INCHEON: World number one Jordan Spieth said on Wednesday he was excited at the prospect of starting his Presidents Cup campaign for the US in the foursomes alongside big-hitting Dustin Johnson.
The pair will play against the International team's trans-Tasman pair of Aussie Marc Leishman and Kiwi Danny Lee in the anchor game of Thursday's opening five matches where one ball is played by both players who hit alternate shots.
US captain Jay Haas said Spieth had expressed a preference to play with Johnson, who he pipped to the US Open crown in June.
Asked by reporters why he had opted to play with the player nicknamed DJ, Spieth said: "Why DJ? Because it's DJ. He's really good."
Johnson is one of the longest hitters in the game and Spieth said that was what appealed most.
"He can bust it down the par fives and then I can kind of control some shots into those greens. His ball-striking looks really solid. I'm excited for us to get out there," Spieth added.
Spieth, though, is wary of his opponents, especially the Incheon-born Lee who will command huge galleries of local fans eager to see one of their own take a famous scalp against the world's best player and Johnson, ranked eighth.
"I think Danny will have a fantastic week here. He's coming off of some good weeks himself," said Spieth of the man who emigrated to New Zealand from Korea when just eight years old but still has family in Incheon.
"I think Danny being here, he's been over here for a couple weeks. He's been adjusted to the time zone, the weather, the golf course, so he's as prepared as anybody.
"We've got to come out ready to play."
The Americans have won eight of the previous 10 editions of the Presidents Cup, with the lone International victory coming back in 1998. The 2003 edition was tied.
Spieth said one of the biggest things to guard against was complacency after such a long winning streak in the event, against an International team fired up for success on "home" soil in Asia.
"We do know that we still need to fight. I mean, there's a good chance that you're going to go down in your match," said Spieth.
"There's a good chance that you're going to be up and you're going to lose holes. It's just a matter of how you bounce back.
"Yeah, I think complacency is going to be probably the biggest enemy."
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