Golf

US off to flying start at the Presidents Cup

Bubba Watson and JB Holmes set the tone by dominating opening match in South Korea

United Nations Command honour guards carry flags of the competing nations ahead of the first round of foursome matches at the 2015 Presidents Cup at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon, west of Seoul. Photograph: Getty Images
United Nations Command honour guards carry flags of the competing nations ahead of the first round of foursome matches at the 2015 Presidents Cup at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon, west of Seoul. Photograph: Getty Images
Thu Oct 08 2015 - 09:07

The United States made a flying start to the defence of their Presidents Cup crown after dominating the opening day foursomes against the International team at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon, South Korea.

The USA have won the last five Presidents Cups and Jay Haas’ team put themselves well on course for another triumph after taking a 4-1 lead on Thursday.

Bubba Watson and JB Holmes set the tone for the day by dominating their opening match against Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama, taking the lead after the second hole and never relinquishing it before winning 3&2.

The South African pairing of Louis Oosthuizen and Branden Grace levelled up the scores in the next game, winning by the same scoreline as the opening match, but that was as good as it got for the International team as the United States claimed the final three points of the day.

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Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker were the biggest winners as they brushed aside Anirban Lahiri and Thongchai Jaidee 5&4 in the clash between four Presidents Cup rookies.

The American duo, who halved three and lost one of their Ryder Cup matches together last year, were three up after four holes following a hat-trick of birdies from the second, and although India’s Lahiri and Thailand’s Jaidee fought to stay in contention, the outcome was rarely in doubt.

Three more birdies on the 10th, 11th and 13th put the American pairing on the cusp of victory, and they secured it on the 14th.

World number one Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson were similarly clinical in disposing of Danny Lee and Marc Leishman 4&3, back-to-back birdies on the opening two holes giving them a lead they never surrendered.

The only match to go to the 18th hole was the fourth one that pitted Phil Mickelson and Zach Johnson against Jason Day and his fellow Australian Steven Bowditch.

The USA duo led for all but four holes and were two up heading to the 17th, but a 40-foot birdie putt from Day gave the International duo a chance to salvage a half on the last.

However, world number two Day was unable to repeat his heroics with the putter on the 18th and the USA won two up to cap an almost perfect day for Haas’ men.

US captain Haas said on Sky Sports: “This is wonderful, the guys played really really well. They had to to beat a really strong team.

“We’re ecstatic to get off this start and hopefully (we can) keep the pedal down.”

The Cup continues on Friday with five fourball matches, and with a significant deficit to overcome and history against them, the International team know they have their work cut out.

International team captain Nick Price said: “It was a tough day, the US team played really well. A couple of our pairings struggled, but it’s a live and learn thing when you’ve got a new fresh team like we have.

“We’ve got 25 points left, we can’t get down now, we’ve got a lot of golf (to play). We can turn it around tomorrow just as quickly as they did today, so I’ve got to talk them now and say ‘keep your chins up’.”