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Thomas fires but US slip further behind at Presidents Cup
MELBOURNE, Dec 14, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Justin Thomas again proved a rock with
his third point of the Presidents Cup Saturday, but his teammates failed to
match the exploits as Tiger Woods’ Americans slipped further behind.
The world number four, an 11-time winner on the PGA Tour, was teamed with
Woods on the opening two days, but with the playing-captain resting for the
Saturday morning fourballs, he partnered Rickie Fowler.
Thomas was the anchor, draining winners on the second, eighth, 11th and
16th at Royal Melbourne to help beat Australian Marc Leishman and Chinese
rookie Li Haotong 3 and 2.
But it was their only win, with Ernie Els’ Internationals clinching two
matches with the other tied as they target a first victory in the match-play
event since 1998.
It put them in the box seat with a commanding 9-5 lead heading into four
foursome — or alternate shot — matches on Saturday afternoon, ahead of 12
singles on Sunday.
With 30 points at stake, the first to 15.5 will win the cup.
“I’d much rather be 0-3 and us be winning by five or six points,” said
Thomas. “You know, everyone that goes out there, we just have to go out there
and try to do our job.”
Sensational Mexican Abraham Ancer matched Thomas with a third point for his
team, including a wonder putt on the third.
Paired with impressive South Korean Im Sung-jae, just 21 but who has risen
to the occasion, they outplayed Patrick Cantlay, who dropped one of those
crucial putts on Friday, and Xander Schauffele.
Bogeys from both Americans on the eighth handed Ancer and Im a 1-up
advantage and they never looked back in a convincing 3 and 2 win.
“These are the moments that we’ve been practising for our whole life, and
to be able to do that, it’s a lot of fun,” said Ancer.
“But my partner was incredible. I think we both played some really good
golf today.”
Woods kept faith with Webb Simpson and Patrick Reed, who were trounced by
Leishman and Ancer on Friday, but they struggled again against Hideki
Matsuyama and Taiwan’s CT Pan, whose iron play was laser-like.
They lost the opening two holes and with Matsuyama and Pan’s putters
running hot, including an eagle on the sixth for debutant Pan, the US never
recovered, crushed 5 and 3 in the biggest margin so far.
Veteran Adam Scott’s experience came into play in his match alongside South
Korea’s An Byeong-hun against Matt Kuchar and Tony Finau.
They went one down at the fifth but Scott nailed a long birdie putt on the
eighth to even it up and another at the 11th for the lead before Finau held
his nerve at the 18th to sink a birdie to split the match.
BSS/AFP/GMR/0906 hrs