US win fifth straight Presidents Cup



The United States secured a fifth successive
Presidents Cup win with an 18½-15½ victory over
the Internationals at Muirfield Village.
The hosts led 11½-6½ before Sunday's four foursome
matches, held over because of storms, and 12 singles.
The Internationals won six of the first nine singles
matches completed in Ohio but Tiger Woods's one-up
victory over Richard Sterne sealed the result.
The US have now won eight of the 10 stagings of the
event, with one draw.
In addition, it was the third victory in a row for US
captain Fred Couples.
The US needed only four points from Sunday's singles
to retain the Cup, having established a lead of 14-8
after the delayed final foursomes session.
Australian Jason Day won the first point of the singles,
crushing Brandt Snedeker 6&4, shortly before Hunter
Mahan beat Japan's Hideki Matsuyama 3&2.
US PGA champion Jason Dufner beat Zimbabwean
Brendon de Jonge 4&3, while Canada's Graham DeLaet
holed out from a greenside bunker for birdie at the
18th to edge Jordan Spieth one up.
Zach Johnson wrapped up a comfortable 4&2 win over
South African Branden Grace to put the US 17-10
ahead, before Masters champion Adam Scott scored
another win for the Internationals with a 2&1 win over
Bill Haas.
South African Ernie Els scraped past Steve Stricker one
up, Australian Marc Leishman sank a 14-footer from
the fringe to par the last and beat Matt Kuchar by the
same margin before former Masters champion Charl
Schwartzel of South Africa beat Keegan Bradley 2&1.
But world number one Woods, who won three matches
out of four in partnership with Kuchar earlier in the
week, shrugged off back pain to cinch overall victory
with two matches to finish.
Webb Simpson and South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen
then tied their match before Argentina's Angel Cabrera
beat Phil Mickelson one-up.
Singles results
Hunter Mahan bt Hideki Matsuyama 3&2
Brandt Snedeker lost to Jason Day 6&4
Jordan Spieth lost to Graham DeLaet one down
Steve Stricker lost to Ernie Els one down
Jason Dufner beat Brendon de Jonge 4&3
Bill Haas lost to Adam Scott 2&1
Zach Johnson beat Branden Grace 4&2
Matt Kuchar lost to Marc Leishman one down
Tiger Woods beat Richard Sterne one up
Keegan Bradley lost to Charl Schwartzel 2&1
Webb Simpson halved with Louis Oosthuizen
Phil Mickelson lost to Angel Cabrera one down

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