FAVOURITES FORGE AHEAD
US lead Internationals after Presidents Cup opening day
JERSEY CITY Schwartzel 6 & 4.
Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed never trailed in their 5 & 4 win over International rookies Kim Si-Woo of South Korea and Emiliano Grillo of Argentina.
Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar rallied on the back nine for a 1-up win over Aussie Adam Scott and Venezuela’s Jhonattan Vegas before Oosthuizen and Grace topped Brooks Koepka and Daniel Berger 3 & 1.
It was another solid showing for Oosthuizen and Grace, who won all four of their matches together two years ago, when the Internationals fell by a point in South Korea.
International captain Nick Price was hoping a faster start this year would put his team on the way to an upset win over the powerful US squad.
Instead they face another tough climb going into late yesterday’s five fourball matches.
In all, 30 points will be on offer this week, with 15.5 needed to claim the Cup.
“Obviously the day was a brutal day to play golf,” Price said of the wind whipping off the Hudson River.
“Club selection was so difficult, and we got behind the 8-ball pretty early with a few of our guys, a few of our teams being 2-down, 3down at the turn.
“But the guys rallied back great. I thought the back nine, one stage, it maybe even looked like we may get two or three, but we wound up with just 1 1/2.
“Even though we’re two points behind, it was one of our strongest starts in foursomes on Thursday. So the team is not discouraged at all.”
World No 4 Thomas and eighth-ranked Fowler were 1down to World No 3 Matsuyama and Schwartzel through two holes.
Fowler chipped in from off the green as the Americans squared the match at the third. They won five of seven holes starting at the third to make the turn 4-up.
“That was definitely a big turn of events,” Fowler said of holing out.
World No 2 Spieth and Reed also wrapped up their victory at the 14th, improving their record together in match play to 6-1-2.
Spieth and Reed never trailed, taking the lead at the second when Kim hit the Internationals’ second shot into the water.
Spieth and Reed won holes four through seven to take control, and after the Internationals clawed back a couple of holes got back on track with Spieth’s 33foot birdie putt to win the 11th.
The day started with a festive opening ceremony attended by former US Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
It marked the first time that three US presidents have attended the biennial match play showdown launched in 1994. AFP