Sept 24 (Reuters) – The United States began their bid for an 11th consecutive Presidents Cup title with a 3-2 lead over the International Team after Thursday’s opening fourball session at Medinah Country Club outside Chicago.
Justin Thomas and 21-year-old rookie Jackson Koivun put the first point on the board for the Americans with a 4&3 victory over Corey Conners and Nico Echavarria.
Koivun made two early birdies as the Americans took control, and they never trailed before the Internationals conceded the 15th. The victory extended Thomas’ unbeaten record in Presidents Cup fourballs to 7-0-0.
“It was fun to be out there with Jackson and watch him do his thing. He’s really impressive to watch, and I’m really happy he’s on my team,” Thomas said.
The Internationals quickly answered through Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Hisatsune, who beat Cameron Young and Xander Schauffele 3&1 to level the session at 1-1.
The Japanese pair moved two up after nine holes and held off a late challenge from the Americans, with Hisatsune answering Young’s birdie at the 15th before the Internationals closed out the match.
“I’m just lucky,” Hisatsune said. “Playing with Hideki, he’s also a friend, so (he) gives me more trust every single time.”
SCHEFFLER, BURNS HOLD ON
Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns restored the US lead with a 1-up victory over Min Woo Lee and Sungjae Im, finally earning a Presidents Cup win together after struggling to convert previous opportunities.
The Americans raced into an early four-hole lead but saw it disappear, and Im moved the Internationals ahead at the 13th. Burns immediately responded with a birdie at the next hole, hitting an eight-iron to a couple of feet.
“It was kind of a key moment in our match just to kind of snatch back some of that momentum,” Burns said.
Scheffler then produced the shot of the match at the last, recovering from a bunker to within tap-in range and leaving Im needing a long birdie putt to keep the match alive. Im missed, allowing the world number one and Burns to close out the win.
“I felt like, if I could make a nice bunker shot in there, it would really put a lot of pressure on him in order to have to make his putt in order to tie the match,” world number one Scheffler said.
“It was probably just a little bit of a sigh of relief to finally get a point and just kind of let that out,” Burns said.
Wyndham Clark and Collin Morikawa then extended the US advantage with a dominant 3&2 victory over Adam Scott and Ryan Fox, giving the Americans a two-point cushion heading into the final match.
The US pair led from the opening hole and maintained their advantage despite failing to capitalize on several chances in the middle of the round.
Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim cut the deficit to 3-2 with a 3&2 win over Chris Gotterup and Patrick Cantlay in the final match.
The South Koreans moved two up early, were pegged back to all square and then regained control before closing out the match at the 16th.
“We did a really good job of just managing momentum and really choosing the holes to attack,” Tom Kim said. “It helps when your partner makes a lot of birdies.”
Tom Kim’s tee shot on the 16th nearly produced an ace, hitting the flagstick before spinning away, but the Internationals had already secured the match.
The biennial team event features 30 matches over four days, with the first team to reach 15.5 points winning the Presidents Cup. Friday’s schedule features five foursomes matches, with fourballs and foursomes sessions to follow on Saturday before Sunday’s 12 singles.
The US have won the Presidents Cup 13 times, lost once and tied once, with their only defeat coming in 1998 and the lone tie in 2003.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City; Editing by Chris Reese and Cynthia Osterman)
