Americans quickly take control in Presidents Cup

JERSEY CITY, N.J.» The opening ceremony at the Presidents Cup was unlike any other in golf, with former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton on the first tee.

The results were all too familiar. The Americans led at some point in all five of the foursomes matches Thursday at Liberty National. They won the first three. And when they jumped on a ferry to take them across the New York Harbor to their Manhattan hotel, they had the lead.

Behind a new tandem of Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas, and an old one of Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed, the Americans jumped out to a 3½ to 1½ lead over the International team. It was the sixth consecutive time they led after the opening session in an event they haven’t lost in two decades.

“Jordan mentioned that this first session is pretty critical and we need to go out there and take care of business,” Fowler said. “I feel like as a team, we did a really good job of that. If we can do the same thing tomorrow and win another session, it puts us in a great position.”

Thomas and Fowler lost only two holes in a 6-and-4 win over Hideki Matsuyama and Charl Schwartzel. Spieth and Reed improved to 6-1-2 as a tandem in the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup. Spieth holed a 35-foot putt on the 11th hole right when it looked as if Emiliano Grillo and Si Woo Kim might gain some momentum. Instead, the match was over three holes later, 5 and 4.

Coetzee, Hatton lead British Masters.

George Coetzee and Tyrrell Hatton shot 7-underpar 63s to lead the British Masters, while Rory McIlroy (67) needed the help of a spectator to stay on track in his first round.

Palmer’s grandson shoots 12-under 59 in Web.com season finale.

Sam Saunders, Arnold Palmer’s grandson, fired a 12-under 59 in the first round of the Web.com Tour Championship. He leads by three strokes.

Saunders closed with six consecutive birdies at Atlantic Beach Country Club for the seventh sub-60 round in Web.com Tour history.