Unlikely stars, and another American win in Presidents Cup

Bill Haas, the son of captain Jay, scored the winning point by beating South Korean Bae Sang-moon.

U.S. Captain Jay Haas said Saturday morning’s four Fourball matches could be key to the outcome of this year’s Presidents Cup.

United States won the Presidents Cup thanks to Bill Haas’ victory over Bae Sang-moon at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea. The last time they failed to win the Cup was in 2003 in South Africa when the event ended in a tie.

Not since the matches were tied going into the final day in 2005 has the Presidents Cup featured a final day of drama. History is still against the worldwide team.

“This is what we all came here for – for it to be exciting tomorrow”, worldwide captain Nick Price said.

The final session was not without its share of heartbreak.

And on it goes, the beauty of match play, especially in a team competition, where the pressure can be suffocating. Haas striped his drive into the fairway on the par-5 18th, and then hit a long iron just over the green in two.

The Americans made three birdies in the opening four holes to seize control, but Johnson three-putted for bogey on No. 9 and Lahiri made a 15-foot birdie on the 10th. It’s a little early to measure it but I think the extent to which the combination of this week, followed next year by golf in the Olympics, ought to result in more positive momentum.

“I guess it wasn’t meant to be, unfortunately”.

Bae later blamed nerves for his late miscues, but insisted he could live with them.

Worldwide team player Anirban Lahiri of India reacts on the 18th green after losing his match against United States’ Chris Kirk in their singles match at the Presidents Cup golf tournament at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea, in Incheon, South Korea, Sunday, October 11, 2015.

From short of the green, Bae hit his third shot heavy and his next 16 feet by the hole. As the ball rolled back down the slope, Bae sank to his knees and covered his eyes as caddie Matt Minister consoled him.

Haas moved 1-up with a birdie on the sixth, before Bae conceded the next to hand his opponent a two-shot advantage. “I’m lucky to be a part of this team and to get picked, and I’m just happy I could help the team out with one point there on Sunday”.

Dane Soren Kjeldsen and England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick shared the British Masters lead on nine-under par at Woburn on Friday. The global side had to have all the close matches go their way, and that’s what happened.

Haas secured victory on the 18th hole of a tense finale to the competition.

Two halves were just as critical.

True enough, but Grace and Oosthuizen did play well, and they did go on to finish 4-0 in team play. Holmes came up to 15 feet and missed the birdie putt to lose the match.

Wins for Hideki Matsuyama and Steven Bowditch cancelled out a 5&4 victory for Phil Mickelson over an out-of-sorts Charl Schwartzel.

It was Spieth’s second win of the day after his earlier foursomes success alongside Dustin Johnson.

But Johnson found the water off the tee at the fourth hole, gifting the 25-year-old Kiwi a hole back and he grew in confidence from there playing in the third of 12 singles matches.

Ultimately, though, the Americans were posing with the gold cup, just like always.

Considering how lopsided the Presidents Cup has been, it felt like a lead.

Watson never trailed and led 3 up after 10 holes, but Thongchai pecked away with birdies at the 11th and 12th holes to stay in range. He looked down the row at Grace, Matsuyama, Lahiri and Day and described them as the “future of this event”.

There were highlights throughout the singles session from plenty of bigger names, such as Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, and Jordan Spieth.