Americans Grab 4-1 Lead On Internationals At Presidents Cup

Charlotte, Sept 22 (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – twenty third Sep, 2022 ) :Justin Thomas and Cameron Young sank clutch putts and the United States blunted a back-nine fightback to steer the Internationals 4-1 after Thursday’s opening Presidents Cup matches.

The Americans dominated early then held on in foursomes (alternate shot) matches at Quail Hollow, stretching their Presidents Cup win streak within the format to 16 classes since 2005.

Thomas sank a 27-foot par putt to win the essential fifteenth gap to provide him and Jordan Spieth a 2&1 conquer Corey Conners and Im Sung-jae.

Young sank a 26-foot birdie putt to win the seventeenth as he and Collin Morikawa beat South Koreans Lee Kyoung-hoon and Kim Joo-hyung 2&1.

“We had some matches that we played really solid and some that were really a grind,” US captain Davis love mentioned. “A great start, a lot of heart.” The Americans lead the all-time rivalry 11-1-1 and have by no means misplaced on house soil, having gained the previous eight consecutive Cups.

Tokyo Olympic champion Xander Schauffele and 2021 PGA Tour playoffs winner Patrick Cantlay ripped Masters winners Hideki Matsuyama of Japan and Adam Scott of Australia 6&5 within the opener.

But the opposite matches had been tight to the end, with South Korean Kim Si-woo and Australian Cameron Davis profitable the final 4 holes in a 2-up victory over top-ranked Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns.

“We hung in there. We got off to a tough start and were behind the 8-ball early,” mentioned Internationals captain Trevor Immelman.

“We’re going to have to find a way to make a few putts in the next few days. But we’ll hang in there. That’s what we do. We’ll never quit.” Max Homa and Tony Finau gained 1-up over Canada’s Taylor Pendrith and Chile’s Mito Pereira after Pendrith missed a 10-foot par putt at 18.

It took 99 minutes to crack par for the Internationals, who shortly fell behind in each match however grinded again.

“We’re going to learn a lot,” mentioned Canada’s Conners. “I think we’re going to be just as hungry to get back out there.

” The Americans are enormous favorites with 10 of the world’s 16 top-ranked gamers to none for an International roster decimated by defections to the LIV Golf Series.

World quantity 4 Schauffele and fifth-ranked Cantlay gained the fifth by way of seventh holes with birdies for a 4-up lead and took the final three holes with pars.

“We felt like the wind was picking up so we told each other to ball-strike the heck out of this place and that’s what we did,” mentioned Schauffele.

Schauffele and Cantlay rose to 5-0 in foursomes at Ryder and Presidents Cup. They additionally gained this yr’s PGA pairs occasion in New Orleans.

“We just feel really comfortable and confident playing together,” Cantlay mentioned. “To make no bogeys it was really good golf.” Spieth and Thomas stayed unbeaten in Cup foursomes. They went 3-up after six however Im’s 14-foot birdie putt to win the ninth trimmed it to 1-up.

“It was a big grind,” Spieth mentioned.

– ‘Exactly what we would have liked’ – Thomas sank his clutch putt at 15, Quail Hollow’s closing gap when he gained the 2017 PGA Championship however moved this week to provide thrills.

Thomas did, pumping his fist and screaming, “That’s what I’m talking about,” earlier than two last tied holes sealed victory.

“It was huge,” Thomas mentioned. “It was great. It was exactly what we needed kind of thing.” Young holed a 24-foot birdie putt to win the sixth however a Lee birdie at 12 tied the match. Morikawa’s method landed inches from the cup at 13 to arrange a birdie to revive the US lead forward of Young’s profitable putt.

“It was awesome,” Young mentioned.

Reigning Masters champion Scheffler and Burns had been 2-up after 14 however Kim Si-woo and Davis took the lead when Davis dropped his method at 17 inside 4 toes and Kim sank the birdie putt, then gained 18 when Scheffler missed a 12-footer for par.

“We had a brutal first nine,” Kim mentioned. “We played nervously but we tried to fight back.”Davis mentioned of his heroics at 17: “It was the first time all day a shot come off like I wanted and it came at a perfect time.”