Unbeaten Tiger Woods helps U.S. take command in Presidents Cup action,
> UNITED STATES 11 1⁄
2 > INTERNATIONAL 6 1⁄
2 17 1⁄ POINTS NEEDED TO WIN
2
JIM DEEKS DUBLIN, OHIO— For the second day in a row, the sun went down on the Presidents Cup competition before the U.S. and International team players could finish their day’s work.
Frequent bouts of torrential rain over Muirfield Village Golf Club slowed or suspended play completely during the day, knocking the format schedule out of whack. Four of the five afternoon matches scheduled for completion on Saturday must now be concluded at the crack of dawn Sunday.
The United States, however, managed to open up a commanding five-point lead over the Internationals. Needing a total of 171⁄ points to win the Cup outright, the
2 U.S. team led 111⁄ to 61⁄ as the players
2 2 departed for a late supper.
But of the four foursome matches yet to decided, the Internationals are leading or tied in three of them. So it’s far from over.
Tiger Woods and Matt Kuchar stayed unbeaten with a1-up win that came down to the last putt. Kuchar rolled in a 15footer for birdie to hand Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama their first loss this week.
Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask. — the only Canadian on the International side — and his playing partner of the first three days, Australian Jason Day, are the only players on the International side with more than one match victory. In three bouts together over the lush, central Ohio fairways, the pair have won two and lost one. As play was suspended for the night Saturday, they sat tied in their fourth tilt, against hugely popular U.S. star Phil Mickelson and his intense young partner, Keegan Bradley. Their only loss came on Friday against the same pair.
In the first of two rounds of Saturday matches, DeLaet and Day managed to knock out the favoured American duo of Steve Stricker and Jordan Spieth, 2-up, with a clutch 10-foot putt by Day on the 18th hole. Their battle was a close one until the end, but it was DeLaet who turned the tide in the International team’s favour with a brilliant mid-iron to the par-3 16th hole. It was one of the highlight shots of the day, and DeLaet confirmed as he walked off the18th that it was his biggest moment as well. Showing nerves of steel, he calmly knocked the seven-foot putt into the hole to put his team 1-up with two to play.
Once the suspended matches are done early Sunday morning, the scheduled finale of 12 singles matches will begin. Should the remaining foursome matches conclude in the morning with the International team within one or two points of the lead, Sunday’s singles play could provide some nail-biting drama.
Who plays whom in the individual battles will be announced by team captains Fred Couples (U.S.) and Nick Price (International) at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. One thing is certain, though. As Couples said of the players after Saturday’s morning round: “We are all going to be tired. It will be another 5 a.m. bus ride (from the hotel) for all 24 guys tomorrow. It seems like they’ve been out here for six days now playing and grinding.”
One other thing seems certain: DeLaet will be excited to play whoever faces him from the American side. The 31-year-old is clearly having a ball hitting the ball.
“Heck no, I love it,” was DeLaet’s response when asked if the pressure of playing in his first Presidents Cup was intimidating.
Despite his solid play, however, a Presidents Cup victory is almost a desperate goal for DeLaet and his International team colleagues. But if they can pull it off this year, no one on the International team will likely have more reason to be proud than its lone Canadian member. With files from Star wire services