In the wake of the U.S. team’s thrilling comeback in Sunday singles to notch a 17-13 victory over the Internationals at the Presidents Cup, questions remain about the Americans’ performance in the team-match portion of the event — particularly in the foursomes format.
Foursomes — or alternate shot — has been difficult for the U.S. team in recent years. At this year’s Presidents Cup, the U.S. team went 2-7 in foursomes. And last year’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black was no better, with the U.S. going 2-6-0 against the Europeans.
So what can the U.S. do to improve in this area going forward? Subpar hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz discussed the issue on this week’s episode.
“Whatever we’re doing, we should change it, because it ain’t working,” Stoltz declared.
“We won this thing, but it should have been a blowout,” Knost said. “I don’t care who you pair with who. These are the best in the world. This isn’t like, hey, we’re taking Scottie Scheffler and gonna put him with, like, a dude in the C flight of the club championship. He’s playing alongside one of the best there is.
“And there’s just something about this format,” Knost continued. “I don’t know if it’s just mental, that they panic going into it, but something has got to change in this format or else this is going to continue to happen. Because that team over there in Europe, we’re not big favorites like we are in the Presidents Cup. I mean, this thing is tight. This is 12 on 12. This is a battle, and it’s gonna be very difficult for us to go over there and win on foreign soil with how we play in two of these sessions, which is obviously both foursomes.”
Stoltz suggested that perhaps the pairings themselves aren’t the problem, but the Americans’ on-course strategy may be.
“In foursomes, there’s a mind-blowing stat where it’s like, since the 2023 Rome [Ryder Cup], on those four team events, we have gotten our asses handed to us,” he said. “We have made fewer bogeys during that time than our opponents in the matches that we’ve played. And we have made half as many birdies.
“So I don’t know if it’s, like, a strategy thing, we get in there, like, hey dude, it’s all shot, like just if we just play it safe, hit fairways, hit greens, two-putt, make par, let them beat themselves. If that is the strategy, it ain’t working, and typically that’s kind of the thought process I would say for alternate shot, is it not?
“But maybe the international side is like, all right dude, they’re better on paper. We’re supposed to lose this. We’re gonna have to take some risks that we maybe normally wouldn’t take.
“We’ve got the best players, in terms of the rankings, and we’re making half as many birdies in the format,” Stoltz concluded. “That doesn’t pencil.”
“That can be — you’re 100 percent right — a total strategy thing,” Knost said.
Luckily for the U.S. team, there’s still time to figure out some solutions before facing Europe at the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in Ireland next September.
For more analysis from Knost and Stoltz, including whether Geoff Ogilvy should return as International captain in 2028, check out the full episode of Subpar below.
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