Golf: Lee set for difficult debut

Danny Lee on the driving range during a practice round prior to The Presidents Cup. Photo / Getty

Danny Lee's Presidents Cup debut couldn't be any more difficult.

Lee and Australian partner Marc Leishman have been given the most daunting first round clash in the opening foursomes tomorrow, taking on American duo Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson.

The 36th ranked Kiwi and the 37th ranked Leishman will have their work cut out for them against the world number one - two-time major winner and FedEx Cup champion Spieth - while Johnson sits eighth in the world to form an intimidating duo.

The foursomes format sees the pairings take alternate shots, so Johnson's elite power off the tee compared to Spieth's relatively mediocre driving distance won't be a factor to deal with on every hole for Lee and Leishman.

However, Spieth and Johnson are undoubtedly the premier American pairing, with American captain Jay Haas saying that Spieth specifically asked for the partnership.

"Jordan and Dustin have wanted this pairing for a while now. And what Jordan wants, Jordan gets right now."

Lee's desperation to make the Presidents Cup - held in his birthplace of Incheon, South Korea - was notable throughout the PGA Tour season, playing in a Tour-high 36 events.

"Now I can die in peace," he joked, after beginning the PGA TOUR season ranked 84th in the International Team standings before storming his way into the 10th and final spot. "I am very excited. Making the team has been my goal for this year; it was my biggest goal this year."

The 25-year-old is the fourth New Zealander to play in the Presidents Cup. The underrated Frank Nobilo competed three times (1994, 1996 and 1998), Greg Turner joined him in 1998 and Michael Campbell played in the Cup in 2000 and 2005.

Lee's partner, Leishman, is playing in his second Presidents Cup after a season which saw him make the playoffs at the Open Championship, where he finished in a tie for second.

The United States have won eight of the ten Presidents Cup tournaments played, with their only loss coming in Australia in 1998, where Nobilo and Turner were members of the victorious international team.

The other opening foursomes matches are as follows:

-Australian Adam Scott and Japan's Hideki Matsuyama will lead off against the elementary pairing of Watson and Holmes (Bubba and J.B).

-Jimmy Walker and Rickie Fowler, 0-1-3 in their partnership at the Ryder Cup last year, face India's Anirban Lahiri and Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee.

-Australian duo Jason Day and Steven Bowditch go up against major winners Phil Mickelson and Zach Johnson.