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SPORTSWednesday 14 October
On The Fringe
Regular tour is a different tune from Ryder, Presidents Cups
DOUG FERGUSON International team player Branden Grace of South Africa watch- about a Presidents Cup or He made a name for him-
AP Golf Writer es his chip shot on the 16th hole during his singles match against a Ryder Cup that allows self in one match at Medi-
NAPA, Calif. (AP) — Those United States’ Matt Kuchar at the Presidents Cup on the Jack for the appearance of a nah during the 2012 Ryder
traveling, song-loving “Fa- Nicklaus Golf Club Korea, in Incheon, South Korea, Sunday, Oct. breakout moment. Cup by making eight bird-
natics” at the Presidents 11, 2015. It just doesn’t always work ies and an eagle and sin-
Cup had no trouble find- out that way. gle-handedly beating Tiger
ing the right tune for Bran- Associated Press Jamie Donaldson con- Woods and Steve Stricker in
den Grace, with a slight tributed three points in fourballs. Given his length
change of lyrics. of them. He was tied for the Whistling Straits. Europe’s victory last year and surfer-cool attitude, he
“Amazing Grace, how lead until one bad swing Also forgotten is how Grace at Gleneagles, and he looked to be a star in the
sweet the sound, that — his tee shot on the 16th first arrived on the golfing delivered the signature making. And maybe that
saved his best for me.” that went over the railroad scene in 2012 by winning moment with a 9-iron to day will come. But since
That he did. tracks and out of bounds back-to-back weeks in tap-in range that was the then, Colsaerts has rarely
The 27-year-old spark plug — cost him. Grace also South Africa, including a clinching point. Donaldson come close to winning and
from South Africa was at his finished third at the PGA playoff victory over Ernie Els has finished in the top five dropped to No. 233 in the
best for the International Championship, which is and Retief Goosen in the only twice since, though world.
team all week at the Jack easy to overlook because Volvo Golf Champions at the Welshman was 38 and What should set Grace
Nicklaus Golf Club Korea. Jason Day really didn’t Fancourt. somewhat of a late bloom- apart from those examples
Not only did he become give anyone a chance at Even so, there’s something er in the first place. is what he already has
only the second Interna- A better example might be done — this year with two
tional player to go 5-0 Graham DeLaet. victories and the strong
for the week — Shigeki The Canadian had one of showing at Chambers Bay
Maruyama was the other his best weeks of golf at the and Whistling Straits, his five-
in 1998 — only one of those Presidents Cup two years win season in 2012, ending
matches reached the 18th ago at Muirfield Village. last year with a seven-shot
hole. And that might have DeLaet and Jason Day win over Oosthuizen.
been his defining moment. earned the most points If anything has held him
With partner Louis Oost- for the International team, back, or kept him from get-
huizen having put his shot and DeLaet finished his ting more attention, it’s his
in the water, and the sky week by holing a bunker lack of consistency. That’s
so dark that Grace could shot to beat Jordan Spieth a problem for just about
barely see the flag, he on the 18th hole. anyone (see Billy Horschel).
ripped a 3-wood into the As well as he strikes the “I think I get a bit streaky
wind and onto the edge of ball, and as much as he out there,” Grace said.
the green to secure a cru- stepped up his game on “The same happened in
cial point. a big stage, DeLaet was a 2012. Got the one win and
“He just showed that he’s feature story in golf maga- it led to another and five
a world-class player, and zines and a player to watch wins that season. I think the
there’s no moment too for years to come. Expecta- year where I didn’t win, a
big for him,” Oosthuizen tions got even higher when couple of bad habits came
gushed that day. “He’s he finished one shot behind back into my golf game, a
going to be a really great in consecutive weeks at little bit of struggling with
player.” Torrey Pines and Phoenix. the putting and things like
Grace already showed he He reached as high as No. that. But I’ve got that under
has the goods, even if not 28 in the world that week, control now. I think that’s
everyone was paying at- but he still hasn’t won on been the big turnaround
tention. the PGA Tour and has fall- for me so far this season.”
He nearly crashed the Jor- en out of the top 100. That will determine where
dan Spieth-Dustin Johnson Remember Nicolas Col- his game goes from here
party at Chambers Bay, saerts, the Belgium bomb- more than anything he did
playing just as well as both er? in a team uniform.q
