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SPORTSMonday 12 October 2015
Unlikely stars, and another American win in Presidents Cup
DOUG FERGUSON U.S. team captain Jay Haas, front centre, poses with his team after they defeated the Interna- and for the longest time,
AP Golf Writer tional team 15 1/2 to 14 1/2 to retain the Presidents Cup at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea, in appeared to be in con-
INCHEON, South Korea (AP) Incheon, South Korea, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2015. trol all day. They had early
— The final hour when both leads in nine matches. The
teams thought they had it Associated Press International side had to
won. The clutch putt that have all the close matches
turned a rookie into the Americans. Moments later, Lahiri bunker shot on the 17th to go their way, and that’s
hero. The stubbed chip that what happened.
made the local star cover “Irrelevant of the outcome missed. halve the hole, which as- Marc Leishman took his first
his face with both hands as lead against Jordan Spieth
if he wanted to hide. — we obviously would have His putt caught the right sured the Americans would on the 15th hole and made
The Presidents Cup, packed a 7-foot putt on the 18th for
with raw emotion and end- loved to have won — we edge of the cup and spun do no worse than tie. a 1-up victory. Hideki Mat-
less nerves, was unlike any suyama won the 18th hole
other over the last 10 years. put on a show of golf this out, and he dropped his Facing that tough chip be- with a birdie to beat J.B.
Except for the outcome. Holmes.
The Americans won for the week,” captain Nick Price putter over his back in dis- low the 18th green, Bae hit Two halves were just as
sixth straight time Sunday critical. Louis Oosthuizen
when Chris Kirk made a 15- said. belief. it heavy and the gallery hit a splendid second shot
foot birdie putt to win his to 12 feet for eagle on the
match in a stunning turn- Anirban Lahiri, the first “I have to give credit to groaned as it rolled back 18th and tied Patrick Reed,
around on the final hole, and Thongchai Jaidee es-
and Bill Haas provided a player from India to make Chris for making that putt,” to his feet. He crouched caped with a half-point
storybook ending with the against Bubba Watson in
winning point for his team the International team, Lahiri said. “These things over that covered his face the most unlikely scenario.
and for his father. Thongchai drove into the
“A moment I’ll never for- battled Kirk shot-for-shot are scripted, I guess, and as his caddie, Matt Min- water and saved par, while
get,” U.S. captain Jay Haas Watson missed a 5-foot
said, so choked up when over the final hour holes I wasn’t in the script this ister, placed a hand on birdie putt.
it ended that he couldn’t Phil Mickelson had an un-
speak. and looked like a winner time.” Bae’s shoulder to console beaten record (3-0-1) for
Haas used a captain’s pick the third time in the Presi-
on his son, sent him off in when he played a delicate Neither was Bae, the only him. Bae chipped about 12 dents Cup, trouncing Charl
the 12th and final singles Schwartzel. Zach Johnson
match at the Jack Nick- pitch to perfection on the player under the Korean feet by the hole, and when also went unbeaten in eas-
laus Golf Club Korea and ily beating Jason Day, the
then saw Bill Haas hit all the par-5 18th and had 4 feet flag who was playing for the Haas blasted out of a bun- PGA champion and No.
right shots to hold off Bae 2 player in the world who
Sang-moon for a 2-up vic- for birdie. Kirk’s chip ran 15 final time before he starts ker to 8 feet, Bae conced- failed to win a match this
tory. week.
The 15½-14½ margin was feet by. Based on the status mandatory military service. ed the putt. The shortest match be-
the slimmest since the fa- longed to Adam Scott,
mous tie in South Africa in of other matches still on the When it became evident “I wanted to make the win- who won six straight holes
2003. Not since 2005 has the against Rickie Fowler and
Presidents Cup been de- course, it looked like the the Presidents Cup would ning point for the team, but ended it on the 13th green.
cided by the final match. Ultimately, though, the
That’s what the Interna- International team would be decided by his match at the end of the day, our Americans were posing
tional team wanted when with the gold cup, just like
it demanded the number finally emerge a winner. with Haas, the American team lost,” Bae said. “So always. The series now is
of matches be reduced 9-1-1 since the Presidents
(from 34 to 30). It almost And then Kirk made his putt was 1 up and not giving I was very sad and disap- Cup began in 1994, though
got something even bet- the International team
ter — the shiny gold trophy on the final turn, and one away any shots. Bae holed pointed about it.” headed home with belief
that again stays with the they are getting closer.q
of the most stoic players on a 10-foot putt on the 16th The Americans had a one-
the PGA Tour unleashed a to halve the hole. He came point lead going into the
fist pump. within inches of holing a decisive singles session,
