US clings to 1-shot lead in Presidents Cup

Branden Grace delivered two big shots in gathering darkness Saturday that kept the International team within one point of the Americans going into a final day at the Presidents Cup that finally has some drama.

The Americans had a 91⁄ 281⁄ 2 lead with 12 singles matches remaining, the smallest margin going into Sunday in 10 years at this event.

That’s what the International team wanted — and needed — in the Presidents Cup. The Americans have won the gold trophy five straight times, and the lone International victory was in 1998 in Australia.

The South Africa duo of Grace and Louis Oosthuizen have been the driving force for captain Nick Price. They became the first International tandem to go 4-0 in team matches. Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker in 2009 are the only U.S. team to do that.

Jordan Spieth also won two matches Saturday, making two clutch putts in morning foursomes, and holing a bunker shot in the afternoon fourballs.

Bae Sang-moon and Hideki Matsuyama, who earned a key half-point in the morning, had the shortest match of the week when they beat Jimmy Walker and Chris Kirk, 6 and 5, in fourballs.

The last three morning matches all went to the 18th hole. Spieth and Dustin Johnson won the last two holes for a 1-up win over Jason Day and Charl Schwartzel, while Matsuyama made birdie on the last hole for a halve, and Bubba Watson missing a 5-foot birdie on the 18th that would have given his side a win.

History is still against the International team. No team trailing going into the last day has ever won.