The United States keeps its one-point edge (6 1/2 to 5 1/2) over the International team in the Presidents Cup at Harding Park Golf Course in San Francisco, California. The Americans were getting ready for a blowout, leading five of six Foursome matches at one point. But, things turned in the International teams favor to finish the day even – 3 wins each.
Day three will have Foursomes in the morning and Fourball in the afternoon. Starting things off will be Phil Mickelson and Sean O’Hair playing Retief Goosen and Camilo Villegas. Justin Leonard and Jim Furyk will play Ernie Els and Adam Scott. Hunter Mahan will team with Stewart Cink to face Vijay Singh and Robert Allenby. Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker will play Mike Weir and Tim Clark. Kenny Perry and Zach Johnson will face off against Y. E. Yang and Ryo Ishikawa.
Americans take three in Fourball
The American team wins came with Mickelson partnering Leonard. Playing Goosen and Scott, Leonard helped grab an early lead with a birdie on the first hole. Scott brought his team back to even on the fourth hole and Goosen put them one-up with a birdie on the fifth hole. Mickelson made back-to-back birdies on the sixth and seventh holes to put the Americans back on top. The match went all-square when Scott made a birdie on the 12th hole but Mickelson reclaimed the lead on the next hole. Leonard put the match out of reach with birdies on the 14th and 16th holes for a 3-up lead.
Woods and Stricker are proving to be a lethal pair as they beat Ogilvy and Cabrera 5-up in Foursomes. Both Woods and Stricker made birdies on the first hole to grab the quick lead. Cabrera brought the match all-square on the third hole but Stricker made birdie on the fifth hole to put the Americans back on top. Woods made birdie on the sixth and eighth holes to give his team a 3-up advantage. After halving five straight holes, Stricker won the match with birdies on the 14th and 15th holes.
The other American victory came when Johnson and Mahan beat Villegas and Allenby 2-up. The Americans took the lead on the second hole with a Mahan birdie. Villegas got his team back to all-square on the fifth hole but Mahan birdied the sixth to give the Americans a lead they would not relinquish. Johnson won the 10th hole for a 2-up lead. Villegas narrowed the gap with a birdie on the 13th hole but, Johnson won the 14th to put the Americans back up two before the International team ran out of holes.
International team wins
The one blowout for the International team was when Ishikawa and Yang partnered to beat Perry and O’Hair 4-up. Yang gave his team the lead with a birdie on the first hole and Ishikawa won the second hole for a 2-up lead after two holes. The pair won the fourth and sixth holes to go 4-up before the Americans came to life with birdies from Perry to take the eighth and ninth holes. Ishikawa and Perry split the 11th and 12th holes, respectively, to keep the match at 2-up for the International team. Both Yang and Ishikawa made birdies on the 13th hole to go back up three holes with five to play. Yang added another birdie on the 14th and halved the 15th to win the match.
Els and Weir won the last two holes to come from behind to beat Furyk and Kim. Weir made a birdie on the second hole to give his team the early lead. Furyk quickly turned the tide with birdies on the fourth and fifth holes but, Els answered with a birdie of his own on the sixth hole to even the match. Kim’s birdie on the eighth hole gave the Americans the lead through the 12th hole. Weir squared the match on the 13th hole but Furyk birdied the 14th to reclaim the lead with three holes to play. After pars halved the 16th hole, Weir made a birdie on the 17th and Els made birdie on the 18th to give the International team another win.
Clark, playing with Singh, made eagle on the 18th hole to give his team their third victory of the day. Americans Glover and Cink birdied the first hole for the early edge. After Clark squared the match on the sixth hole, Cink birdied the seventh hole to give his team a 1-up lead. After Clark squared the match on the ninth hole, the International team took their first lead with a birdie from Singh on the 10th hole. Cink birdied the 14th hole and Golver birdie the 16th hole to give the Americans a 1-up lead with two hole to play. Both Singh and Clark birdied the 17th for a win and, after two perfect shots, Clark rolled the 15-foot eagle putt in for the win.
U. S. keeps slim lead at Presidents Cup
Day three will have Foursomes in the morning and Fourball in the afternoon. Starting things off will be Phil Mickelson and Sean O’Hair playing Retief Goosen and Camilo Villegas. Justin Leonard and Jim Furyk will play Ernie Els and Adam Scott. Hunter Mahan will team with Stewart Cink to face Vijay Singh and Robert Allenby. Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker will play Mike Weir and Tim Clark. Kenny Perry and Zach Johnson will face off against Y. E. Yang and Ryo Ishikawa.
Americans take three in Fourball
The American team wins came with Mickelson partnering Leonard. Playing Goosen and Scott, Leonard helped grab an early lead with a birdie on the first hole. Scott brought his team back to even on the fourth hole and Goosen put them one-up with a birdie on the fifth hole. Mickelson made back-to-back birdies on the sixth and seventh holes to put the Americans back on top. The match went all-square when Scott made a birdie on the 12th hole but Mickelson reclaimed the lead on the next hole. Leonard put the match out of reach with birdies on the 14th and 16th holes for a 3-up lead.
Woods and Stricker are proving to be a lethal pair as they beat Ogilvy and Cabrera 5-up in Foursomes. Both Woods and Stricker made birdies on the first hole to grab the quick lead. Cabrera brought the match all-square on the third hole but Stricker made birdie on the fifth hole to put the Americans back on top. Woods made birdie on the sixth and eighth holes to give his team a 3-up advantage. After halving five straight holes, Stricker won the match with birdies on the 14th and 15th holes.
The other American victory came when Johnson and Mahan beat Villegas and Allenby 2-up. The Americans took the lead on the second hole with a Mahan birdie. Villegas got his team back to all-square on the fifth hole but Mahan birdied the sixth to give the Americans a lead they would not relinquish. Johnson won the 10th hole for a 2-up lead. Villegas narrowed the gap with a birdie on the 13th hole but, Johnson won the 14th to put the Americans back up two before the International team ran out of holes.
International team wins
The one blowout for the International team was when Ishikawa and Yang partnered to beat Perry and O’Hair 4-up. Yang gave his team the lead with a birdie on the first hole and Ishikawa won the second hole for a 2-up lead after two holes. The pair won the fourth and sixth holes to go 4-up before the Americans came to life with birdies from Perry to take the eighth and ninth holes. Ishikawa and Perry split the 11th and 12th holes, respectively, to keep the match at 2-up for the International team. Both Yang and Ishikawa made birdies on the 13th hole to go back up three holes with five to play. Yang added another birdie on the 14th and halved the 15th to win the match.
Els and Weir won the last two holes to come from behind to beat Furyk and Kim. Weir made a birdie on the second hole to give his team the early lead. Furyk quickly turned the tide with birdies on the fourth and fifth holes but, Els answered with a birdie of his own on the sixth hole to even the match. Kim’s birdie on the eighth hole gave the Americans the lead through the 12th hole. Weir squared the match on the 13th hole but Furyk birdied the 14th to reclaim the lead with three holes to play. After pars halved the 16th hole, Weir made a birdie on the 17th and Els made birdie on the 18th to give the International team another win.
Clark, playing with Singh, made eagle on the 18th hole to give his team their third victory of the day. Americans Glover and Cink birdied the first hole for the early edge. After Clark squared the match on the sixth hole, Cink birdied the seventh hole to give his team a 1-up lead. After Clark squared the match on the ninth hole, the International team took their first lead with a birdie from Singh on the 10th hole. Cink birdied the 14th hole and Golver birdie the 16th hole to give the Americans a 1-up lead with two hole to play. Both Singh and Clark birdied the 17th for a win and, after two perfect shots, Clark rolled the 15-foot eagle putt in for the win.