners and record
Notah Begay 2-2-0
Fred Couples 1-2-0
Dustin Johnson 1-2-0
Jim Furyk 3-1-1
Charles Howell III 3-2-0
John Huston 0-1-0
Matt Kuchar 3-1-0
Steve Stricker 4-1-0
Justin Thomas 2-0-0
David Toms 1-0-0
Justin Leonard 0-1-0

Thomas’ Presidents Cup record: 5-1-1
Thomas’ Foursomes record: 2-0-1
Woods’ Presidents Cup record: 26-15-1
Woods’ Foursomes record: 12-4-1
An’s Presidents Cup record: 1-1-0
An’s Foursomes record: 0-1-0
Matsuyama’s Presidents Cup record: 5-7-3
Matsuyama’s Foursomes record: 1-4-1

Match 10 – Sungjae Im/Cameron Smith (INT) vs. Gary Woodland/Rickie Fowler (U.S.), tied
Sitting 2-down with just three holes to play, Gary Woodland and Rickie Fowler rallied with birdies on the next two holes (Nos. 16, 17) to square the match heading to the par-4 18th hole. Fowler, celebrating his 31st birthday, made a 5’4” par putt on the final hole to secure a tie with the International Team of Sungjae Im and Cameron Smith.

On Thursday, Im became the youngest International player in Presidents Cup history to win the first match of his career and the second-youngest on either side (only Jordan Spieth was younger).

Im’s Presidents Cup record: 1-0-1
Im’s Foursomes record: 0-0-1
Smith’s Presidents Cup record: 0-0-1
Smith’s Foursomes record: 0-0-1
Woodland’s Presidents Cup record: 0-1-1
Woodland’s Foursomes record: 0-0-1
Fowler’s Presidents Cup record: 4-3-2
Fowler’s Foursomes record: 2-1-2

Miscellaneous Presidents Cup Notes
All matches are worth one point, for a total of 30 points. There are no playoffs, with each side receiving a half point if a match is tied after 18 holes. In a change inspired by the events of the 2003 Presidents Cup, if the match is deadlocked at the end of Singles play, the competition will be deemed a tie and the teams will share the Presidents Cup.

For the 2019 Presidents Cup, a minor format change was implemented, stating each player shall only be required to play a minimum of one match prior to the Sunday Singles matches. This is a change from previous years when players were required to compete in two matches prior to Singles matches.