Wyndham Clark Blames Ball Mismatch for US Foursomes Woes
By Staff Writer
2 min read
Wyndham Clark says the U.S. team's struggles in alternate-shot format trace back to equipment rather than talent, pointing to mismatched golf balls between partners as a root cause of the team's recent foursomes record.
Key takeaways
- The U.S. is 8-26 in foursomes across the last four men's team events despite holding a sizable average world-ranking edge in each one.
- Clark has gone 0-3 in foursomes across three team appearances and says pairings should be built around matching golf balls, not friendships.
- He cited his own pairings with Patrick Cantlay and Colin Morikawa, who play similar golf balls, as matchups that performed well.
- Clark wants U.S. players to practice hitting only alternate-shot shots in practice rounds before the next Ryder Cup in September 2027.
How lopsided has the US foursomes record been?
Across the 2023 Ryder Cup, the 2024 and 2026 Presidents Cups and the 2025 Ryder Cup, the U.S. held a significant average world-ranking advantage over its opponents every time, yet went a combined 8-26 in foursomes over that span.
| Event | Year | US avg. rank | Opponent avg. rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryder Cup | 2023 | 12.9 | 30.0 |
| Presidents Cup | 2024 | 11.9 | 34.3 |
| Ryder Cup | 2025 | 11.1 | 23.6 |
| Presidents Cup | 2026 | 15.1 | 50.8 |
What fix is Clark proposing?
Speaking on Sirius XM's Gravy & the Sleeze show, Clark said American pairings have typically been built around friendships, the same approach he says Europe and the International team use successfully. He argued the U.S. should instead match partners by golf ball spin rate, since two players with a large spin gap can struggle to hold the same greens in firm conditions.
I think sometimes we overlook the golf ball.
Clark pointed to his own ball-matched pairings with Cantlay and Morikawa as pairs that played well even when they lost, and suggested Scottie Scheffler, who plays a lower-spinning ball, should be partnered with a teammate using a similar model. He also proposed devoting practice-round time solely to alternate-shot swings, arguing that unfamiliar rhythm, not a lack of talent, has cost the Americans matches.
The U.S. plays its next team event at the Ryder Cup next September.
- wyndham clark
- ryder cup
- presidents cup
- foursomes
- alternate shot
- patrick cantlay
- colin morikawa
- scottie scheffler
