MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (AP) - Capsules from Saturday’s matches at the Presidents Cup:
FOURSOMES:
Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson, United States, def. Robert Allenby and Geoff Ogilvy, International, 3 and 2.
The Americans opened with two birdies for a 2-up lead when Allenby twice missed matching putts from inside 6 feet. Allenby made a 10-foot par putt on the third to win the hole, and he nearly made an ace with a 9-iron on the fifth to square the match. The Americans never trailed, and the International team didn’t threaten because of a few errant tee shots from Ogilvy and missed birdie chances from Allenby when they had a chance to win the hole. Watson holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the 14th for a 2-up lead, and Simpson closed out the match with a 15-foot birdie on the 16th.
___
Ernie Els and Ryo Ishikawa, International, def. Bill Haas and Matt Kuchar, United States, 1 up.
Els and Ishikawa finally won as a team in the best match of the morning session. Els and Ishikawa were 2 down through seven holes and still trailed with four holes to play when Haas and Kuchar bogeyed the par-5 15th to square the match. Haas put his approach into the bunker on No. 16 and missed a 7-foot par putt to fall 1 down for the first time all day. On the next hole, Kuchar hit his approach to a foot for a conceded birdie, but Ishikawa made an 18-foot birdie to match him. Ishikawa made a 6-foot par putt on the last to win.
___
Hunter Mahan and David Toms, United States, def. Retief Goosen and Charl Schwartzel, International, 5 and 4.
Mahan and Toms played 27 holes in their two foursomes matches. This time, they fell behind early with a bogey on the fourth hole, only to win the next three holes, twice with birdie. From there, they were on their way. Another bogey by Goosen and Schwartzel put the Americans 3 up at the turn, and they finished off the International team with pars on 13th and 14th holes.
___
Dustin Johnson and Tiger Woods, United States, def. Adam Scott and K.J. Choi, International, 3 and 2.
Woods earned his first point, and small payback for losing to Scott (and Steve Williams) and Choi in Thursday foursomes. The Americans bogeyed the third hole to fall behind, but the match turned twice in their favor. Woods and Johnson won back-to-back holes with pars on the seventh and eighth. The match was all square when Scott and Choi chopped up the 13th, conceding before they even got to the green. Scott and Choi then were on the wrong side of the 14th green and three-putted to fall 2 down. Woods closed out the match with a 20-foot birdie putt on the 16th.
___
Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk, United States, def. Aaron Baddeley and Jason Day, International, 2 and 1.
Baddeley and Day, riding the momentum from Friday’s big win, quickly built a 2-up lead with three birdies on the opening five holes. They were still 2 up through 10 holes and looked to be the one sure point for the International team. That’s when Mickelson and Furyk came to life. Starting with a birdie on No. 11, the Americans won four of the next five holes to seize control at 2 up with three to play, and Mickelson ended it in dramatic fashion with a 50-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.