Snedeker on Sunday charge: I finally got matchups right

Brandt Snedeker took plenty of criticism for his selections throughout the team sessions of this year's Presidents Cup, but the United States captain got the last laugh thanks to a historic comeback in singles Sunday.

The International team entered as heavy underdogs but were able to build a 10.5-7.5 lead heading into the final session. Despite the United States rolling out a significantly more talented roster, the pairings didn't necessarily work together the way Snedeker had hoped.

That changed with a singles strategy that saw Snedeker front-load the schedule with several of his top players. The result: the largest Sunday comeback in Presidents Cup history.

"When those pairings came out last night, it was the first time I got them right all week," Snedeker told NBC's Cara Banks. "Those were my mistakes, I messed up the matchups, I messed up the snake draft this week. That was the first time I got it right."

Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Justin Thomas, Scottie Scheffler, Sam Burns, and Chris Gotterup were the first six Americans off the first tee Sunday, delivering a 4-2 result to narrow the gap to just one point.

The one drawback with big names going off early is that the mounting pressure at the end of the day will be felt by players who don't hold the same stature in golf.

That looked to be the case with 21-year-old rookie Jackson Koivun, who drew the top-ranked International player in the event, Si Woo Kim, in the 9th match of the day.

Koivun is one of the most decorated collegiate players ever, but he was a student on Auburn's campus just months ago. That made him a slightly controversial captain's pick before the event, but he paid off Snedeker's trust by beating Kim in dramatic fashion.

"I cannot get over what Jackson Koivun did today," Snedeker said. "I put him in a real tough spot out there because we thought he could handle it, and sure enough, he did. He went out there and looked like the stud we know he's going to be."

Koivun outperformed Kim when it mattered most, flipping the match late with some clutch shot-making. He sealed the match on 18 with two shots that dripped with the swag of someone who only knows how to win on the golf course.

"The kid is special, he's different," Snedeker said. "For a 21-year-old kid to stand up there and hit those last two balls like he did, not many people like that."

Koivun ended up a perfect 3-0-0 for the week, making Snedeker look like a genius for adding him to the squad. While the captain was very hard on himself earlier in the week, his singles lineup and inclusion of Koivun should see him held in regard as a strong captain for the Americans.