The United States are in full control of their Presidents Cup fate after a strong day against the Internationals in Ohio. Of the 10 completed matches on Saturday, the hosts won seven of them to take a healthy 11.5-6.5 lead at Muirfield Village Golf Club. Their day was capped with a hole-in off the fairway from Zach Johnson, which saw him and partner Jason Dufner win their Saturday foursome over Richard Sterne and Marc Leishman 4 and 3. Earlier, Dufner and Johnson lost their delayed foursome clash from Friday to Hideki Matsuyama and Adam Scott 2 and 1, but they gave the Americans a five-point buffer heading to Sunday. The title holders need just 5.5 points to retain the trophy, and six to win it outright with another 16 still up for grabs. The foursomes held over from Friday were split 2-2 early on Saturday, with Angel Cabrera and Leishman beating Webb Simpson and Brandt Snedeker 2 and 1. The Americans picked up points as Tiger Woods and Matt Kuchar beat Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel 4 and 2, and Steve Stricker and Jordan Spieth handled Branden Grace and Richard Sterne 2 and 1. The Saturday four-balls was where the Americans upped the ante, however, as they clinched four of the five matches. Woods and Kuchar were good value for another American point as they beat Scott and Matsuyama one-up. Snedeker and Hunter Mahan beat Oosthuizen and Schwartzel two-up, while Bill Haas and Webb Simpson were comfortable 4 and 3 victors over Cabrera and Grace. Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson picked up their second point of the tournament as a partnership, as they beat Ernie Els and Brendon de Jonge 2 and 1. The Internationals&apos only four-ball joy came from Jason Day and Graham DeLaet, who were two-up winners over Stricker and Spieth. Day and DeLaet took that momentum into their foursome with Mickelson and Bradley, leading the Americans three-up through just five holes but a fightback from the locals saw the match back to all-square when bad light stopped play through 13 holes. The Internationals are leading two of the other three foursomes to be completed, with Els and de Jonge two-up through nine on Woods and Kuchar, and Oosthuizen and Schwartzel three-up through 12 on Simpson and Snedeker. Haas and Stricker are two-up through 10 on Scott and Matsuyama. The remaining foursomes will be followed by the 12 singles pairings to complete the team tournament.
Author: Omnisport