Some of the big names couldn’t finish it off, so it was up to Bill Haas and Chris Kirk to bring home the Presidents Cup again for the United States.
Haas and Kirk scored the decisive points as the Americans fought off as valiant rally by the International team to score a 15 1/2 to 14 1/2 victory at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club-Korea in Incheon, South Korea.
The U.S. continued its domination of the Presidents Cup, leading 9-1-1 all-time including six consecutive victories, but this one was different than most. If you didn’t know better, you might have though you were watching the Ryder Cup.
“This is what the Presidents Cup needed,” International Captain Nick Price of Zimbabwe said in defeat. “There’s no doubt.”
Kirk, a Presidents Cup rookie, made the biggest shot of the four-day competition, holing a 16-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole that at the time appeared give the U.S. a valuable half point.
However, when Anirban Lahiri of India lipped out a four-foot putt for an answering birdie, Kirk claimed a vital point that put the Americans on the verge of retaining the Cup with his 1-up victory.
“All I was thinking about was making it,” said Kirk, who showed rare emotion for him when it went in. “That was for everybody who has never seen me fist pump before.”
Said Lahiri: “I have to give credit to Chris for making that putt. These things are scripted, I guess, and I wasn’t in the script this time.”
Then Haas, son of Captain Jay Haas who needed a Captain’s Pick for his dad to make the team after barely missing qualifying on his own, finished things off with a 2-up victory over home favorite Sangmoon Bae of South Korea.
Bill Haas assured the Americans of at least a tie that would have retained the Presidents Cup when he and Bae made pars on the 17th hole, and on the 18th Bae chunked a chip shot and eventually conceded the hole and the match.
“We had a lot of red up on the board early,” Captain Haas said. “Then all of a sudden, some of the matches turned a little bit different. And I thought, Bill’s match is probably going to matter in some way or another.
” … Much more emotional, I think, than if it would have been anyone else on the team.”
Added Bill Haas, who took the lead for good with a 35-foot birdie putt on the 12th hole:
“It’s special for me and my dad. The most emotion I’ve felt from him in a long time. The hug he gave me, I won’t forget that.”
Branden Grace of South Africa became the fifth player in Presidents Cup history to finish 5-0 when he defeated Matt Kuchar, 2 and 1, and Marc Leishman provided the Internationals with an unexpected point when he beat World No. 1 Jordan Spieth, 1 up.
Phil Mickelson, Haas’ other Captain’s Pick, finished off a 3-0-1 week with a 5-and-4 victory over Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, while Zach Johnson, Lefty’s partner in the pairs events, also was 3-0-1 after beating second-ranked Jason Day of Australia, 3 and 2.
Surprisingly, Day finished 0-4-1.
Bubba Watson finished 2-1-2, but missed a five-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole that would have wrapped up the U.S. victory and halved his singles match with Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand.
Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa, who went 4-0 with Grace in the doubles events, finished off a 4-0-1 tournament by halving his match with Patrick Reed, while Dustin Johnson went 3-1 for the Americans, including a 2-and-1 singles victory over Danny Lee of New Zealand.
