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It’s only two days into the Presidents Cup and a few things have become clear.
One is that Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson are inseparably good on the American side. Another is that there are no golf courses in South Korea that resemble Royal Melbourne.
Watson and Simpson won their opening two matches, towelling Ernie Els and Ryo Ishikawa 4 and 2 in foursomes on day one and then giving the same pair a 3 and 1 beating in four-ball.
Watson, who flies the ball 300m off the tee and has superb touch around the green, would be a sought-after partner in any format.
But it is the relatively little-known Simpson who is winning the greater praise.
“I’m riding his coattails really good,” Watson said.
And it isn’t only Watson who is singing his praises.
Teammate Matt Kuchar described Simpson’s opening shot on day one as “the best anyone has ever played in teams competition”.
The wedge shot at the first in Thursday’s foursomes hit the hole and set up an easy birdie for Watson in the alternate shot match.
“I got on the first tee and I’ve never seen so many people and my partner put me perfect in the middle of the fairway,” Simpson said.
“I had to hit a good shot.”
As well as not being widely known in the international golfing community, Simpson hadn’t attracted much attention from his team captain Fred Couples either.
In fact, Couples hadn’t seen him hit a golf ball.
“That was an odd thing for me,” Simpson said.
“But I’ve seen him watching me these past two days.
“I hope he knows a bit more about me now.”
Simpson is paired with Watson for the third time in the tournament on Saturday when they play Geoff Ogilvy and Robert Allenby in the second round of foursomes matches.
While players like Simpson have emerged for the US, the International team seems bound to rely on its old, established players.
Captain Greg Norman has rested Korea’s young star KT Kim and countryman YE Yang for Saturday morning’s match after the pair were pasted 6 and 5 on the opening day by Hunter Mahan and David Toms.
Kim played with Adam Scott in the four-ball but failed to come to terms with the wind and fast greens, the pair going down 2 and 1.
Yang played with Allenby in the four-ball and, although he wasn’t the worst of the two, he also struggled in their 4 and 3 defeat.