U.S. builds 4-1 lead over Internationals in Presidents Cup
The idea was for two of the most reliable American teams to set the tone Thursday in the Presidents Cup at Charlotte, North Carolina, and the result was predictable.
Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay made short work of Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama in the opening match against the International team. They didn’t make a bogey in a 6-and-5 victory, improving their record to 5-0 in foursomes at the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup.
Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, best friends since they were 14, had clutch shots to atone for their mistakes and held off Sungjae Im and Corey Conners, 2 and 1.
Another strong American team from top to bottom played at a high level on a hot day at Quail Hollow and walked off with a 4-1 lead after the first session.
“I told the guys last night we need to set the tone —
us and J.T. and Jordan’s match — and we did,” Schauffele said. “Playing this format on a day like today and not making any bogeys, it’s exactly what we need.”
The International team, already an underdog, was hurt more than the Americans by players leaving the PGA Tour for Saudi-funded LIV Golf, including Cameron
Smith and Joaquin Niemann.
All that kept the International side from being shut out were Si Woo Kim and Cameron Davis. They were 2 down with four holes to play against Masters champ Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns when they seized on American mistakes and scratched out a 2-up victory.
Two of the eight rookies for the International team, Taylor Pendrith and Mito Pereira, nearly picked up another point. They were all square going to the tough par-4 closing hole when Pereira hit a wild tee shot, Pendrith could only manage the right bunker and they made bogey. Tony Finau and Max Homa walked away with a 1-up win and a point.
“We did what we were supposed to do,” Finau said.
The other U.S. point came from Collin Morikawa and Cameron Young, the PGA Tour rookie of the year, who soaked up the environment before a full house at Quail Hollow and produced a winning moment of his own.
Elsewhere: Rasmus
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Hojgaard holed a 72-foot birdie putt on the way to shooting a 9-under 62 at the French Open at SaintQuentin-en-Yvelines, France, giving him a twostroke lead at the European tour event. The Danish player’s big putt came at the par-4 4th hole and was one of his 10 birdies at Le Golf National outside Paris. He also made birdie from 21 feet at No. 18. Hojgaard equaled the course record.
Alexander Bjork of Sweden trailed by two shots after firing seven birdies in his bogey-free 64.
ETC.
Soccer: Kylian ●
Mbappe added another fine solo goal to his collection and Olivier Giroud
moved closer to France’s scoring record as the defending World Cup champions beat Austria 2-0 in the Nations League. Mbappe skipped past three defenders before drilling in his 28th international goal in the 56th minute. Giroud celebrated his recall by heading powerfully in from Antoine Griezmann’s
cross 10 minutes later to move onto 49 goals — two behind Thierry Henry’s
national record . ... Fifteen female soccer players are expected to quit Spain’s national team after their demand for a coaching change was rejected by the Spanish federation. The federation said it got identical emails from the 15 players saying they would renounce their places on the team if coach Jorge Vilda
wasn’t fired. The federation said that, according to the players, the situation “significantly” affected their “emotional state” and their health.