Mickelson sets record as US turns screw on Internationals
PHIL MICKELSON set the Presidents Cup record with his 25th victory, and the Americans moved to the cusp of their most dominant performance. With the foursomes match all square, Mickelson dropped in two wedges to short range for birdies on the 15th and 17th holes and Kevin Kisner converted the birdies for a 2-and-1 victory over Jhonattan Vegas and Emiliano Grillo.
The Americans won three matches and halved the other in the morning foursomes, for an 11-2 lead. They headed off into four matches of fourballs in the afternoon with a chance to win the cup before the Sunday singles.
‘We’re just trying to win every session,’ Justin Thomas said. ‘We know that if we win every session every day, then that’s going to be good enough to get it done.’ It has been more than enough. For the second straight session, the International team failed to win a match. Louis Oosthuizen and Branden Grace halved the last seven holes and earned a half-point against Thomas and Rickie Fowler.
Dustin Johnson remained undefeated at Liberty National when he teamed with Matt Kuchar and ran away from Adam Scott and Adam Hadwin, who had three double bogeys. Scott now has lost 20 matches in the Presidents Cup, a record for either team.
Vegas and Grillo brought the passion, and their match against Kisner and Mickelson was tied at the turn and stayed that way until the 14th hole when Grillo ran into trouble off the tee, Vegas had to lay up and they made bogey. Mickelson took it from there.
‘This is probably the best US team ever,’ Charl Schwartzel said. ‘And they’re on form.’
It takes 15 points to win. The record margin was in 2000, when the Americans won 21-10 with 32 matches played. Now there are only 30 matches.