MEDINAH, Ill. (AP) — Capsules from the fourballs matches Thursday in the Presidents Cup:
Scheffler made a 15-foot birdie putt on the opening hole and the Americans started with four birdies in a row. Lee and Im kept right with them with four straight birdies to square the match through five. Each team has five birdies on the front nine. The Internationals had birdie chances from 10 feet on three straight holes and failed to convert. Im gave them a 1-up
lead with a short birdie on the par-3 13th, only for Burns to hit 8-iron to 2 feet on the next hole. The turning point was Im and Lee both missing par putts on the 17th, and Scheffler saving par from a bunker on the final hole.
This is the first time Japan has had two players in the Presidents Cup since 1998, and the Japanese duo thrived. Young, the top American in a losing Ryder Cup last year, birdied the second hole for a 1-up lead. The Americans didn’t win another hole the rest of the way. Hisatsune birdied the par-5 third, the Americans both bogeyed the eighth and Matsuyama made a 10-foot birdie to go 2 up at the turn. The Internationals were dormie playing the 17th, and when both Americans missed long birdie putts, they conceded birdies to Matsuyama and Hisatsune.
Thomas had never lost a fourballs match in the Presidents Cup and he largely carried the 21-year-old Koivun in his cup debut. Koivun drove out-of-bounds on the second hole and Thomas halved the hole with a tough bunker shot. They won the par-5 third with Koivun making a 20-footer (Thomas had 3 feet for birdie if he missed). Thomas made a 25-foot birdie on the fifth, and Koivun hit lob wedge to 7 feet for birdie on the next hole. It was 3 up at that point and the Internationals won only one hole the rest of the way when Conners birdied the seventh.
Clark and Morikawa had four birdies in the opening six holes and already were 3 up in the only match that had four major champions. Scott and Fox managed only two birdies in 12 holes, and by then the Americans were on their way. Scott birdied the 13th to close the margin to 2 down, only for Clark to make a 12-foot birdie on the 15th to make the match dormie. Morikawa hit his tee shot to 4 feet for birdie on the par-3 17th to close it out.
The South Korean duo remained unbeaten in three fourballs matches at the Presidents Cup against Cantlay and newcomer Gotterup. Kim and Kim were 2 up through two holes, only for the Americans to both hit it to 6 feet for birdie on the fourth and the Internationals both failed to birdie the par-5, bringing the match back to all square. Si Woo Kim hit his tee shot to 4 feet on the par-3 seventh. The turning point came on the 13th when everyone but Tom Kim made bogey. Si Woo Kim followed with a 30-foot birdie putt on the 14th for a 3-up lead with four to play.
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