Brandt Snedeker criticised for making ‘infuriating’ mistake with Scottie Scheffler at the Presidents Cup

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesJohnson Wagner has suggested that he cannot understand why Brandt Snedeker decided to sit Scottie Scheffler out on Saturday afternoon at the Presidents Cup given how perfect his game is for foursomes.

>Scheffler had an odd week at Medinah. The world number one has struggled to find anything like his best form when representing his country in team events. And while he did end the Presidents Cup with a record of three wins from four matches, it is fair to say that Team USA do not appear to be any closer to working out just how to get the best out of him.

>Scheffler was paired with Sam Burns for each of the first three sessions in Illinois. They won both of their fourball matches, but were beaten by Corey Conners and Nick Taylor in the foursomes on Friday.

>Burns had arguably been the better performer within their partnership, so it was not entirely shocking to see Scheffler sit out Saturday afternoon. It certainly says a lot that there was not huge uproar even with Brandt Snedeker‘s team going into the penultimate session three points behind.

Johnson Wagner questions when Brandt Snedeker sat Scottie Scheffler out at the Presidents CupInterestingly, Johnson Wagner did have a problem with Snedeker’s decision. Speaking on CBS Sports, he criticised when the captain decided to rest Scheffler. He also questioned only using Jacob Bridgeman in the foursomes.

>“Scottie Scheffler is the best driver of the golf ball in the world. He’s the best iron player in the world. He’s got one of the best short games in the world, and he’s become a great putter. The fact that you’re going to sit him once is fine. Sit him in best ball, don’t sit him in foursomes! He’s built to play alternate shot. You could pair him with anybody on that team and they would go out and win foursomes. It’s infuriating,” he said.

>“The way he handled Jackson Koivun, not putting him out in foursomes was brilliant. Let him go play best ball with Justin Thomas. Why he did that to Jacob Bridgeman, it befuddles me.”

The issue with Johnson Wagner’s comments about Scottie Scheffler after the Presidents CupThere is a real problem with Wagner’s comments about Scheffler.

>Of course, few are coming away from the Presidents Cup claiming that Snedeker did a good job. Ultimately, the American team bailed themselves out in the singles after looking set to suffer an embarrassing defeat on home soil.

>However, there was very good reason to rest Scheffler, particularly if the alternative was sending him out with Burns for a fourth time.

>Scheffler now has a record of 1-8-0 in foursomes for Team USA. That would be a humiliating record for the last man in on the International Team, let alone a four-time major champion.

>Given that he ended up going up against Nico Echavarria in singles – something that was always likely to happen once Snedeker put Scheffler’s name forward first – there was an opportunity to put the 30-year-old out on Saturday afternoon alongside a brand new partner.

>Perhaps they would have lost again, but it could have provided helpful information ahead of the Ryder Cup next year.

>This year’s Presidents Cup confirmed that Jim Furyk must use Chris Gotterup and Cameron Young together at Adare Manor, with the pair stealing the show on Saturday.

>Had Scheffler played well alongside someone new on Saturday afternoon, that would have built at least some excitement.