NEW YORK — The U.S. team's 17-13 victory over the Internationals at the Presidents Cup was sealed by a Sunday singles comeback, but scrutiny has shifted to a persistent weakness in foursomes. The Americans went 2-7 in alternate shot at this year's Presidents Cup, continuing a trend that also saw them go 2-6-0 in foursomes against Europe at last year's Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.
Subpar hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz addressed the slide on this week's episode, questioning both pairings and approach. "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, adding, "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."
Knost said there is "just something about this format" and suggested the issue may be mental, warning it will 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 pointed to strategy rather than personnel, citing a stretch since the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome where across four team events the U.S. has made fewer bogeys than opponents but half as many birdies. He questioned whether a conservative plan of hitting fairways, hitting greens and making pars to let opponents beat themselves has backfired, while International and European sides have taken more risks. "We've got the best players, in terms of the rankings, and we're making half as many birdies in the format," Stoltz said. "That doesn't pencil." Knost agreed: "That can be — you're 100 percent right — a total strategy thing."
The discussion comes with time to adjust before the next major team test at the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in Ireland next September. Knost and Stoltz also debated whether Geoff Ogilvy should return as International captain in 2028 on the full episode.