Price shakes up Presidents Cup pairings after 'first day blues'

International team captain Nick Price has shuffled his pack hoping to get "something to click" after going 4-1 down to the US Thursday at the Presidents Cup.
The American team dominated the first day's foursome play at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon, South Korea, as they look to extend their 17-year unbeaten streak in the team match play event.

While US captain Jay Haas kept all of his four winning pairs together for the second day, Price is desperate to find some winning combinations after a chastening first outing.

Haas opted to first put out the big guns, world number one Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson, and Price countered with his lone day one winners Branden Grace and Louis Oosthuizen.

After that it's all change for the International team as Price chose to field two all-Australian teams of Adam Scott/Jason Day and Marc Leishman/Steven Bowditch to try to turn the match around.

They will take on Zach Johnson/Phil Mickelson and J.B Holmes/Bubba Watson respectively.
Charl Schwartzel has been ill all week with a flu-type virus but is fit enough to appear alongside Thongchai Jaidee against the two Americans who sat out Thursday, Chris Kirk and Bill Haas.

And rookie South Korean Bae Sang-Moon gets his chance with Korean-born Kiwi Danny Lee in a pairing that will thrill local fans, against Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker.

- 'Gut feeling' -

rice said that with 25 points still to play for over the next three days the mood was good in the camp, but they needed to turn things around on Friday.

"It's still pretty much guesswork," he said of the pairings in a team that contains five players on debut.

"You go and talk to the guys, but you want something to click. That's what you want. You want that click amongst the teams and we didn't have it today."

Price conceded that his young team had been overawed on the first day.

"I think the youngsters, the rookies today, played a little apprehensively, which often happens when you play with a partner," said Price.

"We had a good chat in the team room and I think the guys have got the idea now. The first day blues or shock is over."

Price was clearly pleased to have former Masters champion Schwartzel back in the reckoning.

"Charl is doing really well," said Price. "He had a day off yesterday and spent the majority of it in bed. He hit some balls this morning and chipped and putted... (he) said he's ready to go."

Haas tried to play down the significance of putting the world number one out first, a move seemingly designed to give the US an early scoreboard boost.

"It was kind of a gut feeling, I guess. I know we've gone with Bubba and J.B. today, and Bubba has gone out first a lot, and he likes that spot. But he said it does not matter to him."

Source: AFP