President’s Cup: is this U.S. team the most dominant ever?
Team USA has seen a tremendous amount of success in Presidents Cup since it began in 1994. After dominating the first two days, is this the best American team in the event’s history?
The U.S. team took a commanding 8-2 lead after some stellar play on Friday at the Presidents Cup. In the end, the team won four of the five fourball matches.
Only the Jordan Spieth/Patrick Reed vs Hideki Matsuyama/Adam Hadwin battle was halved. Despite the dynamic duo’s failure to complete the sweep, the American squad did not disappoint.
This included a 6 & 5 performance by Charley Hoffman & Kevin Chappel against Anirban Lahiri and Charl Schwartzel. Hoffman and Chappel are Presidents Cup rookies, although Hoffman is a veteran on the PGA Tour.
With such dominating performances across the board, it’s hard to argue that this may be America’s best Presidents Cup team. Keep in mind that they are playing great against a loaded International team that includes Matsuyama, Louis Oosthuizen, Marc Leishman, Adam Hadwin and Jason Day among others.
There’s still a lot of golf left to be played, but with this comfortable of a lead, the American team will feel relaxed come Sunday. They have the perfect blend of power, accuracy, and touch, and this deadly combination helps make this team an elite one.
You have two tee ball brutes in Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka who can outdrive the competition. Not to mention that Koepka has quietly become one of the game’s best putters to coincide with that power he’s known for.
Then you have Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed who are the two best putters in golf when they’re on their game. As we know, they can heat up like a microwave, especially Spieth with his scorching hot flat stick.
Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas are arguably to the two best all-around players on the team. Both hit the ball a mile, strike the ball well, and drill putts when needed. The two have quickly become a formidable duo.
They can easily become a great tag team once the Ryder Cup comes around next year. Much like the Spieth/Reed combination, Fowler and Thomas can be a team to be reckoned with for years to come.
Team USA is historically dominant from top to bottom
That’s how good this team is. I didn’t even mention the whole roster yet but the guys I mentioned alone make up for a dangerous squad.
Although Phil Mickelson and Kevin Kisner didn’t destroy the competition, they have done a solid job of denying the International team from getting points. They halved day one against Jason Day and Marc Leishman.
They followed that up by winning by one on Friday. That’s an excellent example of grinding to the end and shutting the door down on your opponent.
Kisner who came very close to grabbing his first major at the PGA Championship can get a nice consolation prize by helping the Americans win the President’s Cup. The expressive Kisner holed a clutch birdie on the 15th hole to even the match.
He’s quietly one of the very best players in the field between both teams. He’s not only one of the most accurate drivers in the world, he’s also a terrific putter, ranking 20th in the world going into the tournament.
Mickelson has proved to be a very solid captain’s pick, as he too made some clutch putts during the first two days. It certainly helps that he has the experience, being the most decorated player in President’s Cup history.
Charley Hoffman and Kevin Chappel enjoyed the most dominant day of all, going six up to knock off Anirban Lahiri and Charl Schwartzel. Hoffman’s approach shot on the 13th hole is what sealed the deal, as he dropped a four-foot birdie putt to gain a point.
Even after a dominant Friday, you have to keep in mind that Daniel Berger and Matt Kuchar are still on the team. Berger is a star on the rise and Kuchar is not far away from being a Hall of Fame candidate.
Kuchar, in particular, is no stranger to playing well in team competition. He won two points for the American in the last two Ryder Cups and helped them get a point in this year’s Presidents Cup on Thursday.
I think that, by Sunday, the American team will win the Cup again. They will also be recognized as the most dominant team in event history.
Next: Team USA cruises to big lead at Presidents Cup
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