Fourball romp puts US in control of Presidents Cup
JERSEY CITY - A record equalling win for Phil Mickelson helped the United States seize an unprecedented second-day lead against an over-matched International team at the Presidents Cup on Friday.
With an 8-2 lead over captain Nick Price's Internationals, the Americans are more than halfway to the 15.5 points they need to win the biennial match play competition for a 10th time.
Mickelson, the only man to appear in all 12 Presidents Cups, rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt at the 18th hole to seal a 1-up victory with Kevin Kisner over Australians Jason Day and Marc Leishman.
The United States won four and halved another of the day's five fourball matches at Liberty National Golf Club, thwarting the Internationals' bid to bounce back from a two-point opening day deficit.
The Americans' six-point lead is the biggest ever held after two days of the competition, which sees 30 points up for grabs over four days.
The US had led by five points at the same stage in three prior editions, most recently in 2007.
With a 24th Presidents Cup match win, Mickelson tied the record held by Tiger Woods.
Leishman and Day had led from the opening hole through the 14th before Kisner squared the match with a birdie at 15 -- setting the stage for Mickelson's heroics.
Kevin Chappell and Charley Hoffman -- two Presidents Cup rookies -- set the tone for the United States, thumping Charl Schwartzel and Anirban Lahiri 6 & 5 in the first match to finish.
US President Donald Trump disembarks from Air Force Oner at Morristown Municipal Airport on September 29, 2017
Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas then delivered a stinging 3 & 2 victory over the International powerhouse duo of Louis Oosthuizen and Branden Grace.
The two South Africans had won four matches at the 2015 Cup, and provided the lone victory for the Internationals on Thursday.
For a time on Friday it looked like the Internationals could be turning things around, leading early in three matches.
But Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed rallied to halve their match with Japanese world number three Hideki Matsuyama and Canadian Adam Hadwin.
And world number one Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka pulled away on the back nine to beat Aussie Adam Scott and Venezuelan Jhonattan Vegas 3 & 2.
The US dominance is no surprise.
Led by top-ranked Johnson and world number two Spieth, the United States have an average world ranking of 15 and have combined for 17 US PGA Tour titles this year -- including the three most recent major championships.
The Internationals, drawn from eight nations on five continents, have an average rank of 32, with eight tournament titles among them this year.
But after a narrow one-point defeat in the 2015 edition in South Korea, there was optimism that the Internationals could pull off the upset, and add a second title to the one they captured in 1998.
The US have won nine of the 11 prior editions, with one ending in a draw.
Collated results:
United States 8 International team 2
Fourballs
United States 4.5 International team 0.5
Jordan Spieth/Patrick Reed (USA) v Hideki Matsuyama/Adam Hadwin (JPN/CAN) halved
Rickie Fowler/Justin Thomas (USA) bt Louis Oosthuizen/Branden Grace (RSA) 3 & 2
Phil Mickelson/Kevin Kisner (USA) bt Jason Day/Marc Leishman (AUS) 1-up
Kevin Chappell/Charley Hoffman (USA) bt Charl Schwartzel/Anirban Lahiri (RSA/IND) 6 & 5
Dustin Johnson/Brooks Koepka (USA) bt Adam Scott/Jhonattan Vegas (AUS/VEN) 3 & 2
Thursday's Foursomes
United States 3.5 International team 1.5
Rickie Fowler/Justin Thomas (USA) bt Hideki Matsuyama/Charl Schwartzel (JPN/RSA) 6 & 4
Dustin Johnson/Matt Kuchar (USA) bt Adam Scott/Jhonattan Vegas (AUS/VEN) 1-up
Jordan Spieth/Patrick Reed (USA) bt Kim Si-Woo/Emiliano Grillo (KOR/ARG) 5 & 4
Louis Oosthuizen/Branden Grace (RSA) bt Brooks Koepka/Daniel Berger (USA) 3 & 1
Kevin Kisner/Phil Mickelson (USA) v Jason Day/Marc Leishman (AUS) halved
