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                                                                                                       SPORTS Saturday 30 September 2017
            Americans running away in the Presidents Cup




                                                                                                   as  though  they  could  go  Royal Melbourne. But it has
                                                                                                   either  way  until  the  back  at  least  been  close  after
                                                                                                   nine.  At  one  point,  the  In-  the  opening  two  sessions,
                                                                                                   ternational  team  led  in  with neither side leading by
                                                                                                   three  matches,  only  for  all  more than two points since
                                                                                                   of them to turn.             1998.
                                                                                                   In  the  five  matches,  the  With an 8-2 lead, the Amer-
                                                                                                   Americans won 13 holes on  icans  have  a  mathemati-
                                                                                                   the  back  nine,  compared  cal  chance  to  clinch  on
                                                                                                   to just three for the Interna-  Saturday,  which  features
                                                                                                   tional team.                 four matches of foursomes
                                                                                                   The Americans have a 9-1-    in  the  morning  and  four
                                                                                                   1  lead  in  the  series,  their  matches of fourballs in the
                                                                                                   only loss coming in 1998 at  afternoon.q












            Brooks Koepka, left, celebrates after making his putt on the tenth hole with Dustin Johnson during
            the four-ball golf matches on the second day of the Presidents Cup at Liberty National Golf Club
            in Jersey City, N.J., Friday, Sept. 29, 2017.
                                                                                  Associated Press
            By DOUG FERGUSON             putt,” Mickelson said.       Grace.
            AP Golf Writer               Mickelson, who has played    They  took  the  lead  for
            JERSEY  CITY,  N.J.  (AP)  —  in  all  12  Presidents  Cups,   good  when  Fowler  made
            Phil Mickelson rolled in a 12-  has  24  match  victories  to   a 15-foot birdie putt on the
            foot birdie putt on the 18th  tie  the  record  set  by  Tiger   third hole, and then Thom-
            hole to cap off another big  Woods  in  eight  appear-    as  produced  the  loudest
            day for the Americans and  ances. Woods was looking       cheer  of  the  afternoon  at
            set a record for the largest  on in his role as an assistant   a  pivotal  moment  on  the
            lead  after  two  sessions  in  to U.S. captain Steve Strick-  14th hole. Oosthuizen hit his
            Presidents Cup history.      er.                          approach  to  6  feet,  while
            Another  day  like  this  and  And that’s about all the In-  both Americans missed the
            that’s what the Internation-  ternational team could do.  green.  From  the  left  bun-
            al team will be — history.   Hideki  Matsuyama  and       ker,  Thomas  blasted  out
            Mickelson  and  Kisner  nev-  Adam  Hadwin  were  2  up   perfectly  and  watched
            er  led  against  Jason  Day  with  four  holes  to  play   in drop in for a birdie that
            and  Marc  Leishman  until  against Jordan Spieth and     kept    the   International
            the  par-3  18th  hole  Friday  Patrick  Reed  and  had  to   team from cutting the defi-
            at  Liberty  National.  Mick-  settle for a halve. Even that   cit to 1 down.
            elson  poured  in  his  birdie  felt  like  a  small  victory  for   Thomas  birdied  the  next
            putt, and Leishman missed  the International team be-     hole,  and  his  bunker  shot
            his  from  about  the  same  cause  Spieth  had  birdie   on the 16th hit the pin and
            range.                       putts on the final two holes   somehow stayed out.
            About  the  only  thing  that  that narrowly missed.      The  shortest  match  of  the
            went  wrong  was  the  cel-  Justin Thomas, already with   day  belonged  to  a  pair
            ebration.  Mickelson,  who  a  big  year  behind  him  as   of  American  rookies,  Kev-
            on Thursday cropped him-     a  major  champion  and      in  Chappell  and  Charley
            self out of a selfie with the  the  FedEx  Cup  champion,   Hoffman,  who  sat  out  the
            last  three  U.S.  presidents,  teamed  with  Rickie  Fowler   foursomes  matches  in  the
            missed  a  move  in  the  for  another  easy  victory.    opening session. They were
            “Three Amigos” dance with  They have trailed only one     3 up after four holes against
            Kisner.                      hole  in  their  two  matches,   Charl Schwartzel and Anir-
            “I’m clearly the worst selfie  and they became the first   ban Lahiri and never let up
            taker.  I’m  the  worst  ‘Three  partnership  to  beat  Louis   in a 6-and-5 victory.
            Amigos’ dancer. But I can  Oosthuizen  and  Branden       Dustin Johnson and Brooks
                                                                      Koepka,  close  friends  and
                                                                      the  last  two  U.S.  Open
                                                                      champions,  took  their  first
                                                                      lead on the par-3 10th with
                                                                      Koepka’s birdie, and John-
                                                                      son  showed  rare  emotion
                                                                      on his final two birdies in a
                                                                      3-and-2 victory over Adam
                                                                      Scott  and  Jhonattan  Ve-
                                                                      gas.
                                                                      Just  like  the  opening  ses-
                                                                      sion,  the  matches  looked
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