Woods seals Presidents Cup for Americans
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, October 8, 2013
Fred Couples, the coolest guy in golf, never really looked that way until he stood on the edge of the 18th fairway on Sunday in Dublin, Ohio, and saw everything going his way.
The Americans needed only one more point to win the Presidents Cup.
And there was Tiger Woods, who has a history of delivering the winning point, in the middle of the fairway at Muirfield Village, where he has won a record five times.
The Presidents Cup ended just the way it always does.
Woods found the green and two-putted for par and a 1-up victory over Richard Sterne, the third straight time he has won the clinching point in the Presidents Cup. The Americans won for the fifth straight time — and eighth time in 10 tries — against an International side that showed some fight when it was too late to matter.
The Americans, who finished strong on Sunday morning in the foursomes for a 14-8 lead, only needed to win four singles matches.
It took longer than anyone expected.
"I must have asked 500 times, 'How are we getting this fourth point? Where is the fourth point coming from?'" said Couples, a three-time winner as US captain."
The final score — United States 18½, International 15½.
"People say it was close. Jack (Nicklaus) said it was close," International captain Nick Price said. "You tell me. We were behind the 8-ball all day. If we pulled it off, it would have been miraculous."
Zach Johnson closed out Branden Grace, 4 and 2, to give the Americans 17 points and assure them a tie. But it took more than an hour to get that last point.
Canadian Graham DeLaet holed out for birdie for the second time on Sunday on the 18th hole, this time from a bunker to beat 20-year-old Jordan Spieth. Ernie Els found his putting touch and beat Steve Stricker. Marc Leishman rolled in a putt from the back fringe of the 18th green to beat Matt Kuchar. Adam Scott and Charl Schwartzel won their matches.
The International team's fleeting hopes ended when Woods, despite suffering back spasms again in the final hour of his match, won.
"It was a team effort..." said Woods, who went 4-1. "We really played well to give ourselves a nice lead."
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