JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- The first five of 30 points available at the Presidents Cup are up for grabs on Thursday during the foursomes session. So which matches will be the ones to keep an eye on at Liberty National Golf Club?
Jason Day/Marc Leishman (International) vs. Phil Mickelson/Kevin Kisner (USA)
Thursday's last match is interesting. Phil Mickelson is a captain's pick and didn't play last week. He's paired with a Presidents Cup rookie in Kevin Kisner and going up against the formidable team of Australians Jason Day and Marc Leishman. Although Mickelson has a strong record of late in foursomes, it is not his best format, and there was a feeling he might sit out the first day.
For the Americans, this could be one of those "nothing to lose'' scenarios while the International side needs a point from one of its strongest teams.
-- ESPN.com senior golf writer Bob Harig
Si Woo Kim/Emiliano Grillo (International) vs. Jordan Spieth/Patrick Reed (USA)
Will the Spieth/Reed juggernaut continue in team competitions? They own a combined 5-1-2 record in Presidents Cup and Ryder Cups and they'll be facing off against Kim and Grillo, who are both rookies in this competition.
"We try to beat each other and we try to play better than each other that day," Spieth said Wednesday of his playing partner Reed. "It's like a weird way that helps our team out because we don't like the other one getting more credit than the other. It's kind of like a weird pride thing for us, but it's been successful."
That's a great game plan for a pairing that should, on paper, win this match hands down. U.S. captain Steve Stricker should have this point written in pen already for Team USA.
-- ESPN.com senior golf editor Kevin Maguire
Branden Grace/Louis Oosthuizen (International) vs. Brooks Koepka/Daniel Berger (USA)
Two years ago, the International duo of Grace and Oosty became the second pairing in Presidents Cup history to post a 4-0-0 record, but they'll be dealing with a pair of former Florida State teammates who should mesh well together.
"We have the same mindset," Berger told me last week. "I need to play with someone who has that 'I don't give a s---' attitude, because that's the way I play golf. I know I'm going to hit balls in the trees; I know I'm going to miss putts. If I play with someone who, every time I look over, he's like, 'Damn, he missed that putt,' that's going to make it harder and more stressful on me.
Brooks has that 'I don't give a s---' attitude. He just grabs driver and hits it as hard as he can. That's the kind of guy I want to play with."
Call it experience versus attitude in this one. I like that matchup. -- ESPN.com senior golf writer Jason Sobel