Presidents Cup 2015: Schedule, pairings announced for Thursday’s foursomes matches

We are about 24 hours from the first tee ball at the Presidents Cup but we already have the first round of matches set for the opening session. The first session will start just after 11 a.m. local time in Incheon, South Korea, on Thursday and just after 10 p.m. Wednesday night in the eastern United States.

The first session will be foursomes format, which is alternate shot. That’s the most significant departure from the normal golf these guys play every week on the Tour. You will be forced to play a different brand and model golf ball, which may seem like a minimal inconvenience but can make the best in the world uncomfortable when every little detail matters.

The biggest surprise for many in the first session is International captain Nick Price leaving the only Korean, Sangmoon Bae, on the bench. It’s an odd decision and one that might be more understandable if there were two sessions on the first day, like at the Ryder Cup. But sitting Bae means he won’t see the course until Friday afternoon, assuming he’s not benched again. That does not seem like and ideal start to get the locals involved and on your side.

Jay Haas put a mix of strong and peculiar pairings together. He’ll lead off with the two bombers, Bubba Watson and J.B. Holmes and anchor the session with the superstar duo of Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson. Spieth apparently called for the pairing, which breaks him up with Patrick Reed. Those two were the bright spot of last year’s American Ryder Cup failure.

The Zach Johnson and Phil Mickelson partnership is drawing the most criticism — Phil’s wild drives and scrambling style don’t exactly match up well with Zach’s safe tee-to-green game in this alternate shot format.

Price did manage to successfully lobby the PGA Tour to reduce the number of matches for this first session, cutting it down from the full-team six-match session to just five. That lets him hide two players, which is an advantage for the Internationals, who have nowhere near the depth of the USA. Bae and Charl Schwartzel, who Price said is sick and in bed, will sit. Those six-match sessions the first two days have historically put the Internationals in a big hole.

Here’s the full match schedule for the opening session:

SB Nation video archives: Urban golfing with a U.S. Open champ (2012)