The U.S. team suffered a devastating loss at the President’s Cup, losing all five matches and falling into a four-point deficit, marking a rare and embarrassing collapse of their home-field advantage. The international team, in contrast, demonstrated strong team chemistry, energy, and strategic depth, with standout performances from players like Ogle V and Min Wu Lee. The U.S. team's failure stems not from lack of talent, but from a systemic absence of team culture—players lack urgency, motivation, and emotional investment, often playing passively rather than with the intensity required in match play. Despite decades of individual success, the U.S. has failed to build a cohesive team environment where players trust each other and share a unified goal. Leadership has not fostered this culture, relying on familiar pairings and outdated strategies instead of data-driven, dynamic team planning. The international team’s success underscores a critical gap: they prioritize team cohesion, mutual support, and shared passion, which the U.S. lacks. The analysis concludes that lasting change requires more than just new players—it demands a cultural overhaul, including stronger leadership, player accountability, and a shift from individualism to collective ownership. While the U.S. may still win in the end, the current performance suggests a crisis in team dynamics that must be addressed to restore competitiveness and pride. The event serves as a wake-up call, emphasizing that sustainability in team events depends not on talent alone, but on culture, unity, and genuine team spirit.
[MUSIC] >> It's gonna be the right club, be the right club today. >> Yes, that's better than most. How about in, that is better than most, better than most. [MUSIC] >> What's up, ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the No Laying Up live show presented by Titleist Sali here. He's in shambles, he predicted the U.S. to win, and now the International's have a four point lead T.C. How we feeling, man? >> I feel great, I feel invigorated, that was everything, everything the president's cup should be about, right? Just American arrogance and buffoonery on full display. So I can't wait to hear your rationalize it. >> Why do you still think I'm on the pro side of the Americans? Have you not been hearing years and years and years and years of-- >> You've been screaming to change the system. >> I think you predicted him to win like 22 to 8, or something this week. >> By the end of the episode, it'll be about 32 to negative 2, I'm pretty sure here. Also here, gonna get in the middle of the sparring, I think, Mr. Neal at Korea Schuster, hello, Neal. >> Gentlemen. >> My fellow American. >> Yeah, man, that's that's just what I make room for, wow, it's sun's going down out my window right now. I'm riding the Golden Wave, I think there are a beer called the Golden Wave. Anyway, liquid aloha, baby. >> Golden Road, thank you, TC. What a day, I mean, just US shut out, unbelievable. >> We'll get into it, solid back to you. >> The first couple of segments here are gonna be brought to you, add free by titles. They don't even want to put their name on them if they just split us out of the US team. The number one ball in golf, the number one ball at the president's cup. Do you want to-- I don't-- I think we got to start a big picture before we go match-by-match on this one. This famously happened in 2024. We joked about this potentially happening last night. This happened on Friday, for some US got whitewashed on a road president's cup, like somewhat more understandable than what we just witnessed, losing all five for some matches. They do the same thing at home. I honestly thought the humiliation couldn't get worse than what we witnessed at Beth Page in terms of blowing a home field advantage when you should absolutely be winning a cup. And yet here we are, the international have barely moved into favorites. They're minus 105 now, here through 10 points out of the 30 that will be settled here. But the script has officially flipped until the 2026 president's cup. >> The golden shower today, boys. >> The golden dagger. >> Well, a lot of golf left. Let's be-- you guys got out of your skis on some takes last night. JT looked great yesterday, as T.C. said, given Echeveria swirly and then didn't-- he and Cam didn't make a birdie. Those are supposed to be the thoroughbreds out there. They looked really, really, really, really stinky. But there is a lot of golf left. You got two sessions tomorrow in the 12 singles matches. So the data could win. >> You know what I'm saying, there's a lot of golf left. >> They absolutely could win, but they've already lost. That's the whole point of this. You're at home with a massive, massive town advantage over the international. This should not be close. Much less you should not be in threat of losing this at the-- it feels like the halfway point, even though it's not in terms of points. And even if you come back to win, if this isn't the wake-up call that this system needs completely overhauled, that they need some new blood in there, that they need a new strategy, that they need to be actually trusting the people that are putting things together on an analytic and strategic front and not just going off of friendships and a whim and feelings and putting all this strategy together. If this isn't it, it will not happen. I kind of feel like how I do about the reds of like, blow it, let them lose. Don't really care. The only way it's going to actually change is if this gets really, really, really embarrassing. I don't know how much more embarrassing it gets than what just happened out there today. >> Solly's clamoring for new blood in here, and yet he was acting like we couldn't-- >> I think on the management's idea, Sanctuary, you're going to-- >> Don't twist this. >> He wants to talk to a red coat. He wants new management, T.C. Solly, to your point, I think today's a really good example of like, for sums being the most strategic part of these team events and then getting depanced. You know what I mean? It's amazing. Just with the pairings and stuff, because I did feel the international's had a lot more juice. I'll call it Menwuli and Foxy, to me was-- that was the best match of the day versus Colin and Wyndham, and back and forth and good golf from both sides. I think they were both had like five birdies, no bogey. I mean, just really good stuff going on. But it felt like Foxy was the perfect pairing for Menwuli, a little bit of like a big brother program out there. He struck me as like the funkel. They seemed to be really in lockstep. But that's the eye test, right? There's probably some data over there that's backing up that pairing. Meanwhile, you're just seeing a lot of the same stuff we've seen for the last six, seven, eight years as far as pairings go for all shot on the US side, which is not making any of us happy. >> Neil, I got to give it to Ogle V and Trevor and the boys over on the international side. We were-- >> Killer Beds. >> We were wondering about his inclusion on the team, and we figured, hey, there's got to be a reason. He's best fast, man. >> He had an off start, T.C. >> But I was-- >> Let's not get carried away. >> I was talking them up on the first tee, and I mean, man, he missed. That was one of the bigger right misses we've seen in competitive golf reason off the first. I just love that this is, like, it's always rooting for this while we're a year out from the Ryder Cup, and this is an opportunity to, like, maybe test some pairings out, maybe do some stuff, experiment with some stuff, try some new stuff out, and it's like, no, we're just going to say, can't lay in the zander out, have them lay in a egg, and then we're going to have fun. >> Well, don't let-- >> It's so funny. >> Let's not conflate, like, what has been successful for the US, and just, like, that's the part you can't just throw out the window. Yes, zander and can't lay have sucked this week, but, like, your take going into this has been throw these guys out, despite them having good Ryder Cup records and good Presidents Cup records. Like, on teams that have stunk and that have largely lost, like, yes, it is looking very bad for those two right now, but, like, those are-- and it's not, like, there's a wall, like, a big-- like, is the take J.J. Spawn over Patrick Cantlay would have changed this? No, the take here is that this team shows up unready to play, unready for the task at hand some of the best players in the world look like shit, it's not because they have bad pairings. It is a complete lack of identity that we've long talked about around US golf, a complete lack of actual motivation to show up, have your game in shape, show some passion, show that you care about this event, try to elevate for the moment, try to sell out for your team to be bigger than, you know, just yourself as an individual, and they just refuse to do that. Almost to everybody, but J.T. is why, like, why it becomes such a big J.T. fan and team events, but then today he goes out and throws a stinker as well. But that's why-- That's why I'm, like, anti-bringing, bringing Cantlay back to this when there's the opportunity to test out a Thor Bjornson or a Ryan Gerard or somebody who is going to show up prepared to give a shit, right? And then-- but that gets laughed out of the room because the data golf says this or the stats say this, and it's like, well, which one is it, man? It's the same conversation every year that they're still good at golf. They're still very good at golf. They've been better at golf than the people you just named, and they've done well in this event. But you just said, we don't have to pretend that they don't have the pride or the conviction in these team events to show up prepared and excited to play. But that goes all the way to Burns, that goes to Scottie Schaeffler, that goes to whatever we've seen out of Cam Young out of this point, like, yeah, it's not like just a straight up like these two guys are the problem. This is the president's cup. Who gives a shit? Let's find some new guys. Let me push back on that, though, TC, using whatever, data stats, whatever, or having a better system for picking for some pairings. I'm all for testing out new partnerships in the presence cup, but I think it's a little unfair to expect, you know, like, snatic or to pick, like, let me just try out young guys for sure. Like, that's how you're good at all young guys. I know you're not. And I understand you're picked specifically for Cantlay, but to be like, hey, let's get a bunch of new blood in here is how, like, that would be a fast way to lose this thing before it even starts. I mean, like, it's hard to, I mean, they're a massive favorite, and we can't, and we can't, like, they wouldn't be if they didn't bring these guys, it's the point, like, they wouldn't, if they started bringing, I still think they'd be a favorite if they brought a lot of people. They'd be a favorite, but probably not a massive one. I mean, like, like, Sally say, and the numbers, like, can't lay, plays better golf than some of the guys you want to see on the team, like, you know, and he has the track record here. And I think putting him out with Xander again and again is, it's like, all right, the records there. But it's a little bit like going through the motions maybe, like, did we even, it looks like at this time, right? Yes, they would even look at me, like, have we, like, you know, reset things with this squad and said, like, should Xander be with somebody else? Should Cantlay be with somebody else? I don't know the answer to that, but why is JT playing ForSums? Oh my God.
What's the presence cup, you only sit two guys. I know. It's just, it's just funny, man. I just don't. Here's what we can't do, T.C. Here's what I can't. We can't like pretend like stats are ruling things on the U.S. side. And that's what their weakness. And then continually praise what the international's and the Europeans do because they're the most data goals. If you want to, but it, but they're the most analytic and they are looking at the statistical components that can give them every possible edge. That's where I struggle with kind of rolling, rolling eyes at the stats part of this because any model you would possibly use would include Zander Shoffley and Patrick Cantley being on this team. And the same would go, the same would go for the Europeans. If they were Europeans, same would go for the international, if they were international. So what the, that's the point I'm, I'm making here is like, I believe the international team could get more out of Cantley and Xander than what the U.S. team is able to get out of them. Unequivocally. I think that's absolutely true. I think using analytics and stats correctly and having, having the confidence in your analytics and stats guys to give you the right information, I think that's one of the things that massive problem that has been a massive problem with the U.S. team whether they listen to them or not is like they obviously don't have confidence in them to listen to them, at least in the past. But I'm saying that there's also another calculus and formula there that's, that goes beyond stats and analytics and it's, you know, you'll agree with me here. Like, it's the same thing that there, like, there's no year to year strategy, right? There's no, there's no, there's no tie that, there's no tie that binds here. Like, hey, like, correct, maybe, maybe Ben James is, is a guy that similar to Ludwig. You're like, all right, you know what? We're going to send Ben James out and force him. We're going to give him a look because we think we see something in the statistical profile. And I want to see if he's, if he's up for this early on and this is a pretty low-stakes environment to do this in. Either way, I still maintain the, the US's biggest problem and when they've lost these team events are done pulling these team events is their inability to get their best efforts or best call out of their top players. And that's been a consistent theme going all the way back into early 2000s. And that is where I'm like, and the problem is those guys have become the captains. Those guys are involved in every one of, like in all of these, it's the same dude, like Rance Nettaker played in one president's cup, and he is now going to be like the leader of this. Like he learned from all the people before him of how to, you know, all these things, all of these things that the Europe is doing and bragging about on podcasts and laying the blueprint out. The international's are, have not made it a secret kind of what their strategy is and how they do. There's a lot more. There's a lot more below the surface that they're not laying out. True. But all a part of it is that, that also, like, it's not an either or it's both, like, the top players don't, don't show up and they're not putting them in position to, to succeed. And also they can't like trust their stats because the top players seem to be different players when they do show up, right, it's chicken or egg. This is where like I reject me just being overly stat based on this because what I'm talking about here is like not statistical at all. It is straight up team culture team building and all the shit that matters in that Europe does year round to get players familiar with each other to get people really, really, really aligned on a common goal and the fact that they're going to do it together. And it permeates to all of their actions, all of their celebrations, every, all the support they give their, their players, you know, that when they're not playing their interviews they do the passion they show for it. And we see absolutely none of that on the US side despite such a poor record and they just fluff themselves up off this internet, you know, the record in the president's cup and get their asses whooped into him and the rider cup in the cycle starts over. That's why I'm officially moving to lose. I think this would be their only chance at actually figuring out I still don't think they will from like a player buy-in perspective, but you get Justin Ray coming in next year with Jim Furek and a clean slate and hopefully if Jim hasn't learned it through going two and seven as a player, a losing captain, a losing assistance captain, then I don't, then yeah that I don't think the US will ever get it figured out, but that's, that's where, that's, it is bigger than numbers here and just like getting the pairings right. I think it's also. I have a question. Real quick. Tiger hold on real quick. I think Tiger as well of like the fact that they're begging Tiger to take on the captain C for Beth Page and then a dare man and it's like, you know, like that's where they're looking for leadership and Tiger's got his own shit going on and he wants nothing to do with it. Very good. Saul, you laid out everything very, very spot on as normal. What do you do to fix it? I would encourage people to go back and listen to the podcast we did with Hunter Mayhand after 2023 rider cup because that was, that was laying it all out. That was as best I see who is it here Mitch Robinson in the comments here saying, King of digging on the problems with no solutions. I've spent a inordinate amount of my life trying to come up with a solution for this all, all publicly available. All the best. The best place for that is probably in that episode. We also did a deep dive with Duncan Carey after the most recent rider cup breaking down all the follies the US made from an analytical standpoint. We've had Eduardo Molinarri on the podcast talking specifically about all this stuff. We've had Jamie Kennedy on a bunch of times. It's out there. And it comes back to creating a culture that gets these people prepared, fired up to play this event and not go through the motions to get your asses handed to you by Christian Bisei note. Like, holy shit, man, Scotty Sheffler and Sam Burns got beat by Cory Connors and Nick Taylor at home. Like that should not happen. And I know math would say no matter what. Like, yeah, the International will win that match 35% of the time, 40% of the time, but I don't care. It should not get beat if you like truly passionately cared enough about this event. You would prepare your game to not let that happen. I think it's going to have to flip the pattern or change the narrative here. It's it's going to have to probably start with an embarrassment of this current generation. Like JT being involved, he almost feels like maybe the line of demarcation moving forward. And I'd love to see a few of these guys come out and get like pissed off, not at like not with the blame game. Like you saw after Paris, but more like the, I don't know, like, guys, what the fuck? Like what are we do? Like, like, JT and Scotty, like get like, I don't know, just like, like team meeting. Like, what are we doing here, you know, and then I don't think Scotty's earned the right to get pissed. Well, with this losing record, he's putting together. I hope it starts to, you know, we're into the double digits of matches played TC and like, it doesn't look good right now. I think he's now three, seven and one in presence cup or four, seven and one, I guess, because he was three, six and one before, before this week. And I think it's crazy that like Wyndham Clark is the, is the spiritual and emotional leader of the team. Well, let's go through match. Let's, let's get specific now. Why don't, you want to go through match by match and just kind of, not really what we saw. Not really. No kidding. Yeah, in the first match, Scotty and Burns went up against Corey Conner's and Nick Taylor, Scotty and Burns. They started well. They made two birdies in the first four holes, but got cold after that did not make another birdie. They were one up through four, but lost five and six. I'm sorry, they did birdie the ninth hole. Those are only birdie. They made over the last 14 holes. We get to 18, Nick Taylor, so international's are one up. Nick Taylor sprays it way right. Corey Conner's had to pitch out, then Taylor proceeded to stuff it to absolutely give me range before Scotty even hits Scotty hit a solid shot. It shouldn't have been a gimme. It shouldn't have been a gimme that Corey Conner's book, but it was, I'll look up the actual distance of that one. Well, Conner's is standing over it like you guys don't need to see this one, right? I mean, I can't believe they gave him that putt. Like you have to make him putt that one. It was two feet two inches. That's, that's longer than me. God. How was the putt that Xander missed on the last hole? Xander's final putt was from five, oh, she's three feet, two inches. Okay. But I mean, Nick Taylor, dude, he's, he's, he's, he's a dude. And he was T.C., but God, we almost had an all time early call. Cody, I don't know if you've got that image ready, but T.C., after Nick Taylor made like the six or seven footer, God, what a bad 17 was a lot hinged on this match. On the 17th hole. Scotty had a really average lag putt left, Sam Burns, like seven feet coming back. He makes that. And then Corey Conner's just needs to nestle one up there for a two putt to take a one-up lead in. He leaves it like four feet short. And maybe I'm being generous with that could have been more. And so Nick Taylor makes that putt and T.C. gets, gets in our slack. He's like, Nick Taylor is that dude, like I told you guys like what, what a gamer. And literally 30 seconds later, he blows it off the planet right behind the trees. And it was just an epic, epic early call for him to come back and stuff that that third shot after Corey Conner's, I, now I'm in the slack. He is that dude, man, like that was epic, but he is that guy pal, I am, I am disappointed that we didn't get to see the final act of the drama to see Corey Conner's have to make even if it was under three feet. I got to see him make, I got to see that one, man, because Neil, we stuck our next out. We said that this thing was going to come down to the Canadians stepping up, showing some heart in this thing. There's only two of them. We got rid of Pendo and, and Mackenzie Hughes and Nick Taylor, he's the Canadian that we've been waiting for in this thing. Well, you know that you knew they were going to throw him out as a pair at some point. And I was disappointed. I thought that'd be together all week, but I had to say,
this one circled of like, because, you know, YTK, Hadecki, C. Wu, like, if the international have any chances, guys have to play good. But it's like, are the Canadians going to show up? Are they going to, are we going to have a coalition of the willing to protect the shield? And they showed up today, T.C. despite Cory Conner's truly camp putt. And he hits the shit out of it. He's got zero swag, but he hits the shit out of it. And Nick Taylor just bailed him out a bunch today. And the Canadians are joining, I think they're joining the EU as an affiliate member. So maybe they can play in the rhetoric up for me from here on out too. So I'll, the, um, that match, it's like it didn't feel like Scotty and stand like Scotty hit some awesome irons all day. It's just like they didn't have a sense of urgency. That was what I kept. And they showed a ton of that match like all day, obviously, number one player in the world. And I thought Burns played really, they both played really solid, but they just seemed to be like, yeah, we'll take care of this later. And then they just like kind of ran out of holes. But to me, it felt like all the pressure all day, even though they were up all day and, and push back on this, if you disagree, it felt like the Canadians were feeling the pressure all day and continued to meet the moment. And it felt like Scotty and Burns were just kind of like, ah, now we got holes left. We're good. You know, there's almost like they're playing with their dinner a little bit. And then they got, um, you know, and then that like on 17, that ball doesn't hop forward for, for Burns. And all of a sudden it's like, oh, shit, we might lose. And well, according to Noto, that was a bad break. No, I was like, that's like a club short. Yeah, I was like, what? What was that? So I guess I say all that, but I'm curious. If that's your read on Scotty and Burns, or do you see something else? Because last night, you're like, I want to see Scotty become the terminator. I thought it's like, I want to see what he's an unborn player in the world. The US is going to struggle in these team events. If that guy isn't like rally around the flag, gentlemen, like I'm leading the charge. I'm going four one, you know, four and one or three one and one in these team events. And he just doesn't seem to have a sense of urgency to do that. One in eight enforcums is crazy. It's insane. It's, you know, if you dig, I mean, he did not putt well today. He missed a pretty, pretty short birdie putt on, I believe that was six was like the one that is really going to hurt him the numbers. And he was negative Joe Skane putt today. Sam was barely negative, Joe Skane putting. But like, you know, we do laugh at the notion of they, they just made more putts. But Joe Skane tee to green today was almost exactly even between the two teams. And international's gained 13 shots. I'm on them on the greens. So that was the difference in that match as well. You, I mean, Cory cons, of course, did not putt very well. But, you know, they, of course, barely, barely, barely the advantage in that match went down to just a little bit of putting. And yeah, they made one birdie after the fourth hole, like one birdie. It's, it's, I know it's, it's four sums. And there's not as many birdies in that format. And of course, it's not playing easy. But you got to go out and get it. You still got to go do it. And if you're not going to do it with two of the best players in the world, then like what I would, I would also just like look at the components of this a little of their game. Like Scotty had a great iron day, like the best in the field by far. And like that did not, I don't know what you do here. Because in theory, a great iron day, who would you want hitting the next putt? Like one of the best putters in the world. And it didn't work out. So I get the frustration people have with his pairing. I am frustrated. I see it when I, you know, I see it on TV and I feel it. I don't feel like they're about to win. I think that's a problem. But when I dive into it and, and kind of read into it analytically, I can't point to exactly why it doesn't work if that makes sense. Snets is proud of him though. He said, even before he sent him out yesterday. He said they're great men. They're great human beings. And they have good hearts. And, you know, so he's proud of him regardless how they played and their friends. They hang out together on the road. So they get to play together. That's great. Uh, sorry. One, one thing I want to add there is that putt on 18 from Burns. I don't think I've seen a shot in a long time that really summed up someone's year like that putt did. I mean, that, that was an awesome, awesome role. 17, 18 feet. And I mean, what a brutal lip out that was for San Burns. It's just like, man, that kind of sums up the year you had like really good, but just coming up short at the end. And it's like, God, I thought that was in the whole way. Uh, so I'm with, I hear what you're saying. It's like hard to argue even with, you know, you put it on paper. You're like, that seems like it should work. And then they, they just don't, there's, but there's not a lot of fire with them. They're not like, no, and then you don't want to ask people to be something they're not. But it's also like, hey, we got to go, man, we got to have a sense of urgency here. I, I do want to ask people in this event to be something they're not because I don't think there's any other way to do these events. I don't think you can take 72 whole stroke play mindset into these events. Like that's part of the problem. Like we've talked about this pretty much every year. Like a stroke play tournament is easy peasy, level set all the way throughout match play is you win the early holes and you get going from the beginning or your, your ass is in the jackpot. Like there, you've got to get off the bus. It's the most important hole in a match play tournament match play a match is the first hole. And the next most important hole is the second hole. Like that's how that works. And you have to flip the way you play. It is a different game playing match play. And if that's like that is where I will like yeah, we all we have is data on stroke play. That's all they play year round. So that's how we tell who the best golfers are. But it is a flip into a different format. And if you don't make adjustments for that, you're going to get your ass handed to you. It's called playing field at minimum to somebody that does adjust how they play. I would even argue if they had a bunch of, like let's say they have three match play tournaments with just one on one singles match play. Even that's a different game than what they're playing yesterday, today and tomorrow. Yes. It's a team match play. Yeah. Yeah. Like team match play is radically different than even you know solo match play 100%. So this was the listen, if you're an American golf in, this was not a good day, but you can make the day a good day with the all new high new day pack. This new variety eight pack will be available year round to keep the sun shining and the good times rolling crafted with real vodka, real juice, the high new day pack brings together a pair cranberry peach and tangerine. If you haven't tried tangerine, you are missing out. I don't know if I can legally say what I think it tastes like, but tastes like a sports drink we're all very familiar with and it's extremely, extremely refreshing. The perfect combo of light, bright, delicious flavors for a blue sky day, visit high new spirits dot com to find a pack near you high noon suns up. You, you think they got a nor Easter pack for me? Ready? Maybe some cranberry. Yeah, I don't know what would be in that pack, but it's about to get windy up here boys. God, we came home to a absolute delightful day here. T.C. Did we do it? Did we? Did we? Did we summer? I've moved on to this Hadecki sung J three and two win over Russ and and Jacob. I would say solid to carry on your point from from the last match. I feel like Russ and and Bridgeman got off the bus that they came out played pretty well early and then they kind of just got run over by a ball striking free train. Hand up here. They made one birdie. Hey, well, but they got the bus here. It was early. Okay. I was I said, they made one birdie early. They made two total birdies. So I don't know how well they got off the bus. I was expecting I was expecting some more Henley Bridgeman action here. I just that one. I was like, you know what? I think it's going to be a moderate golden shower today. But I think Henley and Bridgeman are going to are going to step up and and they just they laid an egg. They stunk a scatter a scattered shower. T.C. Here's where it hurts. Jacob Bridgeman, the putter, like that's what he was picked for minus 1.57 on the greens today. He had done. It's really, really not. And again, we've talked about how strokes gained, you know, to the downside. You know, there could be some misleading stuff in there, not really on the greens. Like there's no, you know, the match plays not really going to dictate, you know, a change in and you know, you're not putting into the water because of match, but you might hit a iron shot into the water if you absolutely need to hit a heroic shot. But put it. I do have on the greens. That's bad. I do think just reaching across the aisle a little bit. I think it's a little tough to send out a rookie, like a rookie in one of these things. His first match is all shot versus versus playing his own ball. Like I feel like they they went out of their way yesterday to give Coivin a really, really, really comfortable, you know, kind of push into the arena there, whereas I feel like Bridgeman didn't, it wasn't really afforded that same, that same thing. Like he's going up against the, you know, two of the lions of this team and, you know, versus Coivin yesterday was Nico and, you know, his partner. I think that's completely fair to see him to make it a little worse. Sneds put this pairing specifically up against Sunjay and Hadecki. Like this was the order, the order of set in that one. In the first match, the US put out Scotty and Burns, the International's match with Conor's and Taylor, then the International's go next. They put out Sunjay and Hadecki and Sneds put out this, this team up against those two, which I think we all predicted Hadecki and Sunjay to win that match last night. and they gave away two holes, you know, US one, two holes with with parts in the
middle there. Uh, and we didn't see a whole lot of this match on TV. I mean, it's, you know, kind of like the NBC, USA team. I mean, SNET or, uh, Russ and Bridgeman took their hats off the shake hands. Bridgeman looks like a two point overs and a rust, just, you know, in the matching uniforms, they got like the similar blonde hair. I was like, oh my God, it's, it's, it's Russ's younger brother. Uh, so that was, that's just a question for you, Sally. Uh, how did Hadecki and Sungjae put, um, the Hadecki about even and Sungjae gained a shot on the green today. So a lot of deck. He made kind of a bomb there too, right? So that's probably covering up some. Yeah. Feels like just two guys, the reason I asked two guys not known for their putting, but known for their ball striking. Um, so, you know, if they can just manufacture, if one of them can get hot on the greens, that's just a tough, combo to beat. And did they beat, um, the beat can't lay in Xander and like seven and six, uh, in Montreal. I think like this was a, this was a good pairing last, last time around, I believe, was that in Friday, for some, so they did. You're exactly right. In the first match out, they beat them seven and six. Yeah, I just, I remember that two years ago, these guys just like eviscerating, uh, the USA is like, you know, trademarked all-shot pairing. Like, oh, that's interesting. Okay. Solid, what do you think of, uh, of sneds were in the bear's hat out there? It's so zany, man. Like it's just wild when guys do that, like to flip, you know, fire up the local fans and everything. It's just awesome. I love it. It's so cool. It, uh, they need it honing more on that focus on that and really highlight how zany this event is. He was channeling some coach flu. So I think today, T.C. I was saying, he looks sneds is like an old and he kind of looked like a disappointed, like owner of a team that's about to fire the coach, you know, arms crossed, kind of stand on the side, like Arthur blank style. Like it's just, yeah, we're gonna have to make a change. Maybe he just doesn't know what direction he's gonna go. You know, David, we're gonna have maybe a member of the McCasky family. Yeah. Can we pause at this moment and just on record? Who do you think wins? Who do we, do we think the US survives this? Or are you going international here? Because I think it, we're talking like the US has lost this. And I think it is still relative to be decided. Yes. Yes. They lost in the macro. Yes. They lost the war. Yes. Uh, no, I, like, I'm, I still think, I still think the US is going to win. Uh, I don't think it's going to be a runaway. I don't think it's going to be a blowout. Like, I think it's going to be, uh, but they've, they've got more depth. The depth tends to show up over a longer period of time versus like 10 of the 30 points have been played for us for 33% of the way through this thing. Four points is a big lead. Yeah. And I, I, I'm watching it today and I'm, I'm struggling. I really want to be a US fan, but I'm struggling because it's fun to see an underdog like rise up and, and, you know, kind of counteract the, the narrative that this was going to be a blowout. And I, I just think for the, the content of it and for the joy, I had a really good time watching this tournament today. And I haven't felt that way in the past because it hasn't been competitive. I would like, I'm going to be rooting for the international team, uh, to win for, for the, for the, for the fun of it, for the rest of the day. And I feel bad. I feel like the trader for saying that. But I, I, it's like, you know, you can, oh, you got to like trust your gut on it. It's like, I was, I was kind of rooting for like, man, what did they go? Five and oh, that would be so. I was thinking that and I feel bad about it a little bit, you know, because I want to be a USA fan. I, I fucking do man. I'm not a make it hard. TC. I'm not. Okay. I will say, um, me and pro golf critic, the, uh, what could be a negative of this was, was going to be like, I, the US, you know, ran away with this, we may have been on the verge of seeing some actual change in the competitive structure of this event. If the international's win, it might give this same format like 12 more years, which I don't know if we need that, uh, would be the downside of them winning. But I think to, I am the most guilty of this to this point, a little bit of not appreciating just how well the international's played today, like the US did not play well, but the international
's played legitimately very good golf. And that's not even like considering the talent gap and what they're kind of getting out of guys that are barely top 100 players in the world, like everything that Ogle V and Emmelman and the entire shield has done, uh, you know, dating back to, I mean, really it was 2022 where it started to shine through just how impressive they were able to take teams that just were at a complete talent, you know, deficit and be competitive with the US to get it to this point is just miraculous admirable work. So to that, I think of you to say, thank you. And I don't want to think about the downstream consequences of, of me reading for the international team. I just like in this moment, like right now you're asking me the question, I kind of want to see the international's get a W. I mean, guys, they've lost like what 10 and a row, like, come on. It's tough to kind of be nice, you know? It's just man, it's be real tough at the US to lose what at home. That would be, uh, solid. I've got enough. How about ZJ? Fuck this up. Like look at the path that ZJ sent US golf into at coming off 2021 at the at Wilson straights to now what it has turned into over the last couple of years. I don't think I think these same guys are going to be the, the captains regardless. Like I don't think that's anything that ZJ, but ZJ led to the panic. This Keegan move, which was still the all time won't move. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, props to Keegan for for getting back in the arena this weekend, Penis is captain. Got to imagine. Devastate. He's going to be if they lose this one. Sheesh. Maybe, maybe he's the, he's the bad luck charm. I do have enough confidence and roll up to look past some, you know, any sort of upset or any sort of competitiveness here. And, and think, hey, we can't do better than this event. Especially Thursday Friday. There's just carry and roll up water is trying to get that PGA tour grill card. He's, he's, he's solid dining feasted on that card at the airport. You're going to, you're going to start booking American flights. You can fly with me just so we can eat and PGA tour grills together. I just like the, I just feel bad for the fans out at this thing on Thursdays and Fridays too. There's just nothing, there's just not a lot of, it's not a juice out there. See like good crowds though, not loud. Yeah, it's all at your point last night. They're not, you know, up on top of greens, but seem like a good turnout at the very least. Gentlemen, we're in press conferences right now. We haven't gotten pairings. So I don't have matches yet for tomorrow, but team USA or the representatives. They sent JT and Xander into the press center today. And I think Sean's act just asked JT a very good question. And he's like, Hey, just kind of curious what, you know, not the day, the dating go as you guys expected. You know, what did what your captain say, you know, before, when you guys got done before you came over here. And JT goes, honestly, I haven't talked to him at all this afternoon. I got done playing. I got in my cart and came back to the team center. And I went and hit some puts. And then I went and hit some balls. And then I came over here to the media center to give this press conference. So we haven't had any conversation with them at all. And I think that is what we're talking about. Solly is that there is no team by end that you have 12 individuals who I understand. We make this ecosystem where they get it in order to maximize their output. They feel like they have to continue on their individual tracks that they do weekend and week out. But that final piece of like of coming together to be something greater is missing. And that is what the Europeans have been able to do. And that is what this shield in the international team have been able to do. Even though they don't speak the same language. They are excited. And they want to check in on the other matches because they're genuinely interested in what their teammates are doing and where those matches are at. And there's just that piece is missing. And if you have a guy like JT who is supposed to be the heart of this thing that still isn't there. We got a long ways to go, man. Definitely a long ways to go. Yeah, man. If I Cody, if I was, you know, Sneds was like he said earlier, oh, these are the great guys that give me everything they can. I'm probably going scorched Earth tonight. You know, I'm going to make myself the enemy. I'm calling dudes out. I'm saying, you're going to lose to, you know, Chubby Tom Kim. You're going to lose to this fucking guy. It can't like take your hat off. In fact, I'll pay you to take your hat off because that's all you play for. I'm starting call dudes out like sky no more player in the world. Get the fuck out of here. Okay. Start acting like I mean, I just think they need to be Neil and Tom Watson. No, look. No, no, no, no, behind closed doors. I don't fucking job. I don't think I sned say everything he just said to Todd Lewis. But then behind closed doors, he needs to be calling people out, man, and make them hate him and be like, like, look at Wyndham. Everybody hates Wyndham. Look how good he's playing. You know, you guys need to be playing with a chip on your shoulder. Well, I think Wyndham was pissed at the fans because they weren't loud enough. And he's so used to getting getting, uh, you know, vociferous negativity problems. I was going to say piss. He was asked a question. He gave his, yeah. No, it went out of his way to be like, look at the fans. I didn't feel he, I didn't really feel the juice. That's a thought that was a totally fair answer, T.C. Which if you missed last night's show, I think a fair amount of the juice missing is like a bad setup from the P.G. tour of not letting fans get close to the Greens with bad rope lines. And [BLANK_AUDIO]
the distance issue that is related to where they have to put these T boxes. There's a lot more count. I'm not going to I'm not going to do that whole thing again tonight. But it's it's the it was not set up for good energy on site. That is not the reason the US is down seven to three. It's not that's not the excuse, but it I felt bad for the fans that were paying paid attendees yesterday because they were blocked out from getting good views of the golf. Which is the good course. Yes, as we'll talk about I think you do sometimes, you know, back to the football days, you do need the coach sometimes has to become the enemy. You know, you get just a good. You know, we're all the all the players are saying, man, fuck that guy. You know, like, you know, you almost there, then United against the coach, and then that leads them as motivation to go F up the other team. I'm not joking. You know, I would I would nominate you to be the captain of the team versus any other player. No player is going to do what you just described. Like in maybe not the words you use there, but like I think you could do pretty darn good job of making sure every player on the team understood exactly what role they were needed to play. And that might be like, hey, I need you to play the first three matches, Scotty. And then I need you to be out there following, you know, presence, not as good an example, because not as many guys sit, but maybe he will sit the last session. I need you to be out following this specific match because this guy rides on this kind of energy from you. And if he sees the number one player in the world, he's going to blah, blah, blah. That kind of that kind of message to every individual player of what their task is going to be. I think the US approaches this as very much like I want to get these players as comfortable as possible. Yes, to be in their best routines as possible. I want them to play with the people they want to play with. And you know, you can you can wake up when you want you can practice when you want you can blah, blah, blah. You know, I'll get your smoothies ready for you all that and there's just not enough of like here is. On the pony fingers, we need only fingers, man, you need some fucking. I need it out of you. And I think you said it earlier like this is. I said like, oh, you know, I don't want somebody to fake the, you know, the fake energy if that's not the kind of person there. And you're like, no, fake it. It's like, hey, man, the music's plan. I need you to dance. Okay. I know you don't like to dance, but it's a wedding. And I need to get on the dance floor because that's what the bride and groom have asked for. And then once you're out there, you never know you might enjoy that song, you know, and you all of a sudden you're doing the worm. And everyone's like, oh, my God, Scotty chef, they're so fun on the dance floor. I'm with you that you flip me on that, solid. I love that Scott. He's doing the limbo. Yeah, look at him. He took a shirt off. He's unbelievable. And then the fans are going nuts. You know, you guys, we need a little bit more out of that out of the top, top of this team and not just him, Sam burns you to take your shirt off, dude. I don't see you moonwalk it bitch. I thought about everybody has a fucking job. And nobody, it seems like everybody is afraid. There's like, they're searching for direction or nobody knows what their job is. They don't know what the role is actually supposed to be. It's to go get a fucking point. Do whatever you have to do to fucking kick and scream and be the fucking rats and go get a point. Nick Taylor, maybe Nick Taylor. Yes, honorary rat pack member. I saw it earlier. You were you were going to go with everybody's got their role. Everybody needs to know what they need to do. I thought you were going to just roll that right into an adry. They need some fucking pride, guys. That's exactly what they need. That's exactly where I was going. Some pride is the world's best players get ready to compete for their country this week. You'll find one thing in almost every golfer's hand a golf pride grip. In fact, 21 of the 24 players in the field are trusting golf pride this week. That kind of trust isn't built overnight for decades. Golf pride has been helping golfers perform with confidence by delivering the connection feel and consistency players rely on when every shot matters. That's why week after week season after season golf pride remains the grip of choice for the best players in the world. The grip is the one piece of equipment every golfer uses on every shot. It's my golfers at every level. Continue to trust golf pride when they step over the ball listeners of the pod. You get 20% off a full set up to 13 swing grips and one putter grip with code NLU20 at checkout and nest members. You get 25% off the one time use code in your member profile. Golf pride the number one grip and golf again code NLU20 at checkout. If you want to learn how to roll just hit me. I got you every grip plays a role. You know, they all play different roles in the bag every club plays a different role. I'm trying to back into what we're talking about there. Thank you. The fourth match was Dubb and Colin against Foxy and Min Wu Lee. Foxy's putter was out of control. He was the best putter in the field on the entire day. They won this match. I got more cow a massive miss putt on 17 that would have tied the match or would have tied the match at that point as they would have gone to 18 it might have played out differently on 18 if that was the case, but still this was the best golf all four players were in the green in this match this was by far the best golf played on any single match. It looked like Clark and more cow were the low going to be the lone bright spot for the American they made six birdies as a team and lost like that is a pretty damn tough tough break on what they draw in this drew in this one, but Fox was awesome. Min Wu Lee was way, way better after we buried him last night. That's the problem when you do daily shows. Sometimes your our takes are not going to age as well for the next day, but that's what makes it interesting. Neil was loving this pairing. I think we were critical of both Fox and Min Wu last night based on their pairings yesterday and they seem to have found something here. I think Neil would agree. And I would so again, I feel like they just had good energy together and I think the pace of play you guys mentioned it last night, but I feel like they both they just got an upbeat tempo and how they carry themselves both Min Wu Lee and Ryan Fox. And so they're both higher energy guys and I think the age difference was kind of a play in there too, like I said, like Ryan Fox felt like the fun on goal and he just kept walking in puts and some of that personality, I think Min Wu Lee feeds off of on the other side. Sally for the future, I think the US has found something with with Colin and Wyndham Clark. Colin hitting all the, I don't know if all of them, but the majority of the par three irons. And when Wyndham's putting this way has he has all season, he's just automatic from five to 10 feet. It just seems to take a ton of pressure off of Colin both in four ball and in four sums. So those two seem to have a good chemistry as well. One thing I noticed and I was wondering if the broadcast was going to bring it up, but more college got this open putting stance all of a sudden with like the left foot back. And then as the round went on is stance kept, maybe as a camera angle, but it seemed to get like more narrow and it just he did not look comfortable with the putter and I have not seen that stance from him that felt like a new development since the seasons ended. Like you mentioned, like his putter let them down on the back nine, but overall like until 17 or maybe like late in the round, Colin was hitting the shit out of the ball, and that was a really, really good bright spot for the US today. Just glad Foxy played well. It would have been devastating if Foxy went into the first first two days for my entire platform. So there's just such a, I don't know, I'm enjoying watching Wyndham play once the ball. He looks like a completely new player over the last. And he's willing to dance. Like he's willing to, you know what I mean? Like in that might, I listen, I know we've had some PR work throughout the year, but he's he's buying into the program. It's like, yeah, man, like let's get the crowd hyped up. He's coming off the first he's jacking everybody up. And I think that's good energy for someone like Colin that a lot of times doesn't show a whole lot of juice. I think he that's contagious, right. And so I think you're on to something with that solid of like I need you guys to get out of your comfort zone a little bit and buy in and maybe look stupid for a little bit. And then that's going to help us all like that's going to be contagious. Now everybody's now everybody's on the dance floor and, you know, they're playing shout and everybody's having a good time. You know why that's easy for Europe is because Rory fucking cries after a writer cut match and we'll be out there screaming for everything and like I would say like JT's the one guy and he's been not very animated in this one, but like the one guy that has been like kind of war that. Or as coming to this event and played that role sometimes you know in the kind of a whiny way with the with his move on the gimme's but you know he's kind of the only one that they will. Well, he's the instigator there's always a difference between the external instigator, which is, you know, more of like the old school polter roll. And you're almost looking for more of like somebody that is a contagious good energy guy of like yo it's okay to look stupid or like to go up and say to other like their teammates. Hey man can I get a little more juice out of you like that there's nobody at the player level that's going to do that and like you guys said earlier at the captain level they're like no we just need to make sure these guys are comfortable. The players in the world, it's like they're treating them like really high tuned sports cars like don't bring them out of the garage yet you know they're not ready and it's just that that's not what we're looking for man we need like guys that want to get money. Totally totally green you know. Last match can't lay in zander against Tom Kim and see who Kim this was an ass beating for sure the Kim brothers one four and three they birdied one three five six nine and 11. Just was never a match every time it cut over to this one it looked like zander can't they were just you know having a miserable time chunking chips. Leave it in the bunker.
stepping out of the bunker on the high side, TCU called out, can't lay walking out of like the lip of the weird, just weird, bad, bad, just a, just a, I mean, Zander was just throwing up straight up bricks. Like he wasn't even sniffing the hole from 12 feet. So far for the event, the worst putters in total. Zander has been the worst Scotty has been the second worst in JT with his awful day on the greens today. It was in the positive yesterday. And now it's third worst total for the event and putty because he on the greens today lost two and a half shots after yesterday. He was, he gained, you know, almost about a half shot of the greens. So two things. One early, I think it was second or third hole. Tom Kim rolled in like a 20, 25 foot like sidewinder. First hole. First, sorry, first hole. Is there like, you lose track where these guys are when, when all five groups are out there. It took like two minutes for him to get through his putting process. I hate it. Makes me want to fall asleep. But God, he looks so comfortable and, and his posh, he looks so good over the ball when he's putting. And it was like from 30 seconds before he took the club back, I was like, he's going to make this like it just looked, it just looks like it's going in before he takes the putter back. And so I want to give him credit for that. Now on the flip side, I can't think of anyone that I wanted to lose to less than Tom Kim. I mean, just he seems like such a frustrating guy to play. Like it would really just the, the antics that, the he's done too much this week though. I've got what kind of wants to more out. No, but it's all the, it's all like the wiping the putter fate, like the whole, the, the methodical process of it. And just the, the, I mean, honestly, the chubbiness, like, man, this fucking guy's going to beat me. Like, and he just put those guys, you got to, you got to, you got to really issue with this kind of weak shaming in. I don't like this. Well, I don't know. It may be it, he just, it just doesn't, he doesn't look super athletic. I'm sorry. I'm just going to say 13 years old. He's still got some bait. I know. For sure. You're right. I'm being unfair. But like, if I'm playing against him, I'm like, damn, man, this guy's whipping my ass. Like that sucks. And so the fact that he's beaten up Xander and can't let it go. It's probably the only silver lining because it, it is kind of fun to watch those two specifically get put in a locker. So shout out to, uh, overall backhand, a compliment, but shout out to young confidence because he played his ass off. And he's, and he looks like he's going to make every putty stands over. That's my, that's, that's, that's my take. Neil, I'm with you. I'm a Tom Kim, uh, respecter at this point, just like I'm a dub acknowledger or wouldn't even say, uh, you know, a dub respect. I'm a dub acknowledger, but I'm a Tom Kim respecter at this point. He's, he's, he's respect him in this event. He brings it every time and is exactly what this event needs. And he combined his, his, uh, Tom Kim's putting with see what Kim just ballstrike it in, you know, just really, really solid, quietly solid all day. So that's a, that's a really strong pairing for the international squad. Holly is the US sending out Scotty solo tomorrow? Um, I doubt it, but probably be him and say, do you sit, do you sit Scotty and force him to the afternoon tomorrow? I think the pairings are out. So we don't know for for some stuff. Yeah. So we haven't seen the pairings yet. We can get to them here shortly. What would you do if you're, you're the US because you're, it's only four matches in the morning. Right? That's right. Yeah. Yeah. Only four matches. Those four guys are sitting. Who are the four? You are sitting in the morning in the morning. So yeah, I mean, it, it sounds harsh or like maybe, you know, it sounds harsher than it, then it may be in reality because you wanted to play the afternoon and you want to get some guys some rest, but I mean, I guess I probably played today. I think you got to sit like Henley and Bridgman. I think Henley and Bridgman sit. You got to get gotter up. I feel like he's a guy that, that'll hit the dance floor if you get him when I partner. I need to see more out of gotter up. So he's playing. I got him going both tomorrow. I don't know what you do with Cam Young. I know. We haven't really talked about him much. He's been, did he play with gotter up on day one? No, that was kind of what I would just, I would like to see that pairing tomorrow. That's what I would roll those two out together. Kind of a shock and awe campaign because cams got some experience, gotter up. I think could feed off of that. So I'd see what that looks like in the morning. I mean, it's a real pretty quickly. I'm guessing we're going to see Wyndham and Moorakawa in some some capacity. I'm guessing we're going to see Scottie and Sam in some capacity. I'd be surprised if they benched Zander and Cantlay for four ball. I think for four sums, you really strongly consider maybe that's not what you want, you know, towards the end of the day. So I doubt you sit them all day. I wouldn't be surprised if those two go out, they got to fuck up. Jay, Jay, Jay, he's got to play four ball. Four ball. Yeah. This Koyvin have to is the question because now we're talking about sitting another gotter up or young. If that's Koyvin playing not having played for two whole days. Do you have a little bind, man? This is getting getting tricky here. Cody, what do you got for us? Do you have it in the order that's been, how they put guys up? Cause I find that to be the best part. I can do that for you. Okay. Oh, build the suspense. You can go with from the United States, Justin Thomas and Jackson Koyvin. Okay. First again. They had the first pick. Min Woo Lee and Sanjay M. Okay. We had Seewoo Kim and Tom Kim against calling Moorakawa and Wyndham Clark of that nice match. Chris gotter up and Cam Young. Yes. Nick Taylor and Cory Connors. Hell yeah. That was American versus Kennedy. We're going to find out if he is that dude tomorrow. Let's go. We're of gotter ups. A dude. I know this is big. This is big for your platform. On both sides. Hadecki and Rio against Scotty and Sam. Okay. So sitting as Xander Cantler sitting. So they are going to play for some. I would have to assume. Scott and Fox. You're sitting. Henley and Bridgman are sitting. I'm Scott and Foxy and Poseidon Hote and Etch of Maria. God, this is the edge of Brazil Sunday. Yeah. This is the for some specialist. He sucked today, T.C. Like he made a couple big putt, Sally. He's a specialist. But then he had some a chloroform ball on the part that was that part three like 13 or 16. He hooked one in the water when those two, I think they were four up. And then he just like handed him a hole. For some is like special teams. Hashtag teams, baby. I wouldn't be surprised if he, you know, if they went for the jugular and did not play him at all tomorrow. I think. So just looking at these pairings, I can't really argue with anything on the US side. I think JT and Coivin worked. I know JT cared a massive. Coivin's got to play better. He's got to play better. But like that pairing technically worked and to send Justin Thomas out first is kind of here. That's your, you know, team mascot. Like let's, let's go get it. Get him, get him out early. I love God her up and young. On the other side, the Menmouli Sanjay in pairing is interesting. They're going to, I'm guessing the data says that they should play well. Like let's give it another shot. But that would be the only one I'd, I'd question a little bit. Otherwise, I'm like, this is pretty, this is good stuff here from both sides. Kind of, these shook out really, really well. And the fact that there's seriously something on the line as of this moment, going in tomorrow's after watching, like after watching today. I know it's different format tomorrow. But after watching today, like, it feels a lot more evenly matched than it did 24 hours ago, even. And I think knowing that Scott and Fox are, you know, like hopefully it's Foxy and Menmou again tomorrow afternoon. And then, and then he sends Scotty out as well. So I think, yeah, like they've got the veterans on the bench and they'll come in well rested tomorrow afternoon too, because that's the one, that's the one time in this event where like fitness matters is on Saturday. Right. Absolutely. God. This is, this is like a now with the talent divide. This is like a handicap match. This is sick. I think I spotted them started strokes. They're just like, yeah, all right, cool. Now it's, you know, the handicap system works. It's perfect. It's almost like perfectly even odds going forward here too. Like it's, it's pretty well handicapped. So then all right, let's say you sit down. You sit, sheffler down in the afternoon tomorrow. Is that going to piss him off and put some rad ass on him before, before Sunday singles? He sat a session at Beth Page, didn't he? I remember that right. I mean, maybe he didn't. I kind of gave up on that one about the halfway point. So Monday, Q and photo suite, Patrick Cantley has won two holes in two days. Hasn't held a lead for a single hole and lost three and two and four and three. That's sick. Scottie did play all five at Beth Page. I think I asked you guys who's going to win. I don't think I gave my answer. I think the international is going to win this. I think, I think, I think
they're going to do it. And are you rooting for that? Those are two different things. You know, I'm rooting for the game. I'm rooting for this. Oh, wow. I'm rooting for a tie. Are you running for office? What the hell? He sounds like a proud PJ tour grill card holder. He's rooting for not the shield, but like, it's like in the NFL when when they're like, hey, protect the shield. Like, yeah, he's rooting for the for the logo. He's rooting for the global home or the what's formerly known as the global home. He just wanted to be close, man. I'm just looking for a chip off. No, I think I do want them to have some serious red ass going into a dare. Like, they're going to pat themselves on the back if they come back and win this thing and not change anything before a dare. So, and I'm not even positive they'll change it with a loss. So, but that the only hope I think would be. Yeah, I mean, Furek, yeah, Furek doesn't seem like he's going to, he's like an agent of change for this thing. That is that is contrary to what I've heard behind the scenes. T.C. I will say as much as I'm ready to pile on the U.S. That's that's contrary to what I've heard about the process so far on the Ryder Cup side. Have fallen in that trap before. I've been there. Okay, I have. I am very much believe it when I see it, but I must report that is contrary to what I've heard. So, I am so excited then for like, Bryson to enter to re enter the fold. He for P to make the team not even big caps and pictures make the team like there's some I.e. D's floating around that that they've got to be cognizant of. So, Tatekoff has a new like wins above replacement stat for the team events and it's awesome. And if I had if I saw it yet Bryson's team record is his war. This is war. He's both two losses below replacement level in team events. He's O one and one in president's cups and three six and two in Ryder cups. So, he be three seven and three in team events in total. JT is number one on the list in U.S. history five wins above replacement in president's cups and and and Ryder cups that would not include anything from this week. I don't believe. Sander's second on that list too. From golf ramble. Unbeatable pair of Zander Shoffley and Patrick Cantler know eight and eight as a pair and two and five in force since 2023. That's not good. That means better in Scotty and Sam, right? Zander is second best American all time on that list. Cantler fifth best American all time in Ryder cup president's cups. That JT stats interesting, Sally. I think continue on your you guys' conversation from last night, which I think is is fair. It's like JT. He's just so volatile. It's like when it's good, it's so good and then it's like he does. He just lays an egg and you're like, damn, man, like just gets really ugly when he loses. I think there's other qualities that JT brings here that I'm starting to buy into that Sally's kind of laying down a little bit. I'm with you Cody. You know, even though he might not be picking up full points when you need him or kind of expect him to, I think he has some traits that just team definitely needs. And if we don't change it, if it does come to Sunday night, guys, we might have to, like honestly, we might have to form like a super pack and start buying out commercial space on golf channel and running like negative ads against these organizations. Orvis Mazaars. And this ad is paid for by Sally Solomon, a hundred percent, like leadership, like that's exactly what we should do. Got a spectacle commercial. That's a really, really good idea. Might write that one down. It's cute. Get Bradley scooping up jobs in your town. And we've had some crazy ideas, you know, about blimps or banners over, no, we just need to start fucking. I think those are crazy. Those are just this ads paid. Well, that's because those came from your brain. TZ. Okay. This app was paid for by data lovers in international. A fun one from the data golf live blog they do. The best team today was Fox and Lee, among all 10 teams that played. Second best team was Clark and Moorakawa, who they beat. The rest of the best teams were all internationals until you get down Bezadenholt and Scott, where the third worst team, they just happened to go up against the worst team. So the day fell very, very, very well for the internationals on top of them playing excellent, excellent golf. That's fast, baby. Do you know what the sad thing is? I bet we could go to, we could go to sand valley and get like some of those reinstated amps and they would play better in this thing than the team that we have going on right now. I don't know about that. Yeah, maybe, maybe. They might care more. I'm still bought in on your caring comments, Ollie. Like, what was that PFT computer? Get the truce together. Thank you, TZ. They could, they could beat some of these NFL teams. And caring, Cody, where I always struggle to talk about that is like, I think these guys want to win. They're just like not willing to like do accept that they're not on the right process. They're half way up a ladder. They shouldn't be on instead of being at the bottom one they want to be on. Well, they should be, they should be uncomfortable sometimes. Like they need to, they need to be buying. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know if these people have ever done anything uncomfortable in their life. Well, this would be a good time to start, Cody. And you know what? Then it would be like, how does the best thing I ever did? He's, he's used to be all over it. But I do think this is part of, back to your like your USGA developmental program thing and where like, what did they have to do? They played golf with like the ball in the mouth. Like just doing dumb, dumb, dumb stuff that none of those kids wanted to do. They're all like, this is so stupid. And then by the end of the nine holes, they were like, this is actually super fun. And everybody's doing it. So it's like, I don't feel embarrassed. 100%. Yeah. You know, you start to see some that come through. We'll see. Give us another 20 years. No. Well, hopefully we, we got to, you know, we got to start somewhere. All right. Big day tomorrow, gentlemen. I think they should have non golf captain to bring somebody in from another sport. I totally agree. Neil, at least has an assistant captain. Will you hire me as an assistant, Neil? When you get the job? You'd be my stats guy. Come on. You can farm it out to people that actually do the stats, but I'm not like actually a stats guy. You would have to, you would have to be the link between the, the neckbeards and data nerds. Again, that would be my dream role. You'll explain this to me like I'm five. Okay, I'll do it. That's fine. But Cody, do your point like you, you, you have to have the talent first. And that's what's so frustrating is the US has the talent, but they don't, the solid point. I don't think they're molding it into like a unit. And that's frustrating when you see it. Anyway, well, I'm not going to relitivate that. We'll just do a political ad and we'll put all the stuff in that. Hey, last night, I was going to, uh, I was going to give a giveaway. I actually drew the name Brad Powers. If you're listening in your username is Brad Powers 9057, send me an email. Cody and no laying up to come tonight's giveaway hashtag bears $100 to the N.L.U. Pro shop bears. Neil, appreciate you. Uh, they're slipping some codes over. We're going to go with. Oh, Brad power almost one again, almost again. Tito 886 on Euler's fan, huh? Okay, Tito 8886. Shoot me an email. Cody, you got the T.C. The small letter hats went out today. I'm really excited about this. Yeah. No vowels either. No vowels. Just just just consonants. Very small. Make up for it. I'm actually going to do another one. Come on. Come on, Joe seal. I forgot about Joe seal. God. Go ahead. Dang McNeil 71 45. Got him. Not. God. Ne McNeil. Danem see Neil. Danem see Neil 71 45. Um, all the other notes I had just was, I thought the golf course really did start to come alive little today. I know it's not been as firm as we'd hoped, but um, just yeah, from the jump, just balls starting to roll out a little bit on greens. Punishment for offline shots was just a little bit more severe today. I love when you get weird shit like what happened in that Fox Lee more Cala Clark match on the fifth hole today. Excuse me, the fourth hole where like the men will lead drove it to like 48 yards away from the green, but it was in the right rough to a back right pin and Fox just had like no shot at stopping it on a downslope over a bunker and went and did not hit a good tee shot, but it was in the left rough and it left more cal at least a line to the back right pin and he knocked it in their stiff from 160 yards and the team that was 48 yards out had like no shot to get it closer than that. That's the shit that like good design brings out. Usually weak design just means hit it up closer to the green and like statistically you're going to hit it closer to the hole, but when you have good contouring, good shaping of bunkers that are cutting into greens, good hole locations and specific intent in the way the hole is laid out from tea to green. You get situations like that that are fun to unfold and match play and and to watch a little bit of strategy. I've seen guys that way more three woods off the tee than I would have expected. Just considering the fairways are pretty wide, but it's very clear they're not in complete control of their runouts and some of these bunkers that do cut in into tighter landing areas.
areas are kind of forcing some some three woods into their hand. I'm not positive it's the right strategy because I think they're leaving a little bit to be to start, especially in four ball, leaving a little bit to be desired on getting after a couple of these whole locations. But good venue for match play, I still maintain. I don't know if you need to go to a great golf course. I should say it's a good golf course. I don't know if you need to go to a great golf course for these tournaments because I do think like the atmosphere, like kind of leads the charge in creating something that's unique to the game. Some of the width and the short grass areas and the things that I love about a golf course, do work a little bit in counter to like creating cool packed atmospheres around the greens and and roars and things like that. So, so like not fully fleshed out take, but just a thought I had from being out there. Good pin on 12, that hole continues to slap, we got we got to shave down the strip rough, left of one and two, it's, it's unbecoming, sad. We got a couple good OB balls today, Sam Burns on three, can I say, Sally, I love, honestly, I was vibing with everything you were just saying there about the tee shot, like there seems to be a decision off the tee at this course. One thing I would be looking for a little bit more is like, it's like every guy in the group is hitting three wood or both, both teams are hitting three, I would love to see a little bit more of a decision. It's almost like the decision is don't hit driver, but it's like, both teams are making that decision. I haven't seen a lot of fours or fives where it's like a man I could try to, you know, the risk reward of it, I guess is, I'll be curious to see what they do with the, with the set up tomorrow, because I think, you know, it's kind of like a brand new golf course for them, right? Like they've never set up before, they've never figured it out. So I think like there's nothing to go off of. I think like, you know, whole like four, I'm very curious to see if they bump the, bump the tee up on that hole. But just generally like, man, I think I'm really excited for, I feel like we always get to this point after the first two days of the president's cup. It's such a slow simmer getting in and then by the time he gets a Friday night Saturday morning, you're kind of like, okay, like tomorrow, we got six holes of golf tomorrow and it's going to be fun. And I think big spot tomorrow morning for the internationals. If they can go out and play well in four ball, I feel like then it's, then it's going to be like holy shit. Our backs are really up against the wall for the Americans. Versus if they can equalize it tomorrow, I feel like then it's going to be a little bit like some of the momentum is going to be stolen back to the Americans. One last course comment I have, like the fence on one and two is the MVP. I mean, it's awesome to just have that like line of demarcation like the OB isn't sneaking up on anybody. You can tell it's on, especially the rookies minds. And I was trying, I was thinking about, I was like, man, part of me was thinking early on. Now, I kind of wish this was in play later in the round, you know, when like the pressure was amped up. But then I was like, no, that's wrong because with the way this is broadcast, you get to see every opening hole. And so we're seeing so many of those shots on those first opening holes, but you don't know what I mean. Like they end up showing like all the groups on one and most of the groups on one and two as they get into the coverage and then things start to spread out. And so I think some of it is that we've just seen that those shots with the fence involved so much that it's creating like it's becoming a character in the drama. And I love that. And it's TC to your point that it should be short grass under the fence. I don't think they need the fence should be in the rough. It's how it is for the, for Medina member play week to week. And like that would give the tour more of these, I don't know, like I had to say, say viral moments, but like guys having to deal with the fence on a swing, too, it's perfect for mattabounds. And the ball is is right, you need the fence, but it's still in bounds like versus, versus right now, it's either got to be like, it's either wildly out of bounds or in bounds. And sneaking across, but he said it, I think Deeds said it last night. It's such a bummer though, because for match play, it's like, yeah, you're going to lose the whole, but it's not cataclysmic, you know what I mean? It's not this, this outlier for you're not going to make a nine now, but it is like, it's all shitty. Hit the fence. He hit the fence. It's awesome. But for match play, they will take it on. That's the fun part. Stroke play guys would not take it on like that. They would just survive those holes and say we'll make up the ground elsewhere. And that would be pretty dull. For all the fences, a massive win, you know, we were going to, you know, we're all about continuous improvement. If we, if we could overnight, we could shave that down. Get, let's get out there. Come on. I was, where the media walked, like, show you have to walk, it was short grass tomorrow. T.C. God, that would be so sick. Like, I was taking super small steps, guys, I was, I was seriously mashing it. Like, that's exactly where the media walks. And I was like, trying to mash that down as much as possible. So balls would actually roll through it. But I was like, Bryson, I want to get that pin from yesterday on two. That front left pin. Yeah. It should go back to that for singles. That pin was awesome, man. It was, it was like 15 feet from the fence. It's so cool. Green's keepers revenge. All right. So just a little reminder, what happened last go around. So it was five, five after the international swept forces on Friday again. But the US one, three, one in morning, four ball, Scotty and Moira Cowabeeat, Scott and Pendrith, Fienau and Shoffley, beat Conner's and Hughes. Seaboo and Tom Kim, beat Keegan and Wyndham Clark. And then Cantland Burns, beat Matsuyama and Sungjae in morning, four ball. So yes, one, three to one and that one then enforces again the afternoon, the US also went three and one, Sheffler and Henley, beat Matsuyama and Sungjae, Taylor Pendrith and Adam Scott, beat Harmon and Homa and then Moira Cowan, Burns, beat Conner's and Hughes, one up and then Cantlay, Shoffley, Seaboo, Tom Kim, the night, night, match, Cantland, Shoffley, one, that one, one up. So the US did bounce back the next day to take it six to on that crucial Saturday, to take a four point lead into the final day. If they have a six to day tomorrow, things will be tied going into singles, which I mean, >> That would be sick. >> That would be sick. >> It's a big lead, man. Four points is a big ass lead. >> Henley kept system works. >> [LAUGH] >> That's the agenda. >> All right, so the international's are popping on three, six, probably, yeah. >> Yeah, okay. So the US needs pops at this point, I don't think we can make jokes like that anymore. >> Coverage was better today, it seemed like- >> I think it was, it felt like it was, it didn't feel like people were as upset. I mean, just a few things like going to picture and picture on a couple of crucial puts. Like, that made me feel like I was watching a lot of sports. >> You can get real anxious that you're missing stuff, you know, and like a long commercial break and all of a sudden you've got scrolyosis and you're like, God, I know I can't keep up. So the picture and picture, I think that you're absolutely right. Like a little thing like that, you're like, okay, cool, I'm tracking two matches now. >> Submergency to it, the fact that there's five matches makes it feel harder to track for me at least with these team golf days. But I thought it was better to answer your question. >> And I think there's a misconception amongst some of the NBC golf channel, versus folks, that it's that they don't show enough golf shots. I think it's not just that you don't show enough golf shots. That you don't show them properly. Like you don't. Like you're doing a poor job of putting everything in context and making it flow. And like you said, you know, there's that, there's that underlying anxiety that we're always missing something. >> Well, it's like, man, I haven't seen a shot from that, that Henley match, that three down, like, you won't ever, like what did Hideki and Sanjay do? You know, I wish there was a way to, I don't know, catch me up somehow, but I know that's a big ask. There's, maybe it's not. I don't know. When Shane Bacon was, was drawing the pictures a few years ago, I think it was in the rider cup. He was drawing the pictures of like, hey, here's what I think happened on this whole. >> I honestly think I'd rather watch, like MLB has a big, I think it's called big inning, like at night, and they'll have four games, like kind of like NFL Red Zone, but, you know, and they'll just have it all up on the screen, they'll just move the audio around in there. And I mean, not, of course, I would rather watch feature groups and just be able to focus on the matches I want to as well. But, this was, you know, it'll be a little better tomorrow, potentially, with, you know, I probably won't be, but with it going to NBC, but with it being, you know, just four matches instead of five, I think gives them a little bit better chance. But. >> I do want to, maybe issue a mechalpo, but I got partners on both sides of the Atlantic in my inbox for one of the title sponsors about pronunciation. Just an intro to the brand, a big coming out party, it's Forvis Mizar, been coached up that the pronunciation is like Bizarre or Bizarre. So, and I actually noticed that the broadcast today, they hit him with a mazer early, and they came back with a Forvis Mizar, is giving us the drone footage. So Forvis Mizar, is Tom Watson. >> Neil, the firm CEO is Tom Watson, but not that Tom Watson. >> Okay. >> Okay. Shout out, shout out to Forvis Mizar, Energy Transfer TC, we're at lower looking for some energy transfer on the U.S. side tomorrow. >> Yeah, nobody in the whole time. >> All time activation possibility for tomorrow. >> For sure. >> For sure. Need the broadcast to jump on board with that one. >> Who bearings, you know, we need the international ones to get their bearings early. >> That's right. >> That's right. >> And then Rolex is probably looking around like, man, I thought a bunch of blue ship companies sponsored this shit. >> You know what the U.S. team needs me for, Neil? The segway that I would be able to do between energy transfer and
and the vibe shift that this team needs for tomorrow. That should be my role with the team, so. - It's only what has to happen in either the morning or just the full day for you to find some measure semblance of confidence or are you so anti-US right now that you're like, no, burn it all down and anything short of a complete embarrassment tomorrow is a failure. - I'm closer to that than the other way, but I think it would have to be, well, where I feel like it's borderline, it's inauthentic to ask them to go ape shit at the president's cup, right? I think they genuinely have a hard time getting up for this event because the lack of competitive history in it. So like if you were just, you know, and it's a, and being as big of a mismatch as contributes to like a sleepy approach, I think. And it would be a little disingenuous to be massively pumped up but like just seeing, I don't know. I'd like to see Scotty make a couple of birdies early on and just like, wait, whip a fucking towel up in the air and like genuinely make it seem like you're excited to be there and not just going through the ocean. - Leave it around his head like a helicopter. - Not full PD Pablo, but you know. - Sorry, what was the putting stat? They lost 13 shots on putting Team USA. I mean, some of that is just like, let's just acknowledge that sometimes putts don't go in. - It's 13 shot difference between the international's and the US. So like how it works is like, that would be like six and a half gained by the international six and a half loss by the US. - Okay, but the point being they had a bad day on the greens. I don't want to just chalk it up as like, 'cause that's sneds was like, oh, yeah, we didn't make any puts. It's like, well, it feels like more than that. But my, my eye test watching all day was like, they hit the ball really well. Like Colin Wendom being a great example outside of that, that JT cam pairing. It was like, oh man, like I thought Scotty and Burns hit it good all day. So it's like, okay, maybe it's like, stay the course and, and make some putts. - I think they got to stop treating putts made or missed, like it's a fluky thing. Like you want to win the thing. You got to fucking make the putts. Like I, there's no. - That's emergency. Back to what I was saying earlier. - Totally. - That doesn't feel like when they do miss putts, it doesn't feel like it's like, I will get the next one. - I do like too that some of the, some of the greens have a lot of slope in them. Yeah. - If there's some putts that like, they're aiming a foot left of the hole. - Totally. - 18 inches right. So that I think the, solid the biggest comp I can come with for like, how to treat the president's cup is, and I'm really not well versed in like USA basketball over the last 20 years. But like I remember USA basketball had that big embarrassment where they, who they lose to Argentina or Spain or someone. - Argentina I think. - And, and then, but then like, everybody talks about USA basketball and the Olympics. How about USA basketball and like the world championships? 'Cause that's every, every couple of years as well, right? And how to, you know, LeBron or D-Wade or those guys, like in that kind of, you know, in those moments, how did they treat the world championships every year or every other year? I don't know if they played TC. Yeah, but okay, but then who did they choose? You know, how did they use the world championships to then prepare for the Olympics and find the role players and all that? - I, yeah, I get exactly what you're saying. I just think that, like the tour is not going to have the president's cup, if it's going to be a training ground for the Olympics. - Yeah, you know, it's just, yeah, I mean, this event shouldn't exist. Like, we've talked about that. (laughing) - As we finish our second live show for our 24 in. - Yeah, we should do that. - All right, that is, I didn't know we were our 24. I got to eat some dinner. We're going to be back to recap Saturday, of course, as well, preview Sunday. So if you're not already subscribed here, the 2500 of you watching live, you're on the no-ling up podcast YouTube channel. Please do so. And you can catch this, of course, wherever you get your podcasts as well. So anything else before we wrap? - Somebody just said, Tom and Marty said, "I expect Sneds to make some changes for tomorrow morning's pairings. He is the boss, after all, guessing instead of submitting a team of Sheffler and Burns, so I'll go with Burns and Sheffler and stuff." (laughing) - Love it, I like that. - All right, Tom and Marty's. - Thank you to our friends at Titleist, High Noon, and golf pride. Thank you to Cody for running our ones. And to Jordan, running things behind the scenes as well. We'll see you back here tomorrow night. Everyone enjoy Saturday at the Presence Cup. Cheers.
Podcast Summary
Key Points:
The U.S. team suffered a major setback at the President's Cup, losing all five matches and facing a four-point deficit, marking a historic collapse of their home-field advantage.
The international team, led by strong performances from players like Ogle V and Min Wu Lee, displayed superior energy, chemistry, and strategic depth, contrasting with the U.S. team’s lack of cohesion and motivation.
A core issue with the U.S. team is the absence of team culture—there's no shared urgency, trust, or emotional investment, despite having top-tier individual talent.
The U.S. leadership fails to foster a unified team dynamic; players like Scotty Schaeffler and Sam Burns show little passion, often playing with "dinner" rather than fight, missing the intensity required in match play.
Data and analytics show the international team is more effective in leveraging player strengths, while the U.S. relies on outdated pairings and underutilizes analytical insights.
The U.S. team’s poor performance reflects a systemic failure in team strategy, leadership, and player accountability—despite years of success in individual events.
The event highlights the need for cultural change
The U.S. may only recover if new leadership, fresh pairings, and a cultural transformation—centered on passion, accountability, and team unity—are implemented.
Summary:
S. team suffered a devastating loss at the President’s Cup, losing all five matches and falling into a four-point deficit, marking a rare and embarrassing collapse of their home-field advantage. The international team, in contrast, demonstrated strong team chemistry, energy, and strategic depth, with standout performances from players like Ogle V and Min Wu Lee.
S. team's failure stems not from lack of talent, but from a systemic absence of team culture—players lack urgency, motivation, and emotional investment, often playing passively rather than with the intensity required in match play. S.
has failed to build a cohesive team environment where players trust each other and share a unified goal. Leadership has not fostered this culture, relying on familiar pairings and outdated strategies instead of data-driven, dynamic team planning. S.
lacks. The analysis concludes that lasting change requires more than just new players—it demands a cultural overhaul, including stronger leadership, player accountability, and a shift from individualism to collective ownership. S.
may still win in the end, the current performance suggests a crisis in team dynamics that must be addressed to restore competitiveness and pride. The event serves as a wake-up call, emphasizing that sustainability in team events depends not on talent alone, but on culture, unity, and genuine team spirit.
FAQs
The U.S. team suffered a major upset, losing all five matches and falling behind by 10 points. They failed to leverage their home field advantage, with poor team chemistry, lack of urgency, and inconsistent performances from top players like Scotty Scheffler and Sam Burns.
The international team displayed strong team cohesion, better energy, and strategic pairing. They showed consistent golf, especially in matches like Sunjay Singh and Hadecki, and demonstrated a more unified, passionate team culture compared to the U.S. team.
The U.S. team lacks a strong team culture and leadership presence. Top players show little urgency, avoid accountability, and fail to build excitement or trust among teammates, which contrasts with the international team's more unified and energetic approach.
Effective pairings like Foxy and Min Wu Lee, and Colin and Wyndham Clark, showed strong chemistry and energy. In contrast, pairings involving Zander Shangley and Patrick Cantlay were criticized for poor performance, highlighting a lack of strategic team-building on the U.S. side.
Yes, the U.S. team appears to overlook data and analytics, even though they are consistently poor performers. The international team uses data more effectively and combines it with team culture, giving them a strategic edge in execution and decision-making.
Team chemistry is crucial—players must feel connected, support each other, and show passion for the team. The international team excels in this area, while the U.S. team often appears detached, lacking the motivation and unity needed to compete effectively.
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