U.S. takes one-point lead into final day at Presidents Cup
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U.S. Team player J.B. Holmes watches his tee shot on the 4th hole during his foursome match at the 2015 Presidents Cup at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon, Saturday. / AP-Yonhap
Chasing its sixth consecutive victory, the United States will take a one-point lead over the International Team into the final day at the Presidents Cup.
The United States claimed two points over the International Team from the afternoon four-ball session at the par-72, 7,380-yard Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon, west of Seoul. It now holds a 9 1/2 to 8 1/2 lead with the 12 singles scheduled for the finale on Sunday.
The Americans are going for their ninth victory in 11 Presidents Cups, and a win here would be their sixth straight.
Earlier Saturday, the two teams took two points apiece from the four foursome matches, after each won a match and halved two. It put the United States up 7 1/2 to 6 1/2.
In the four-ball session, Bae Sang-moon, the only South Korean in the field, and Hideki Matsuyama of Japan earned the first point for the International Team, dispatching Jimmy Walker and Chris Kirk 6 & 5.
The International duo won the first hole on Matsuyama's birdie. Then Bae made birdie on the par-5 seventh to put his team 2-up, with both Walker and Kirk missing their birdie attempts.
Bae holed another big putt at the eighth to go 3-up and made his third straight birdie at the ninth for a 4-up cushion.
Matsuyama joined the fray with a birdie putt of his own at the 10th, giving the Internationals a 5-up lead. The Japanese was at it again at the 11th with a birdie, and the Internationals closed out the Americans at the 13th.
U.S. Team player Jordan Spieth reacts after his tee shot on the 2nd hole during his foursome match at the 2015 Presidents Cup at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon, Saturday. / AP-Yonhap
The South African duo of Louis Oosthuizen and Branden Grace improved to a perfect 4-0-0 after beating J.B. Holmes and Bubba Watson 1-up.
Oosthuizen and Grace won two of the first three holes, before the Americans squared the match with Watson's birdie at the 13th. Grace returned the favor with a birdie at the 16th and restored a 1-up lead for the International Team. The South Africans clinched the victory by halving the 18th.
Adam Scott of Australia and Anirban Lahiri of India won just one hole as Phil Mickelson and Zach Johnson beat them 3 & 2.
Jason Day of Australia and Charl Schwartzel of South Africa won the first hole versus Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth, but the Americans caught fire behind Spieth's heroics and prevailed 3 & 2.
The world No. 1 made a 32-foot birdie putt on the ninth for a 2-up lead and holed out for a birdie on the 12th, putting his side 4-up.
The Internationals cut the lead to 3-up at the 15th but couldn't get any closer. Spieth picked up eight birdies over the first 14 holes. (Yonhap)