While we contemplate the start of the new PGA Tour season, these Presidents Cup after-thoughts:
When you look back at the final day of the Presidents Cup finals matches, it wasn’t Bill Haas who saved the day.
Sure, Haas won the deciding point and got huge mileage out of the old “Win One For Dad” adage. But if you want to know who the real unsung hero of the final day was, look no further than rookie Chris Kirk.
It was Kirk who made the biggest single putt. His 15-footer for birdie at the 18th looked like it would simply get a half a point for the U.S. team. The match was all square and International rookie Anirban Lahiri was in there tight, four feet away for birdie.
If Kirk had missed, it could have well been a point to the Internationals and they would have won the cup. But Kirk made his then watched in disbelief with the huge crowd gathered at 18 as Lahiri pushed his short putt. He missed the birdie for the halve. Instead, it was a full point to the U.S., the true turning point of the matches.
********
International captain Nick Price can look back and if you want to point the finger at one particular player on his team, it would be none other than world’s No. 2 Jason Day. All Day had to do was earn a single point over the four days. He earned exactly NONE, zip, nada, zero.
On top of going 0-4-1, Day was totally blown out in his singles match with Zach Johnson. Six bogeys put him five down on the back nine and he was basically done.
We wondered prior to the matches if Day and Jordan Spieth might be a bit weary after the year-ending PGA Tour playoffs. The answer is that Day certainly was and by the final day, so was Spieth.
Other culprits on the International team were Adam Scott and Charl Schwartzel. They were the most decorated players on the team along with Louie Oosthuizen yet Scott and Schwartzel each put up only a point each in the four days.
*********
The United States squad had plenty of its own underachievers.
Matt Kuchar didn’t win a point in four days. Jimmy Walker went 1-3, so did Rickie Fowler. Patrick Reed put up just a single point.
Doesn’t bode well for Ryder Cup competition next fall.
********
The time zone difference made this competition a not-very-prime-time event with most of the action occurring in the wee hours of the morning back in the United States. The ratings could not have been very good.
********
The site of this event, the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea, may well be one of the most expensive golf courses in the world to build. First, consider the land was reclaimed from the sea at a cost of nearly $1 million per acre. So figure at least 130-140 acres needed for the layout then add the cost of $10-$15 million for the actual construction and you’ve got yourself one expensive golf club.
How did they recoup that? Consider the fact they sold 150 memberships at $1 million each.
Wow!
