USA Presidents Cup captain split up two players because 'they don't like each other'

Jim Furyk made the telephone to divided up Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay for the fourballs connected Thursday morning, and helium jokingly claimed it was due to the fact that they "don't truly similar each other"

Jim Furyk, the skipper of Team USA, jokingly suggested that Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay were separated astatine the Presidents Cup due to the fact that they 'don't truly similar each other'.

The 54-year-old sprung a astonishment by breaking up the duo during a property league earlier the tourney kicked off. Despite being bully mates and having a palmy way grounds since their Presidents Cup debut 5 years ago, Furyk decided to premix things up for the fourballs connected Thursday.

Schauffele was paired with Tony Finau, portion Cantlay teamed up with Sam Burns for the last lucifer against Hideki Matsuyama and Corey Conners. When asked astir his determination to divided them up, Furyk said it was based connected statistics, aft initially joking that Schauffele and Cantley had a falling out.

Furyk joked: "What went into the determination to divided them? I mean, it's small known, they conscionable don't truly similar each different anymore, they don't get on precise well." He past added: "No, we're trying to maximise our [potential]. If you've got 8 guys oregon 10 guys connected the course, we're trying to maximise our potential, get the champion 5 groups you tin get retired determination connected the golf course."

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"I think, talking to my assistants and talking to our statistical team, there's a fig of antithetic reasons. Obviously, we cognize those guys play each their signifier rounds together, they're large friends, they get on precise well. No crushed different than trying to maximise the imaginable we person for the 5 groups connected the play course."

Team USA clinched a flawless 5-0 vantage successful the fourballs connected Thursday, earlier the Internationals sensationally clawed it backmost connected Friday to level the scoreline.

Action has not been without friction, either, arsenic Scottie Scheffler collided with momentary contention involving his chum Tom Kim. Despite their camaraderie disconnected the greens, tempers flared during the competition, peculiarly erstwhile Kim's exuberant "Let's go! " solemnisation aft sinking a birdie sparked a absorption from Scheffler.

Post-halving the spread with his putt, Scheffler reportedly changeable backmost astatine Kim with a probing "What was that? " Adding substance to the fire, Kim's theatrical delight pursuing different palmy birdie up of the ninth tee, portion Scheffler was inactive putting, drew disapproval from Sky Sports pundit Paul McGinley who commented, "That's bordering connected atrocious behaviour there. That's disrespectful successful my opinion. I cognize it's competitory retired determination but it surely shows you there's an underlying borderline here."