The 11th Presidents Cup played up much like the first 10, with the Americans taking home the trophy nearly every single time. This time, though, was different in South Korea as the matches came down to the final hole of the final match.
So who stood out most on both squads? And did Phil Mickelson make enough of a mark to garner attention already for the 2016 U.S. Ryder Cup team?
Our scribes weigh in on those topics and more in this week's edition of Monday Four-Ball.
1. Who earned MVP honors for Team USA and Team International at the Presidents Cup?
SportsCenter anchor Jonathan Coachman: I don't think there is any question that Phil Mickelson was the guy this week for the American team. And it was a welcome change after his performance and attitude toward the Ryder Cup came out last year. If you are going to be a part of the team, be a part of the team. It mattered to him that despite being 30th in points that the other guys on the team wanted him to be there, and he played hard and was so into it; his performance shined.
ESPN.com senior golf analyst Michael Collins: For Team USA, it was Zach Johnson. It would have been Phil Mickelson, but the half-point that kept both he and Zach from going undefeated was Mickelson's fault, which is not an MVP move. Johnson did what he is best known for; he grinded harder than everyone else. For the International Team, there's no question Branden Grace put that team on his shoulders and got them close to victory.
ESPN.com senior golf writer Bob Harig: J.B. Holmes for the U.S. and Branden Grace for the Internationals. Holmes wasn't even on the U.S. team a little more than a week ago, getting the last-minute call to replace injured Jim Furyk. Holmes proved to be an excellent partner for Bubba Watson, played all five matches and won 2 1/2 points. Grace went a perfect 5-0-0, and you can't ask for any more.
ESPN.com senior golf writer Jason Sobel: Easy one for the International team, as Branden Grace rebounded from a 0-4-0 record two years ago to post just the fifth-ever 5-0-0 week in the event's history. For the U.S., Phil Mickelson probably deserves the honor, as he went 3-0-1 with that half-point the result of a rules snafu. But I'm going to give my vote to Bill Haas, who had the pressure of being a captain's pick, the pressure of being the captain's son and the pressure of being in the final match, and dealt with all of it beautifully.
2. Fact or fiction: Phil Mickelson just earned his place on the U.S. Ryder Cup team.
Coachman: Fact. I believe that Phil earned a spot. It can't be about points for the captain's pick, and Mickelson showed this weekend that sometimes you can will your partner to a better performance and that there is such a thing as presence. Yes, the Ryder Cup is held in much higher esteem than the President's Cup. But with news of Tiger Woods contacting David Love III, I think we saw this weekend what a powerful performance that truly was in South Korea.
Collins: Fiction. As much as I love what Phil brought to the team and especially to the press conferences, to give him an "automatic" captain's pick would be the wrong move when we know how crazy next year's schedule is going to be.
Harig: Fiction. The Ryder Cup is a long way off, and Mickelson needs to show some form between now and then, but he certainly made a great case for himself if he fails to make the team on points. Mickelson was an impressive 3-0-1, and that lone tie might have been a victory were it not for the "one-ball'' gaffe -- which won't be a problem at Hazeltine. He's also found another excellent partner in Zach Johnson.
Sobel: That's utter fiction. As of right now, if Jordan Spieth is healthy, he'll be on that team. Other than that? Every spot is wide open. If players are earning their way onto a roster 52 weeks ahead of time, then there's clearly a flaw in the system. That said, Mickelson certainly didn't hurt his chances. Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III was on hand as an assistant and certainly took note of Mickelson's leadership.
3. Biggest disappointment from either squad at the Presidents Cup?
Coachman: It has to be Sang-Moon Bae, and not because of his overall performance. I am disappointed in the golf gods for not allowing him to finish the way he should. He will likely never have a bigger moment in his life than he had in front of his home country fans and looked absolutely crushed by duffing a chip in to the bank and the ball rolling right back to his feet. That was by far the most disappointing thing to me.
Collins: It's a tie between Rickie Fowler on the U.S. Team and Jason Day on the International squad. Fowler and Day both lost their singles matches. Fowler earned one point while Day only earned a half-point. The danger of the heavily weighted lateseason schedule is having your marquee players not performing like you'd hope in events like this.
Harig: Jason Day. As great as his run has been going back to August, it is hard to believe that Day did not have a single winning match. And the lone tie in an 0-4-1 record was the result of the Mickelson penalty on Friday. It's as simple as this: Had Day produced just one victory out of the four losses, the result would have been an international win.
Sobel: After a whirlwind late-summer that included his first major championship victory and a brief stint atop the world ranking, Jason Day looked like his tank was empty this week. So much in golf is about timing. He surely wouldn't trade his wins for a better performance in South Korea, but nobody's game can peak every week -- even one of the world's best players.
4. How much of an impact did trimming the points from 34 to 30 have on the end result in South Korea?
Coachman: I think it had a big impact. Another four points would have made a difference, and I think that the guys who sat for the International team were in better form than the Americans who sat for multiple sessions. So I think in the long run, starting with foursomes on Thursday and not having the additional four points really hurt the International squad.
Collins: Huge impact. The more they make the format like the Ryder Cup, the more competitive the exhibition will be. Forcing players to sit out matches makes the captain's job much more difficult and can change the tone in the team room.
Harig: Huge. It created some strategy on the first two days where there had not been any before at the Presidents Cup, when everyone played. Now two players sat out each day, making for some tough captain's decisions, but also meaning the chances were the matches would remain closer. And that's exactly what happened as the U.S. -- despite starting out 4-1 -- led by just a single point going into singles.
Sobel: I know the format change will be credited for having a profound impact on keeping the final result closer, but it wasn't as if the International side was being weighed down by its bottom-of-the-roster players. This probably won't be the popular opinion, but I think it still would've been a tight finish with the old format, too.
