Cameron Young and Chris Gotterup explain why they were the perfect Presidents Cup pairing

After the U.S. team was swept on Day 2 of the Presidents Cup, it seemed as if the Americans were unraveling. But on Saturday at Medinah, one pairing delivered a crucial spark: Cameron Young and Chris Gotterup.

They won both of their matches.

Young and Gotterup played together in both Saturday’s four-ball and foursomes sessions—and won each time.

Their first match came against Canadians Nick Taylor and Corey Conners, who had found their rhythm the day before by defeating Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns in Friday’s alternate-shot foursomes session. But Young and Gotterup held them off, winning 2 and 1.

With one victory secured, the Americans carried that momentum into the afternoon foursomes. They made quick work of Adam Scott and Sungjae Im, earning a dominant 6-and-4 victory.

So what made the pairing work so well?

For starters, Young and Gotterup already know each other’s games. Speaking at a news conference Saturday, Gotterup explained that they play together at home and have developed a comfort level that clearly carried over to their matches at Medinah.

“First of all, we play at home, so we’re comfortable with each other. I know how he plays, and I think he knows how I play,” Gotterup said.

It also helped that they are both from the same part of the country.

“We have a connection through being from the Northeast and through playing golf, and then being from the same area, I think it helps,” Gotterup continued.

Their playing styles were another factor. Gotterup and Young are two of the longest hitters on Tour, ranking seventh and 14th, respectively, in driving distance. That meant they often found themselves in familiar positions on the course—something both players cited as a reason they could feed off one another.

“We play similar styles of golf,” Gotterup said. “It’s not uncomfortable in the spots we put each other in.”

That was particularly important in foursomes, where an errant shot can leave a partner scrambling. Instead, Young and Gotterup trusted each other to recover.

“Golf-wise, it’s super easy. I think both of us, when in doubt, tee it up, hit it hard, go find it,” Young said. “We’re both pretty comfortable trying to figure it out from wherever the other guy hits it.”

They also picked each other up, helping ease some of the pressure that comes with team golf. For example, when Young hit his opening shot out of bounds Saturday morning, Gotterup responded by supporting him.

“Chris kind of picked me up on the first hole of the day after I hit it out of bounds,” Young said. “That’s kind of how it goes. We really did step up when the other guy needed it, and this afternoon I felt like we were both in control the whole day.”

After a winless Friday, the U.S. needed a spark—and Young and Gotterup provided exactly that. Now the Americans will see whether they can do the same in Sunday’s singles matches.